Grace Ruth Patricia Pandithurai

443rd District Court Instructions, Rules, and Procedures (rev. Jan. 15, 2026)

The 443rd District Court's comprehensive criminal-practice rules (revised Jan. 15, 2026, Judge Grace Pandithurai), applying "in every criminal case" in the court: attorney conduct and 30-day vacation letters; the three-announcement setting structure (first announcement 3 weeks after indictment for in-custody cases, ~40 days otherwise; second-announcement appearance waivable by e-filed waiver 2 business days ahead); the Standing Discovery and Pretrial Order and Conditions of Bond entered by the clerk at indictment; evidentiary motions due 10 business days before pretrial conference (duplicates of the standing order denied); plea timing; two-setting revocation/adjudication track; decorum, attire, refreshment, and a cell-phone/electronics policy that bans recording-capable smart glasses; a certificate-of-conference regime under which the coordinator sets certified motions for hearing; unilateral continuances requiring a contingent appearance date; 30-day suppression-hearing timing; voir dire time limits (45–60 minutes; 1:15 for child-abuse, multi-defense, causation, or death cases) and content restrictions; juror-card confidentiality; witness-readiness and bench-conference record rules.