Department VII

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 is 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.

Current Assignment

• Department 7 is currently assigned Civil and Criminal dockets.

Notice to Parties

• Currently, Department 7 is serving appearance instructions via “file and serve”. It is the responsibility of all parties to ensure they are registered with “file and serve” to receive any notifications. Please contact the Clerk’s Office to update your information.

E-Service

• A party is not automatically registered for Electronic Service upon the filing of any document (including Complaints, Answers, Substitution of Counsel, etc.). For each case you must add yourself to the Electronic Service List. You will need to do this on each individual case you are counsel on. You should get in the habit of doing this when filing your initial pleading. 
  • Go to efilenv.com
  • Enter Search Criteria (search for case)
  • File Into Existing Case
  • Click Actions tab on right
  • View Service Contacts
  • Click on Actions to the right of the Party you represent
  • Add New Service Contact
  • Scroll down to bottom of page
  • Enter your information
  • Click on Save Changes

Motion calendar schedule

• Department 7 hears Criminal matters on Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 am and Civil matters on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.

Regular chambers calendar

• Department 7 has a regular chambers calendar on Thursdays.

Discovery Commissioner assigned

• Commissioner Erin Truman

Court Reporter or a Court Recorder for its official record

• Department 7 uses a Court Recorder. Everything, including bench conferences, is recorded. The Judge will not meet with parties on cases off the record.  To request a transcript, CD or thumb drive of a hearing, please email the court recorder, Stacey Ray, at rays@clarkcountycourts.us.  For daily trial transcripts, please contact the court recorder at least 30 days prior to the start of trial.

Motions

• Counsel for the moving party is required to submit physical, paper courtesy copies of all related briefing, affidavits, and exhibits, including those filed by other parties at least five judicial days prior to the scheduled hearing pursuant EDCR 2.20(g) and 7.26(d). All courtesy copies must be hand delivered to Department 7's chambers box (RJC, 5th floor), be single sided with all exhibits tabbed, and comply with EDCR 2.27. Failure to provide the Court with courtesy copies may result in your motion being denied or continued to a later date to allow counsel to provide courtesy copies to the Court.
  • Unopposed motions may be granted in advance of the hearing date if an opposition is not timely filed. Counsel is required to appear unless the Motion has been granted by minute order prior to the scheduled hearing date or counsel is otherwise notified by the Court.
  • Department 7 will consider motions in limine that are submitted as independently-noticed motions or as omnibus motions. In any case, subjects of each motion in limine must be numbered and there can be no redundantly numbered motions in limine for any individual party. Parties have a responsibility to resolve undisputed motions in limine prior to hearing pursuant to EDCR 2.47. Any motion in limine filed MUST be supported by an affidavit of counsel which contains ALL appropriate elements required by EDCR 2.47. The Court will not consider motions in limine which are not in compliance with EDCR 2.47.
  • All motions seeking an extension of time to serve a party may be submitted to Chambers for processing without placing the matter on the Court´s calendar. A courtesy copy of the filed Motion (along with the proposed Order) should be delivered to Department 7 upon filing of the Motion with the Court.
  • Ex parte applications for Temporary Restraining Orders should be submitted to chambers for review, upon which time the Court will determine whether to issue an Ex Parte TRO and schedule a hearing for the Preliminary Injunction, or whether a hearing is necessary before the issuance of any injunctive relief.
  • Generally, the following motions are automatically placed on the chambers calendar, although the court may set other matters on its chambers calendar after an opportunity to review the briefs:
    • Applications for Default Judgment (under $50,000)
    • Justice Court Appeals
    • Motion to Associate Counsel
    • Motion to Withdraw (Notice must be provided to the client and all parties. Withdrawing counsel must comply with EDCR 7.40 and also provide the last known email address of the client in the motion)
    • Motion for Clarification
    • Motion for Reconsideration
    • Motion to Seal/ Motion to Redact
    • Motion (Ex Parte Motion/Ex Parte Application to Extend Time to Serve Complaint)
    • Motion (Ex Parte Motion/Ex Parte Application to Enlarge Time to Serve)
    • Motion or Application to Serve Complaint by Publication
    • Motion to Interplead Funds
    • Motion to Release Funds
    • Motion for Voluntary Dismissal
    • Pro Hac Vice
    • Status Check Blocked Account

Default Judgment Prove-Ups

• All Default Judgments for a total award of less than $50,000 may be submitted to chambers pursuant to EDCR 2.70. Default Judgments for a total award of $50,000 or more must be set on the Department´s regular motion calendar for a prove-up hearing. Counsel must submit a copy of the Complaint, Summons, Affidavit of Service and/or Affidavit of Due Diligence, Application for Default Judgment, Three Day Notice of Default, Default, Affidavit in Support of Default and Memorandum of Costs prior to the hearing. Additionally, a prove-up hearing is required in any case where damages are not clearly established by documentation; such as real estate matters, pain and suffering or punitive damages.

Orders

• Proposed orders are to be submitted to DC7Inbox@clarkcountycourts.us within fourteen (14) days of notification to the parties pursuant to EDCR 7.21. Counsel designated to prepare the order must provide the draft order to non-drafting counsel for review prior to submission. Disputes may be resolved by submission to Chambers of a proposed order copied on all parties, with or without a draft of a competing order. A hearing shall only be set if counsel files a Motion for Reconsideration or Clarification, and counsel is unsatisfied with the proposed order the Court elected to sign.
  When counsel are unable to agree on the language of an order, counsel should submit their proposed order to Department 7, with a written statement outlining the differences in the competing orders. If a redline copy is available, counsel may also submit that document. No additional argument should be provided. Rather, the statement should be limited to identifying the language believed to be incorrect, directing the Court to the alternate language proposed. If after considering the proposed orders the Court believes additional input from counsel is necessary, the Court will so advise. Submissions to the Court containing substantive argument on the merits of a contested issue are disfavored, viewed as improper ex parte communication, even if copied to opposing counsel, and will, generally, be disregarded. The Court will choose the Order that most accurately reflects the Court's Decision. If neither order submitted is accurate, the Court will draft its own order.

Minor's Compromise

• All Petitions to compromise the claims of minors may be submitted to Chambers for processing without placing the matter on the Court´s motion calendar. Department 7 prefers that medical records only be submitted to Chambers. NRS 41.200(3) does not require that medical records be filed. If medical records are filed as an attachment to the Petition, restricted personal information as defined by SRCR 2(6) and NRS 239B.030 must be redacted prior to filing. Failure to redact restricted personal information will require the Petitioner to file a motion to redact pursuant to SRCR 3 and EDCR 2.13 prior to the Judge signing off on the Order to Compromise the Minor’s Claim. Proposed orders for the petition should be emailed to the department inbox and sent in both Word and PDF format to DC7inbox@clarkcountycourts.us.