Ventura Superior Court Filing Rules

A petition declaring a child free from custody or terminating parental rights must be accompanied by proposed Local Form VN268 directing the Human Services Agency to investigate and report a recommendation.

By the close of jury selection, or as the court directs, the parties must submit all proposed CACI instructions and any special instructions with supporting citations.

The ADR statement must briefly summarize the case, causes of action, primary monetary damages or other relief sought, and primary defenses asserted.

All exhibits, including impeachment materials, must be pre-marked with unique party-specific number ranges.

Parties are advised to avoid motions in limine that merely enforce existing law or restate general legal propositions without tying them to evidence to be excluded.

A copy of the Civil Case Cover Sheet Addendum must be served with the summons and complaint or petition.

The joint proposed jury questionnaire must be served either personally or by email with a PDF attachment.

The summons and complaint must be served promptly, and proof of service must be filed with the court.

The Joint ADR Status Conference Statement must be served at least five court days before the ADR Status Conference.

Trial briefs must be served on all parties and emailed to the court at least three court days before trial.

A stipulated continuance must be filed before the date to which the matter is continued.

IDC responding papers are due within five days after the requesting papers are emailed.

At least 80 copies of an approved pre-screening jury questionnaire must be lodged with the court on the first day of trial.

The joint pretrial conference statement must be submitted five court days before the pretrial conference.

Ex parte moving papers must be filed by noon on the court day before the hearing; late papers may result in continuation of the hearing.

The exhibit number or letter must appear in the footer of every page of each exhibit.

Relevant portions must be highlighted on any exhibit exceeding five pages.

All exhibits, including impeachment materials, must be pre-marked with numbers, and each party must use a unique number range.

Exhibits must be numerically pre-marked, organized in tabbed binders no more than two inches thick, labeled by exhibit number range, and provided as a complete set to each party.

Pages of exhibits supporting or opposing motions should be consecutively numbered at the bottom, and exhibit references in briefs or declarations should include the page number.

A stipulated Mandatory Settlement Conference continuance requires a VN-230 request signed by both parties, submitted by facsimile or walk-through at least two court days before the hearing.

Trial dates are firm, continuances are disfavored, and any continuance must comply with CRC 3.1332.

Trial dates are firm, continuances are disfavored, and continuance requests must comply with CRC 3.1332.

Ex parte order applications may be submitted electronically; when they are not, they must be filed in the courthouse for the appropriate judge before presentation.

If fewer than all parties submit on the tentative ruling, the hearing will proceed and the tentative ruling may change.

IDC requesting papers with the specified subject line must be emailed to Courtroom 20, with simultaneous copies to all other counsel or self-represented parties.

No E-Delivery of Trial Documents: The court does not accept e-delivery of trial documents. Once trial documents are received by the Court, they do not need to be resubmitted if the trial trails.

Trial documents do not need to be resubmitted if the trial is continued.

Trial briefs may not exceed ten pages unless the trial judge provides otherwise.

Trial briefs may not exceed five pages, must be served on all parties, and must be emailed to the court at least three court days before trial.

Trial briefs are limited to five pages, must be served on all parties, and must be emailed to the courtroom as a PDF attachment five court days before trial.

Motions in limine are limited to five pages.

The court requests that each side file no more than five in limine motions, while no party may exceed ten without the court's leave.

Parties may not email the judge’s email address, and unsolicited emails will be treated as improper ex parte communications and not read; however, an email the court invites or approves must be sent to Courtroom43@ventura.courts.ca.gov.

The party seeking an ex parte temporary-guardianship hearing should call the Courtroom J1 Judicial Secretary to reserve the next available hearing date.

IDC responding papers must be emailed to Courtroom 42 at courtroom42@ventura.courts.ca.gov.

To reserve an ex parte application, call the Judicial Secretary at 805-289-8791 by 10 a.m. on the preceding court day.

A request for an IDC must be sent by email to Courtroom 21, copied to all attorneys and self-represented litigants, and use the subject line “REQUEST FOR IDC.”

The appropriate filing fee must be paid for the continuance request.

Parties must timely post jury fees.

Parties who agreed to pay jury fees must remit a check to the judicial assistant on the first day of trial.

A party granted a fee waiver may obtain a court reporter without charge by written request in conformance with California Rule of Court 2.956.

A chambers copy of the administrative record must be delivered to Department 44.

Courtesy paper copies of all trial documents must be delivered to Courtroom 21 by 8:30 a.m. on the court day after the documents are emailed to the court.

Counsel must maintain their own copies of the exhibit binders.

A courtesy copy of the statement shall be emailed to the assigned department’s email proxy (e.g., courtroom41@ventura.courts.ca.gov at the time of filing.

A copy of every PowerPoint slide shown to the jury during opening statements or closing arguments must be provided to the Court and opposing counsel.

Parties involved in a custody or visitation dispute must complete Family Court Orientation before mediation.

A party may not bring more than five in limine motions without leave of court.

A party may not file more than five motions in limine without leave of court.

When the petitioner already may inspect and copy the juvenile file, the petitioner must lodge two sealed confidential copies for Juvenile Court review—one unredacted copy and one redacted copy.

An exhibit binder must be prepared for opposing counsel, the witness stand, the bench, and the clerk if the judge orders a clerk binder.