Tarrant County Civil District Courts Service and Proof of Service Rules

CRITICAL

Applies to

Exhibits

Service

Email to all parties

If you intend to offer any exhibits during the hearing you need to email them to all parties and the Court Reporter (MABrantley@tarrantcountytx.gov) no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.

If you intend to offer any exhibits during the hearing you need to email them to all parties and the Court Reporter (MABrantley@tarrantcountytx.gov) no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Discovery documents and related materials

Discovery documents and related materials must be served on all other lead counsel or parties but must not be filed with the clerk absent a special order.

(b) The following discovery documents and related materials SHALL be served upon all other lead counsel or parties in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, but SHALL NOT BE FILED with the clerk except on Special Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

14 calendar days

Unless otherwise agreed or ordered, counsel must make qualifying trial videos available and serve page-and-line designations at least 14 days before trial when the recordings were taken at least 45 days before trial; the rule does not apply to materials offered solely for impeachment.

Unless otherwise expressly agreed to by the parties or ordered by the Court, counsel intending to offer videotaped depositions, or other films or videotapes at trial, except those offered solely for impeachment, must make such videotapes and films available to opposing counsel, and serve opposing counsel with page and line designations for videotaped depositions, not later than fourteen (14) days prior to trial for all depositions or other films taken forty-five (45) days or more in advance of trial.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Discovery responses

The listed discovery responses and related material must be served on all other lead counsel or parties and filed with the Clerk.

The following discovery responses and related material SHALL be served upon all other lead counsel or parties and filed with the Clerk in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code;

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

7 calendar days

The proffering attorney must serve opposing counsel with page-and-line designations for any further intended trial portions no later than 7 days before trial.

The proffering attorney shall then serve opposing counsel with page and line designations of any portion of the videotape deposition they further intend to introduce at trial not later than seven (7) days prior to trial.

CRITICALCivil cases

Opposing counsel must serve the proffering attorney with page-and-line designations for intended portions of a videotaped deposition no later than 10 days before trial.

Opposing counsel shall then serve the proffering attorney with page and line designations of any portion of the videotape deposition they intend to introduce at trial not later than ten (10) days prior to trial.

CRITICAL

Applies to

Discovery material

A responding party or discovery initiator must serve the listed discovery material on all other lead counsel or parties and must not file it with the clerk absent a special order.

(1) Serve upon all other lead counsel or parties, discovery material listed in Rule 1.07 (b) as required therein; but the same shall NOT be filed with the Clerk except on Special Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Hearing notice

Immediately after receiving the hearing date and time, the moving party must notify all other parties in writing of the date, time, and subject and provide a copy to the Court Coordinator.

Upon receiving the date and time of hearing, the moving party shall immediately notify all other parties in writing as to the date, time and subject matter of the hearing. A copy of this communication shall be provided to the Court Coordinator.

CRITICALCivil cases

Videos taken within 45 days of trial must be made available and the required designations served as soon as possible and sufficiently before trial for an objection hearing.

All videotaped depositions and other films taken within forty-five (45) days of trial must be made available, and the aforementioned designations made, as soon as possible to opposing counsel and sufficiently in advance of trial so that a hearing on any objections can be held before commencement of trial.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Videotape deposition or film

Videotaped depositions and other films taken within 45 days of trial must be made available to opposing counsel, with the required designations, sufficiently in advance to permit an objection hearing before trial.

All videotaped depositions and other films taken within forty-five (45) days of trial must be made available , and the aforementioned designations made, as soon as possible to opposing counsel and sufficiently in advance of trial so that a hearing on any objections can be held before commencement of trial.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Videotape deposition

Opposing counsel must serve the proffering attorney with page-and-line designations for intended videotaped-deposition portions no later than 10 days before trial.

Opposing counsel shall then serve the proffering attorney with page and line designations of any portion of the videotape deposition they intend to introduce at trial not later than ten (10) days prior to trial.

CRITICAL

Discovery documents and related materials must be served on all other lead counsel or parties and generally must not be filed with the clerk except upon a special order.

(b) The following discov.ery documents and related materials SHALL be served upon all other lead counsel or parties in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code,but SHALL NOT BE FILED with the clerk except on Special Order.

CRITICAL

Discovery responses and related material must be served on all other lead counsel or parties and filed with the Clerk; items marked optional must be served but may be filed.

The following discovery responses and related material SHALL be served upon all other lead counsel or parties and filed with the Clerk in accordance with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code; those denoted [OPTIONAL] SHALL be served, and MAY be filed, accordingly:

CRITICAL

A party responding to discovery requests or initiating discovery against a non-party must serve the listed discovery material on all other lead counsel or parties and must not file it with the clerk except on Special Order.

(1) Serve upon all other lead counsel or parties, discovery material listed in Rule 1.07 (b) as required therein; but the same shall NOT be filed with the Clerk except on Special Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Videotape deposition

The proffering attorney must serve opposing counsel with page-and-line designations for any further videotaped-deposition portions no later than 7 days before trial.

The proffering attorney shall then serve opposing counsel with page and line designations of any portion of the videotape deposition they further intend to introduce at trial not later than seven (7) days prior to trial.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Videotape deposition or film

Unless otherwise agreed or ordered, counsel offering videotaped depositions, films, or videotapes taken at least 45 days before trial must make them available to opposing counsel and serve page-and-line designations at least 14 days before trial.

Unless otherwise expressly agreed to by the parties or ordered by the Court, counsel intending to offer videotaped depositions, or other films or videotapes at trial, except those offered solely for impeachment, must make such videotapes and films available to opposing counsel, and serve opposing counsel with page and line designations for videotaped depositions, not later than fourteen (14) days prior to trial for all depositions or other films taken forty-five (45) days or more in advance of trial.

CRITICAL

Service

Email to all parties

Exhibits offered at a hearing must be emailed to all parties, the Court Coordinator, and the Court Reporter by 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.

If you intend to offer any exhibits during the hearing, you need to e-mail them to all parties, the Court Coordinator (KLStewart@TarrantCounty.com), and the Court Reporter (MFEscobar@TarrantCounty.com) no later than 4:00 p.m. the day before the hearing.

WARNING

Applies to

Discovery responses

Discovery responses and related material identified as optional must be served but may be filed.

those denoted [OPTIONAL] SHALL be served, and MAY be filed, accordingly

WARNING

Service

Mail

A pro se litigant’s failure to accept or retrieve mailed documents constitutes constructive receipt, which may be proved by a postal receipt or comparable proof of delivery.

Failure to accept delivery or to pick up mail addressed to the address provided by a pro se litigant will be considered constructive receipt of the mailed or delivered document and may be established by a postal service receipt for certified or registered mail or comparable proof of delivery.

WARNINGCivil cases

The clerk must provide notice of the court’s intention to dismiss for want of prosecution by complying with Paragraph (1) of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 165a.

The clerk shall provide notice of the court's intention to dismiss for want of prosecution by complying with the provisions of Paragraph (1) of Rule 165a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

WARNINGCivil cases

Deadline

10 calendar days

Applies to

Deposition notice

A deposition notice providing less than ten calendar days is presumptively unreasonable under the cited Texas rules.

Notice of less than ten (10) calendar days under Rules 21a and 199.2(a), Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, shall be presumed to be unreasonable.