Department XVIII

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.

Current Assignment

•  Department 18 is currently assigned a Civil and Criminal Court docket.

Court Calendar Schedule

• Civil Law and Motion calendars heard on Tuesdays at 10:00AM.
• Criminal Law and Motion calendars heard on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:30AM

Regular chambers calendar

• Chamber calendars are the last Monday of each month.

Discovery Commissioner assigned

• Commissioner Erin Truman

Court Recorder for its official record

• Department 18 uses a Court Recorder. Please contact the Court Recorder to request a CD or Transcript at sisony@clarkcountycourts.us or 702-671-4462.

Remote Appearances

• Department 18 utilizes Zoom for Videoconferencing
• Please contact Dept. 18 for Zoom link for a criminal calendar appearance

Unopposed motions

• Department 18 may grant unopposed motions in advance. Counsel is required to appear for unopposed motions unless otherwise notified by the Court.

Default judgment prove-ups

• All Default Judgments for a total award of less than $50,000, if based on a written contract, may be submitted to the DC18Inbox@clarkcountycourts.us for Judge's review and signature/filing.  Personal injury claims require testimony.  All Default Judgments for a total award of $50,000 or more must be set on the Department´s regular motion calendar. Live testimony is required at prove-up hearings. While the Court prefers witnesses testifying live at the prove-up hearing, telephonic testimony appearances are permitted if a notary public is present with the witness for the purpose of administering the Oath to the witness.  Video appearances are also allowed.

Submission of Orders

• Department 18 requires proposed orders to be submitted electronically to the department inbox within ten (10) days of notification of the ruling, pursuant to EDCR 7.21.  DC18Inbox@clarkcountycourts.us Counsel designated to prepare the order is required to provide a draft to opposing counsel(s), allowing for a reasonable opportunity for review and comment.

Contested Orders

• If both sides cannot agree, each side may submit their own proposed Order for approval of the Judge.  Any competing order without obtaining opposing counsel's signature must be accompanied by a brief 1-page cover letter with bullet-points highlighting each instance of contested language and the reasons for the competing order.
• Competing orders must be submitted to the DC18inbox@clarkcountycourts.us no later than 10 days from receipt of the first proposed order from adverse counsel.
• Instead of seeking to litigate any disapproval through correspondence directed to the Court or to counsel with copies to the Court, any such disapproval should be the subject of motion practice following entry of order.
• Letters to the Court containing substantive argument on the merits of a contested proposed order are disfavored, viewed as improper ex parte communications, even if copied to opposing counsel, and will not be considered.

Electronic signatures

• With the exception of documents requiring the signature of a notary, an electronic signature will be considered an original signature. All documents requiring a signature of another person may be electronically signed; however, the party submitting the document must obtain e-mail verification of the other person’s agreement to sign electronically. That verification must be embedded in the document or attached as the last page of the document.

Jury selection

• Department XVIII 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.