Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Signed Order
Court-wide- After Signature by Court
Adjournments
- The Court will not pass (continue) a trial setting because of another trial setting unless the attorney has actually commenced trial in court.
- Parties with a Motion for Summary Judgment currently set in Presiding District Court must reset the hearing into the 288th District Court.
Request must include
Communication
Document Format Requirements5 rules
Each requested instruction must be numbered and presented with authority.
All exhibits must be pre-marked and exchanged among counsel (please see Judy for instructions on how exhibits should be marked).
The parties must provide the Court with complete sets of exhibits for use at trial in a properly tabbed and indexed notebook.
- Exhibits
Formatting
- •Exhibit notebook must be indexed
Even if the parties cannot, after a good faith attempt, agree on all proposed instructions, definitions and questions, the parties should nonetheless submit a single, unified charge. Each disputed instruction, definition, or question should be set out in bold type, underlined, or in italics and identified as disputed. Each disputed item should be labeled to show which party is requesting the disputed language.
A copy of each deposition excerpt highlighted is preferred for the Court.
- Deposition excerpts
Formatting
- •Deposition excerpt copies should be highlighted for the Court
Document Filing Requirements3 rules
A. Required Documents. 1) For All Trials and Evidentiary Hearings a. Exhibit List b. Witness List c. Designation of deposition excerpts for witnesses called by deposition. A copy of each deposition excerpt highlighted is preferred for the Court. d. Objections, if any, to an opponent's exhibits, witnesses, or deposition excerpts heard at pretrial.
- Document
- Trial and evidentiary hearing documents
Must include
- •Exhibit list
The instructions shall, at a minimum, include: (1) the prima facie elements of each cause of action and defense asserted, (2) legal definitions required by the jury, (3) items of damages, and (4) methods of calculation of damages.
Accompanying each instruction shall be all authority or related materials upon which each party relies and presented at the Charge Conference.
Filing & Service rules
Electronic Filing Rules
Parties must file all documents through the District Court's Electronic Case Filing System.
The Court requires parties to file documents through the District Court's Electronic Case Filing System. See Local Rules
Civil cases
Page 2 | 1. Contact with Court Personnel
Proposed jury charges must also be uploaded electronically to Google Drive or submitted in Word format to Stephanie.Holman@bexar.org.
The proposed charges must also be uploaded electronically in the Google Drive or submitted in Word to Stephanie.Holman@bexar.org.
Civil cases
Page 2 | 4. Non-Jury Trial Procedures
Filing Timing and Cure Windows
For all motions filed on or after December 4, 2025, the court must set the motion for hearing no later than 60 days after filing, subject to statutory exceptions, and these deadlines are strictly enforced.
Please be advised that under Texas Government Code Section 23.303(a), for all motions filed on or after December 4, 2025, the court must set the motion for hearing no later than the 60th day after the motion is filed unless certain exceptions apply. These statutory deadlines will be strictly enforced.
Court notice
Page 1 | Statutory hearing deadlines under Texas Government Code Section 23.303(a) for motions filed on or after December 4, 2025
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Parties must provide courtesy copies of all documents pertaining to matters heard by the Court.
The parties to provide courtesy copies of all documents pertaining to matters heard by the Court.
Civil cases
Page 2 | 2. Courtesy Copy of Documents
Filing Bundling Requirements
Parties must file a single, joint proposed jury charge including all necessary instructions, definitions, and questions.
Jury Instructions: The parties must file a single, joint proposed jury charge, including all necessary instructions, definitions, and questions.
Civil cases
Page 2 | 4. Non-Jury Trial Procedures
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
The Court will not pass (continue) a trial setting because of another trial setting unless the attorney has actually commenced trial in court.
Unless an attorney has actually commenced trial in court, another trial setting will not cause the Court to pass a trial setting in a case.
Civil cases
Page 3 | 5. JURY TRIAL
Parties with a Motion for Summary Judgment currently set in Presiding District Court must reset the hearing into the 288th District Court.
If you are receiving this email, it is because you currently have a Motion for Summary Judgment set in Presiding District Court. You are required to reset your hearing into the 288th District Court.
Court notice
Page 1 | Resetting hearings: party conference and clerk approval requirements (contact Stephanie Martinez)
Chambers Communication Rules
Before resetting a hearing, all parties must confer on mutually available dates and then email clerk Stephanie Martinez to obtain a court-approved hearing date.
Before doing so, all parties must confer and make best efforts to agree on dates of mutual availability, and then contact my clerk, Stephanie Martinez, via email at Stephanie.Martinez4@bexar.org, to obtain an approved date based on the court's availability.
Court notice
Page 1 | Resetting hearings: party conference and clerk approval requirements (contact Stephanie Martinez)
Hearing settings must be confirmed with the clerk before a notice of hearing is filed; unapproved settings may not be honored, and if no date is set the court will set its own date for submission.
All settings must be confirmed with the clerk before a notice of hearing is filed. Settings made without prior court approval may not be honored. If you do not set a date with the court the court will set its own date for submission.
Court notice
Page 1 | Resetting hearings: party conference and clerk approval requirements (contact Stephanie Martinez)
Email inquiries must be sent only to the clerk (Stephanie.Holman@bexar.org), are strictly limited to procedural matters, and must always include all opposing parties.
Case-related telephone and email inquiries are strictly limited to procedural matters and should be made only to Stephanie Holman, Clerk. E-mail clerk at Stephanie.Holman@bexar.org for all inquiries and always include all opposing parties (Counsel/Pro Se Litigants).
Civil cases
Page 2 | 1. Contact with Court Personnel
Case-related telephone and email inquiries are strictly limited to procedural matters and should be made only to Stephanie Holman, Clerk.
Case-related telephone and email inquiries are strictly limited to procedural matters and should be made only to Stephanie Holman, Clerk.
Civil cases
Page 2 | 1. Contact with Court Personnel
Counsel must contact the Clerk by e-mail, letter, or phone to arrange testing courtroom equipment before trial, and parties providing their own equipment must make special arrangements with the Clerk before the day of trial.
Counsel seeking to test the equipment prior to trial shall contact the Clerk by e-mail, letter, or phone to make arrangements. Parties also may provide their own equipment, but special arrangements must be made with the Clerk prior to the day of trial.
Civil cases
Page 3 | 7. EQUIPMENT
Stephanie Holman, Clerk Tel: (210) 335-2663 Email: clerk288@bexar.org
Stephanie Holman, Clerk Tel: (210) 335-2663 Email: clerk288@bexar.org
Civil cases
Page 1 | Court Procedures in Civil Cases