Department V

Courtroom Protocol

No weapons are allowed. There is no eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in any courtroom.

Proper courtroom attire is required. No shorts or tank tops are allowed in the courtroom, shoes are required. T-shirts, which show offensive slogans or pictures, are not allowed. Hats should be removed before entering the courtroom.

While in the courtroom, sit quietly when court is in session. Do not talk or whisper. The court proceedings are being recorded by a court recorder and noise can interfere with the preparation of this important record.

All beepers, cellular telephones, and electronic devices must be turned off before entering the courtroom. Avoid reading newspapers, or books in the courtrooms, particularly if your use of such material may be a distraction to others.

Attorneys are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards at all times, and to strictly adhere to the opportunities, requirements, limitations, and deadlines set by the judge. All counsel are to be punctual for all conferences, hearings and trials. They are to be civil to one another as well as to all parties, witnesses, and court personnel - whether in front of a jury or the court.

Effective January 29, 2024, District Court has transitioned to Zoom Videoconferencing. 

Current Assignment

• Department 5 is currently assigned Civil and Probate Dockets.

Motion calendar schedule 

• Department 5 hears Civil Court matters starting at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There is a 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. session.
• Probate matters are set on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.
• Department 5 has a chambers calendar every Wednesday in which matters are set that do not require a hearing. Matters which may be placed on the chamber calendar are:

• Appeal from lower courts
• Motion for a new trial
• Motion for alternative service
• Motion for attorney’s fees and costs
• Motion for clarification
• Motion for enlargement of time to serve
• Motion for reconsideration
• Motion to amend judgment
• Motion to amend pleading
• Motion to associate counsel
• Motion to consolidate cases
• Motion to set aside default and/or default judgment
• Motion to withdraw as counsel of record
• Petition for judicial review
• Petition regarding transfer of structured settlements
• Petition to seal criminal convictions
• Status checks for proof of establishment of court blocked account in compromise of minor’s claims
• Please note that due to the Court’s schedule, most matters will now be set on the Court’s Chambers Calendar, unless a hearing and oral argument is requested and deemed necessary.

Other regularly scheduled court sessions

• Calendar Calls are usually heard on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. two weeks prior to the scheduled trial stack start date.
• Pre-Trial Conferences are heard Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m. 5 weeks prior to the trial stack start date.
• Trials are set on a 5 week stack on Mondays at 9:00 a.m.
• Probate Court matters are heard on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.

Courtesy Copies 

• Department 5 does not currently accept courtesy copies, unless otherwise requested.

Court Reporter or a Court Recorder for its official record 

• Department 5 uses a Court Recorder. To request a transcript or C.D. you may email a request to Ericksonc@clarkcountycourts.us

 Remote appearance via Zoom Videoconferencing

• Unless otherwise directed by the Court to personally appear for a hearing, you have the option to appear in person, or remotely via Zoom Videoconferencing. Please make sure your computer has video capability and your camera turned on. Please comply with Supreme Court Rule Part IX-B(A) Rules Governing Appearance by Simultaneous Audiovisual Transmission Equipment for Civil and Family Proceedings.

Default judgment prove-ups

• All Default Judgments for a total award of less than $50,000 may be submitted to chambers for approval without a hearing. However, a prove up hearing in the Department’s regular motion calendar is required in following cases: (i) the total judgment sought exceeds $50,000, (ii) punitive damages are sought, (iii) future damages amount is unclear, (iv) injunctive or declaratory relief is being sought, or (v) judgment involves title to real property. Live testimony may be required at the prove-up hearing.  However, telephonic appearances may be acceptable if arranged in advance.

Unopposed motions 

• Department 5 may grant unopposed motions in advance of the hearing if an opposition is not timely filed, unless to do so would be an error of law.
• Moving counsel is encouraged to monitor the docket and, should the deadline for an opposition to a properly filed and served motion pass, submit a proposed Order granting the motion.

Motions in Limine 

• Department 5 disfavors Omnibus Motions in Limine and requests that each contested issue be the subject of a separately filed motion.
• Each side is limited to filing ten (10) Motions in Limine, five (5) of which will be set for oral argument, unless an agreement between the Court and Counsel is made to hear all of the Motions in Limine.  Any additional motions in limine will be decided in chambers.
• Please number all Motions in Limine in numerical order and also indicate that number in any opposition or reply as well.

Submission of Orders 

• All proposed orders should be emailed to the department inbox and sent in both Word and PDF format to DC5inbox@clarkcountycourts.us.  Only orders should be sent to this email. Stipulations and Orders or other proposed orders requiring a signature of another person must have the email verification from that person and attached as the last page of the document and not as a separate document.  To check status of an order please email the law clerk at dept05LC@clarkcountycourts.us

Contested Orders 

• In District Court Department 5, if counsel cannot agree on the form and content of an order, the counsel ordered to prepare it should comply with EDCR 7.21. If counsel, as a courtesy to opposing counsel, or if directed by the court at the time of hearing, provides a draft of the order to opposing counsel for review, and said counsel refuses to agree on the language of the order, then counsel obtaining the order should, within the time provided by EDCR 7.21, nonetheless submit the order to the Court, together with a cover letter explaining that opposing counsel has refused to agree to the proposed language and, if known, the reasons therefor.

Jury selection 

• Department 5 uses the "Arizona Method” of jury selection, requiring voir dire to be directed toward the minimum number of jurors necessary to be qualified, rather than the entire venire.
• Please refer to Department 5’s Jury Trial Guidelines at the top of the page.