Jerry D. Bullard

Eighth Business Court Division — Judge Bullard's Specific Procedures (rev. Apr. 2, 2026)

Judge Bullard's judge-specific procedures for cases assigned to Division 8A of the Eighth Business Court Division (revised April 2, 2026), supplementing the TRCP and the Business Court Local Rules: a joint proposed scheduling order and initial case status report within 30 days of the first defendant's appearance or of removal/transfer, a trial date within 13 months of filing obtained through the court manager, template protective orders presumed acceptable, mediation ordered in every scheduling order, early identification of legal issues under TRCP 166(g), (p), bound courtesy copies delivered 3 business days before a setting, Word proposed orders emailed to chambers, a 10-day response / 7-day reply default for opposed motions, in-person hearings and submission no earlier than 10 days after filing, Level 3 discovery with an ESI-protocol checklist and fee exposure for discovery abuse, a proposed pretrial order 7 days before the conference, timed trials, judgments within 30 days of a verdict or ruling, courtroom decorum, bankruptcy notice within 3 days, sealed attorney contact information within 24 hours of appearing, and a deadline to request written opinions. The April 2026 revision replaces the January 2025 procedures registered in TOPICs as doc 2240: responses moved from 5 days before a setting to 10 days after filing with a 7-day reply, the early-legal-issues and court-reporter sections were added, and trial dates now come from the court manager.