Calaveras County Superior Court Local Court Rules (effective July 1, 2026) — Chapter 2: General Rules

Summary

Chapter 2 (Rules 2.1 to 2.17): papers submitted for filing to conform to California Rules of Court, Rule 2.100 through 2.119, the clerk to endorse up to three copies of each document filed, original signatures recommended in blue ink, and the clerk not to accept papers, documents, exhibits or dividers on pink or yellow paper except where leave of court has been granted (2.1); documents submitted for filing by mail, in person at the clerk's filing window, by use of the drop box or by e-Filing (2.1); the drop box accessible until 4:00 p.m. on all court business days, a document deposited before 4:00 p.m. deemed filed on the date of deposit if appropriate for filing, matters requiring immediate judicial attention such as restraining order requests never placed in the drop box, no person other than an authorized court employee to remove any item, and conformed copies not returned by mail unless accompanied by a return envelope with adequate postage (2.1); filing through a fax filing agency under rule 2.303, and no direct fax filing under rule 2.304 except upon exceptional circumstances and after obtaining leave of court (2.2); each party applying for a fee waiver to submit a separate application for each case, a failure to submit a complete and legible application to result in a denial, and the clerk authorized to grant fee waivers that meet the standards of eligibility of Government Code § 68632(a)(1)-(9) (2.3); the waiver of the additional fees and costs of rule 3.56 submitted on form FW-002 to the appropriate judge, and an application for a waiver of jury fees made at least 25 days prior to the commencement of the trial, or at least five days in unlawful detainer proceedings (2.3); the court to order the party owing costs to a prevailing party granted a waiver to pay the sum of all waived costs to the court, reasonably necessary photocopying, which the court defines as only one copy of the papers in the court's file, the party requesting a waiver to notify the court of any change in financial status, and orders granting waivers to expire 60 days from the date of judgment (2.3); the Court not to consider ex parte communications unless made in the manner prescribed by the rules or the laws, applications for an order never made by telephone call, letter, electronic mail or facsimile, letters between counsel or parties not sent to judicial officers or court research staff, and, where laws or rules permit an ex parte application, diligent efforts to notify all other parties, reasonable efforts to accommodate their schedule, and avoid taking advantage of any other party's known absence (2.4); for records whose confidentiality is required by law, the caption or title to state “CONFIDENTIAL” with a citation to the law, a confidential report filed with an 8 ½ by 11 inch envelope printed with the document title, case number and the word “confidential”, a stipulation for confidentiality or sealing legally insufficient, and sealing under rule 2.551 with a proposed order containing no confidential information (2.5); in all proceedings, including small claims, a party requiring a court interpreter to make all necessary arrangements prior to the trial or hearing and to file Judicial Council form INT-300 or inform a Clerk at the counter (for mediation, the clerk in the Self-Help Center), to notify the court immediately when the interpreter is not required - a failure to timely notify may result in an order for reimbursement of the interpreter's cancellation fee - and a complaint about language access services on the local form Language Access Complaint Form (2.6); an official court reporter available as required by law in all felony and juvenile proceedings, a party desiring a reporter in any other matter to make the arrangements and pay all costs, with an exception for in forma pauperis litigants granted a fee waiver for reporter costs (2.7); the court's electronic recording system the official reporting service for infractions and misdemeanors and, upon order of the court, in limited civil proceedings, the cost of a transcript borne by an appellant who elects one, and the $30.00 fee for the official reporter at a proceeding of less than one hour paid on or before the hearing with proof of payment to the court reporter (2.7); all requests to place matters on the court's calendar, except traffic arraignments, made in writing and filed with the clerk (2.8); an attorney who appears for another attorney to be prepared, to have authority to make dispositions or calendar settings, and to communicate the court's orders to the client and the attorney of record (2.9); appointed counsel without a contract compensated at the rate set forth in the General Administrative Order Establishing Conflict Counsel Compensation, requests for compensation submitted monthly on the court approved form and received within ninety (90) days of the services (2.10); the parties to obtain, set up and operate the audio/visual equipment for demonstrative evidence, approved by the court in advance (2.11); the Executive Officer/Clerk not to accept or retain exhibits that are bulky (exceeding 1 cubic foot), heavy (exceeding 3 lbs.) or hazardous waste material (controlled substances among them), and explosive, flammable or corrosive materials, P.C.P. and samples of blood or tissues not sent to the courts' exhibits custodian unless there is a court order to retain them, photographs, technical reports or identical dummy objects used in lieu of the original object (a rule that shall not apply to capital cases), toxic materials brought into a courtroom in a sealed condition and properly labeled under Penal Code §1417.3(b), the person bringing the evidence to retain it and be responsible for its storage, and the number of pages of each exhibit to disclose prior to marking and admitting exhibits (2.12); before a hearing on a request for order on custody or visitation, the clerk to perform a case index search for criminal protective orders and, before a criminal protective order is requested, for custody or visitation orders, the court file forwarded to the department determining the request, and the judicial officer to make a reasonable inquiry about other orders when a personal conduct restraining order is at issue (2.13); no filming, videotaping, photographing or electronic recording in any area of the courthouse, its entrances, exits, hallways or adjacent parking areas, without a written court order, cameras and recording devices of any kind (including those in eyewear, watches, a laptop or tablet computers, cell phones) turned off on court premises, no filming of the interior through windows or the glass of the courtroom doors, media coverage in a courtroom only under the judge's order under rule 1.150 and, inside the courthouse but outside the courtroom, only with the Presiding Judge's prior written permission (2.14); no obstruction of public access, no photographing or filming of jurors, written media requests on Judicial Council form MC-500 with the time estimate, the placement of cameras and the live or recorded dissemination, and form MC-510, compliance with rule 1.150, no restriction on judicial discretion, and the media representative of a granted request to report to the bailiff with identification and a copy of the order (2.14); electronic filing under Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6 and rule 2.250 for the matters listed on the court's website, by the approved Electronic Filing Service Providers listed there, and the items that may not be electronically filed - any will, codicil or testamentary trust, a bond or undertaking, subpoenaed documents, the Probate Code §2620 financial institution, care facility and escrow documents of conservators, guardians and trustees, state vital records forms, attachments that cannot be accurately transmitted, documents submitted during a proceeding such as trial exhibits, documents lodged provisionally under seal, documents for cases under seal and a Labor Commissioner deposit of cash or check (2.15); the Court expects all attorneys appearing before it to comply with the letter and spirit of the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the Court to address transgressions, including courtesy and civility, case by case (2.16); the Clerk of the Superior Court or the Clerk's designee appointed as elisor to sign a document a party fails to execute, by a regular “Request for Order” in family law that does not set forth a specific court employee, the order to expressly identify the documents with a copy attached and highlighted where the elisor is to sign, a declaration of specific facts establishing the necessity, the moving party to contact Court Administration to arrange the signing within up to three (3) court days, and the applicant to arrange for a notary public for documents requiring notarization (2.17).