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Department U's courtroom information and trial guidelines (Van Nuys Courthouse East, Northwest District): court information and hours; check-in (8:20 AM and 1:30 PM); remote appearances through LACourtConnect; law and motion; case management conferences; final status conferences and trials (trials set for Mondays at 10:00 AM); daily summaries where there is no court reporter; and additional information about civil cases - with the department's Trial Management Order (final status conference orders; the trial schedule, generally 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; the trial conference; jury selection; witnesses; exhibits; foundation; trial and attorney conduct).
California > Second Appellate District > Los Angeles County > Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles > Van Nuys Courthouse East > Department U
Northwest Dept. U Courtroom Information & Trial Guidelines Judge Valerie Salkin The Court is pleased to assist counsel in all efforts to promote efficiency, productivity and progress in all cases pending in Department U. The Court is dedicated to helping the attorneys do the best job they can for their clients as a means of ensuring a fair and efficient trial for both sides. Please embrace the enhanced court management facilitated by California Rules of Court and the Los Angeles County Superior Court Rules as an opportunity for both sides to save time and money prosecuting and defending their cases. Court information: 6230 Sylmar Ave., Department U, Van Nuys, CA 91401. Telephone number. (818) 901-4608. Courtroom hours: 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Court staff: Judicial Assistant: Roxana Duron. Courtroom Assistant: Elizabeth Vince Cruz. Check-in: Check-in begins at 8:20 AM in the morning and 1:30 PM in the afternoon. Professionalism, Civility, and Courtroom Decorum: The Court's goal of fair, timely, and efficient resolution of cases can only be achieved with the assistance and cooperation of counsel and self-represented parties. Knowledgeable, well-prepared lawyers who cooperate with each other and the Court streamline the litigation process, thereby conserving client and judicial resources. Therefore, the Court expects and requires the highest degree of professionalism from counsel appearing in this Department, including knowledge of, and compliance with, the Code of Civil Procedure, the California Rules of Court, the Los Angeles County Superior Court Rules, and the California Attorney Guidelines of Civility and Professionalism. The Court intends to treat everyone with dignity and respect and expects all those involved to do the same. Uncivil or unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated. Covid-19 Requirements: Effective May 1, 2023, masks are no longer required. Telephonic/Video Appearances: The Court has implemented LACourtConnect (LACC) to allow attorneys and self-represented litigants to make audio or video appearances in Los Angeles County courtrooms. The Court expresses a strong preference for video appearances. as opposed to audio-only appearances. If you are unable to appear by video, please provide, at the time of registration, the name of the attorney who will make the appearance, along with the phone number from which the attorney will call in. Registering by phone number only, or without the correct name, is discouraged, and may result in delay when your case is called. Please review the Court website at www.Lacourt.ca.gov for detailed information and instructions on use of Teams. Be aware that litigants must register at least two hours before the appearance. Failure to timely register will preclude your ability to participate remotely. No landline appearances are permitted. Self-represented litigants who have been granted a fee waiver may use LACourtConnect at no cost. You may be asked to provide a copy of your fee waiver order when scheduling your telephonic or video appearance (when available). Self-represented litigants may appear "in person" if they cannot arrange to participate via telephonic or video appearance. Law & Motion: Scheduling Law and Motion Hearings: The parties should meet and confer before filing any motion and avoid filing any motion which is designed to delay the proceedings or filed solely for tactical reasons. The Court reservation system (CRS) is required for scheduling law and motion hearings in Department U. CRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and reservations can be made from a computer or smartphone. Please note, you are prohibited from reserving more than one hearing date for the same motion. If multiple motions are filed, please make efforts to schedule them on the same date. Please refer to the Court’s rules for reserving dates online at: https://portal-lasc.houraltech.com/public-porta/?q-node/388 Filings: Compliance with electronic filing is required for attorneys. Please refer to the Court’s website for electronic filing orders. Self-Represented Litigants without means for filing electronically may file their documents in the courtroom. Demurrers: Well over 30,000 demurrers are filed each year in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. That number is far too high. Demurrers are rarely granted without leave to amend and typically accomplish little that could not be obtained by stipulation. Demurrers enable the opposing side to think more carefully about the case and to be better prepared for trial. Counsel considering filing a demurrer should review the new requirements, including meet and confer requirements, set forth in Code of Civil Procedure section 430.41, and rethink whether a demurrer is necessary or even advisable. Demurrers filed without compliance with the meet and confer requirements may be taken off calendar. Discovery Motions: The court strongly discourages discovery motions and encourages informal resolution of discovery disputes. The rules governing discovery are very clear, and virtually all disputes can be resolved through communication and good faith discussion. Before filing a discovery motion, trial counsel (meaning the lawyers who will try the case) should meet and confer in person, by phone, or by videoconference to resolve, or at least narrow the dispute. The Court is amenable to participating in informal discovery conferences upon request of all counsel. Please call (818) 901-4608 if you wish to schedule an IDC. Courtesy Copies: Courtesy copies are required for summary judgment motions and for voluminous compilations of exhibits. Courtesy copies shall be submitted by depositing the copy in the “Courtesy Copy” box located in the hallway outside Department U. Notice of Related Cases: The Court requires timely compliance with California Rules of Court, rule 3.300 Re: Notice of Related Cases. Ex Parte Applications: Ex parte applications are heard daily, if time permits, at the end of the existing morning calendar. Before bringing an ex parte application, counsel should review California Rules of Court 3.1200-3.1207 and Los Angeles County Superior Court Rule 3.26. Please pay particular attention to the notice requirements and the requirement of an affirmative factual showing of good cause. Among the most common grounds for denial of ex parte applications are failure to provide proof of required notice and failure to prove why the application could not be brought as a noticed motion. An emergency caused by procrastination or other unexcused delay on the part of the applicant is not grounds for ex parte relief. Counsel and self-represented litigants may appear on ex parte applications via LACourtConnect or in person; however, the Court may rule on the papers without any oral argument if it deems a hearing to be unnecessary. Continuances: Law and motion matters may be continued by the CRS system. Trial, trial setting conferences, Case management conferences and mandatory settlement conferences may be continued by stipulation setting forth the facts showing good cause for the continuance, subject to approval by the Court at least 2 court days before the hearing. If there is no stipulation, any party may seek a continuance by noticed motion or ex parte application. Case Management Conferences: The Court will undertake a comprehensive review of the case at the initial case management conference (CMC) as required under the rules. Counsel must comply with their obligation to submit case management statements pursuant to rule 3.725 of the California Rules of Court. Failure to comply with the California Rules of Court, Rules 3.722, 3.724, 3.727 and 3.728, local rules 3.24 and 3.25, and/or this court's scheduling orders may result in monetary sanctions and/or delay in trial setting. It is never too early to discuss settlement. The Court has provided a copy of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Information Package at the Court's website and encourages all parties to review it. Organizations have agreed to provide a limited number of reduced-cost or no-cost mediations with attorney mediators or retired judges for active civil cases. Additionally, the Van Nuys Court has an in-house settlement conference program and a dedicated settlement judge. The Court encourages counsel to request a settlement conference at any time when settlement is a reasonable possibility. http://www.lacourt.org/division/civil/CI0109.aspx Tentative Rulings: In most cases, court staff will e-mail a tentative ruling directly to all counsel and to all self-represented litigants the day before the hearing. Counsel and self-represented litigants should ensure that the Court has the correct e-mail address for the attorney or party making or opposing the motion and/or appearing on the matter. The Court expects all counsel and self-represented parties to review the tentative ruling and confer about whether they intend to submit on the tentative or request oral argument. All counsel and self-represented parties that intend to submit on the tentative ruling and do not wish oral argument, should advise the Court's clerk. Upon receiving such notice from all parties to a motion, the tentative ruling will become the order of the Court and the prevailing party shall give notice of the ruling. Court Reporters: Official court reporters are not normally provided in unlimited civil cases. A party who has received a fee waiver may request an official court reporter pursuant to California rule of Court 2.956(b)(3). The request must be made by using the local form (SCLAC LACIV 269). The Request for Court Reporting Services by a Party with a Fee Waiver should be filed at least ten calendar days before the hearing or trial for which the reporter is requested. If the request is timely submitted, the clerk will notify the requester as soon as possible if no official court reporter will be available. Given the limited availability of official court reporters, notice of the availability of a court reporter may not be given until the day of the trial hearing. Electronic Recording: Electronic recording is the method used to create the official record in all infraction and limited civil proceedings, including collections, unlawful detainer, and small claims matters (Gov.Code 69957). Electronic recording is not provided in unlimited civil proceedings. The Court uses "For The Record" (FTR) as its vendor for official electronic recording. Please visit the Court's website for further information. Language Assistance: The Superior Court of Los Angeles County language access services division provides multilingual interpretation and general language services in court proceedings to ensure meaningful participation in the judicial court process for individuals with limited English proficiency. In doing so, the Court promotes equal access to justice and guarantees court procedures are fair and understandable for Court users from diverse cultural backgrounds. If you may need an interpreter for a courtroom proceeding visit www.lacourt.org/generalinfo/courtinterpreter/GI_IN001.aspx Final Status Conferences and Trials: Unless the Court is dark/closed, all trials are set for Mondays at 10:00 AM, and all final status conferences are set approximately 9 to 10 court days before the trial date. The parties must comply with the Court's final status conference and trial order, as well as Los Angeles County Superior Court Rules and the California Rules of Court. Jury Fees: Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, jury fees must be posted on or before the date scheduled for the initial case management conference. Failure to timely post jury fees may result in a jury waiver pursuant to CCP section 631(f)(5). Daily Summaries: For trials in which there is no court reporter or electronic recording, Department U requires that a joint daily summary of testimony must be completed and submitted to the court by 4:00 PM on the next court day. Stipulations to Five-Year Expiration Pursuant to CCP 583.310: Parties are encouraged to cooperate by stipulating to a calculation of the 5-year deadline to begin trial in light of the emergency orders which were in place due to the Covid pandemic. Additional information about civil cases: http://www.lacourt.org/division/civil/civil.aspx SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - NORTHWEST DISTRICT Plaintiffs vs. Defendant(s). CASE NO: TRIAL MANAGEMENT ORDER FINAL STATUS CONFERENCE: TRIAL DATE: ALL COUNSEL MUST STRICTLY ADHERE TO THE TIME DEADLINES AND MEET AND CONFER REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN THIS ORDER OR SANCTIONS MAY BE IMPOSED. A. FINAL STATUS CONFERENCE ORDERS PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, THE CALIFORNIA RULES OF COURT AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT RULES. To prepare for the Final Status Conference (FSC), counsel and/or self-represented litigants shall be meet and confer on the telephone or by video conference at least 10 court days before the FSC to discuss, arrange for the exchange of, and the submission to the Court all documents identified in LACSCR 3.25(f) and(f)(3)-(8). 1. Trial Binder: the parties shall cooperate in compiling a 3-ring trial binder that shall be delivered to Department U at least 10 court days before the FSC. The binder must include all the following documents placed in the binder in the following order: a. Trial briefs: (not to exceed 20 pages) These briefs should include a description of the claims, defenses, relief sought, evidentiary disputes, and all issues to be decided at trial along with a discussion of any novel or unusual issues of law, with citations to supporting authorities. The briefs must be signed, filed with the Court and served on all parties. b. Statement of the Case: must be prepared jointly by the parties. It should be a short, nonargumentative written statement of the case to be read to the jury. It must be signed by all parties and filed with the Court. c. Witness list: must be prepared jointly by the parties. The list must include all witnesses’ names, time estimates for direct and cross-examination, and whether the witness requires an interpreter. The joint witness list must be signed by all parties and filed with the Court. d. Exhibit list: must be prepared jointly by the parties. It should be prepared in chart format with each exhibit identified by title and its assigned exhibit number. Additional columns should indicate whether the exhibit will be admitted by stipulation, authenticated by stipulation, or challenged with objections, which shall be set forth in a column for objections. A final column should be included on the right for the Court’s notation of whether the exhibit was admitted at trial. The joint exhibit list must be signed by all parties and filed with the Court. e. Three Exhibit Binders: 1 for the Judicial Assistant that will be marked; 1 courtesy copy for the Judge; and 1 copy for the witness stand. i. Please Do NOT: 1. Fail to pre-number your exhibits and all pages within exhibits; 2. Expect the clerk to keep track of your exhibits; 3. Produce exhibits at trial which opposing counsel has never seen, unless they are used for impeachment; 4. Fail to produce the requisite number of exhibit books ii. Depositions: All original/certified copy depositions must be lodged with the Court prior to the beginning of trial. f. List of Proposed Jury Instructions: must be prepared jointly by the parties. It should be prepared in chart format and should include all CACI and special jury instructions that are jointly proposed by the parties as well as those that are requested by one or more of the parties, but opposed by another party. A column in the chart must indicate the proponent(s) and opponent(s) of each proposed instruction. A final column should be included on the right of the Court’s notation of whether the instruction was given at trial. The joint list of jury instructions must be signed by all parties and filed with the Court. g. Proposed Instructions: shall be included in the trial binder. These should include a jointly submit a packet of all requested and properly edited CACI or special instructions that are not agreed to by all parties. The instructions shall be submitted in the proper format for presentation to the jury. h. Verdict Forms: must be jointly prepared by the parties. If the parties cannot agree on joint verdict forms, then the Court will provide a general verdict form to the jury. i. All operative pleadings: must be included in the trial binder. This includes the operative complaints and cross-complaints and the operative answers thereto. j. Motions in Limine: counsel and/or self-represented litigants shall meet and confer on all motions in limine before they are considered by the Court. Boilerplate motions are highly discouraged. All motions in limine must be in writing and must be filed and served at least 10 court days before the FSC. Any opposition to a motion in limine must be in writing and must be filed and served at least 5 court days before the FSC. Reply briefs must be in writing and properly filed and served. Unless specially set as noticed motions, they will be heard on the day of trial. i. Thoughtful and well-conceived motions in limine can be useful in narrowing and defining issues at trial, particularly evidentiary and witness matters anticipated by counsel. ii. Trial attorneys should meet and confer before generating unnecessary motions in limine. LACSCR 3.57. Pre-trial stipulations on typical matters frequently settle differences before commencement of the trial. Stipulations can be reached on issues such as exclusion of witnesses, use of demonstrative evidence, document authenticity, insurance coverage, admission of agreed reports and records, bifurcation, mention of punitive damages, net worth, attorney fees, and other matters which may be the subject of unnecessary motions in limine. Counsel should consider the consequences of abuse, of motions in limine. Kelley v. New West Federal Savings (1996) 49 Cal.App. 4th 659, 669-671. B. Trial: The Court encourages the parties to narrow the scope of triable issues by reaching stipulations as to certain undisputed facts. Such stipulations should be reduced to writing and filed with the Court. They should also be included in the trial binder, if reached before trial. Invitations to enter into stipulations during trial are not to be made in the presence of the jury and should generally be addressed by the parties when Court is not in session. Once agreed to, stipulations will be read to the jury by the Court and included as “Court’s exhibits” upon request. 1. Trial Schedule a. The Court generally conducts trials between 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday, with a lunch break between 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. and a fifteen-minute break during the afternoon session. The Court will generally accommodate timely-raised scheduling conflicts. b. During jury deliberations, the parties and counsel must stay within fifteen minutes from the courthouse, unless granted leave to do otherwise, and must provide the Court clerk with a telephone number that allows for immediate contact. 2. Trial Conference a. The Court conducts a pre-voir dire conference before ordering a jury panel pursuant to Cal. R. Ct. Standard 3.25(b). The parties should be prepared to provide the following information at the conference: b. The estimated length of trial (including jury selection) c. A brief outline of the nature of the case d. Questions or areas of inquiry for the jurors and voir dire procedure e. The witness names to be read to the jury f. Any witness or attorney scheduling issues; any witness issues (e.g., availability, need for interpreters, etc.); Any anticipated evidentiary or other legal issues. g. Stipulations and any other trial issues that the parties can reasonably anticipate. 3. Jury Selection a. All jurors will be provided with clearly visible numbers prior to entering the courtroom. The Court utilizes numbers only (not names) and questions the entire panel (generally 35) of prospective jurors on voir dire. Each side is given the opportunity to inquire, beginning with the plaintiff. If the first 35 jurors are insufficient to create a jury panel, the manner of questioning subsequent panels will be determined on a case-by-case basis. To expedite the jury selection process, the court strongly encourages counsel to use the assigned jury numbers, rather than juror names, during jury selection. b. In every case, the Court generally asks the questions set forth in the California Rules of Court, Standard 3.25, Examination of Prospective Jurors in Civil cases. In most cases, the Court asks extensive additional questions of the prospective jurors. c. Each side is given a reasonable amount of time for attorney voir. The Court will advise counsel when there are a few minutes left. The Court is not rigid about the time spent on voir dire so long as counsel are using their time reasonably. Requests for additional time may be made during the voir dire process. 4. Witnesses a. It is counsel’s responsibility to have their witnesses available during their case to avoid unnecessary trial delays. If a party has no more witnesses to call, the Court may deem the party to have rested. The Court expects that counsel will exercise reasonable judgment in arranging for witnesses. b. If a witness has not completed his or her testimony at the time of recess or adjournment, counsel shall have the witness on the stand before the jury is seated. c. If a party requests that a witness be called during another party’s case in chief, counsel for that party shall meet and confer with opposing counsel promptly upon learning of the need for witness accommodation. d. If a witness requires an interpreter or needs an accommodation based on disability or otherwise, counsel shall make any necessary arrangements with the Court Clerk sufficiently in advance to avoid trial delays. e. The Court, not counsel, will admonish a witness while on the stand about responding to questions. LACSCR 3.108. f. Unless a witness is excused, counsel is admonished to refrain from discussing testimonial issues with witnesses any time when the Court is in recess or not in session. A witness is a ward of the Court and is not entitled to be assisted by counsel immediately prior to, or during his/her cross examination. See Kadelback v. Amaral (1973) 31 Cal.App.3d 814. Counsel may talk to unexcused witnesses for scheduling or other nontestimonial issues. g. Counsel need not request permission from the Court to approach a witness. LACSCR 3.110. 5. Exhibits a. The parties shall exchange exhibits in advance of trial to the extent required by law. b. Before the first reference to any exhibit, the proponent must briefly identify it, but not describe its contents. LACSCR 3.149; 3.151. See paragraph 7. Any subsequent reference to the exhibit shall mention the exhibit designation so the appellate record is clear. c. A party shall not publish any exhibit to the jury without first requesting to do so. That includes publishing it on the Courtroom monitors using the document camera. Absent a prompt objection, the request generally will be granted as a matter of course. d. If either side is going to identify a new exhibit that was not previously disclosed to opposing counsel, e.g., an exhibit used for impeachment and not disclosed in discovery, then the proponent is responsible for bringing 4 copies (one for the Judicial Assistant, one for the Court, one for opposing counsel, and one for the witness). e. Counsel is responsible for returning all exhibits to the Judicial Assistant prior to all recesses. DO NOT LEAVE THE COURTROOM WITH AN EXHIBIT WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE COURT. f. The parties shall comply with Cal. R. Ct. 2.1040, requiring the provision of a transcript of various recordings. The Court shall deem that the party receiving the transcript before announcing “ready” waives any objection to the accuracy of the transcript unless raised at the first trial appearance before this Court. g. The party offering an exhibit is responsible for supplying any equipment necessary to present that exhibit, such as a sound or video device for a CD or DVD. 6. Foundation a. Objections: Lack of foundation/insufficient foundation objections require a statement of what is missing from the foundation. Parlier v. Fireman’s Fund (1960) 151 Cal.App.2d 6, 15. b. Authenticity: Counsel must make: i. A prima facie showing that the proffered writing is what the proponent claims it to be; and ii. An accounting of any material post-execution alteration of the writing. EC §§ 1400, 1401, 1402. c. Photographs: Content of a photograph must fairly depict material facts in dispute or facts substantially similar to those facts. PG&E v. Hacienda Mobile Home Park (1975) 45 Cal.App.3d 519, 530. Evidence Code § 1553 establishes a rebuttable presumption that “[a] printed representation of images stored on a video or digital medium is presumed to be an accurate representation of the images it purports to represent.” See People v. Chism (2014) 58 Cal.4th 1266. d. Social Media Printouts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.): EC § 1552(a): A printed representation of computer information or a computer program is presumed to be an accurate representation of the computer information or computer program that it purports to represent. See People v. Beckley (2010) 185 Cal.App.4th 509, 517, cited with approval in Kinda v. Carpenter (2016) 247 Cal.App.4th 1268. 7. Marking Exhibits: LACSCR 3.151 Example: Counsel: Your Honor, I have an exhibit. It is a ____________________(brief description) consisting of ____ pages. Counsel has been previously provided with a copy. May it be marked for identification as Exhibit ____? Court: Yes Counsel: Sir/Ma’am, please turn to Tab ___, this is an exhibit which now has been marked for Identification as Exhibit ____. 8. Trial Conduct a. The Court is – and expects the parties to be – solicitous of the jury’s time. To this end, the parties and their counsel must be in court on time, and counsel shall schedule time for issues to be heard when the jury is not waiting. The Court generally will not entertain lengthy hearings or sidebars while in trial on issues that could have been anticipated and raised earlier. b. The Court generally disfavors sidebar conferences, as they interrupt the flow of the trial and inconveniences and annoys the jury. Counsel should therefore make sidebar requests only when necessary. The Court may deny sidebar requests when made routinely or otherwise without good cause. c. Counsel shall not make “speaking” objections and instead shall state only the legal basis for the objection (e.g. “Objection, hearsay”). Speaking objections characteristically consist of impermissible editorials or comments, strategically made to influence the jury. They are distinguishable from legitimate objections which simply state legal grounds that arguably preclude the introduction of the evidence at issue. The Court allows counsel to argue briefly. Counsel may respond in front of a jury with a brief response. For example, for hearsay objections counsel may respond as to whether it is not offered for the truth or state an exception (EC §§1220 – 1370); for credibility, EC §780; for relevance, EC §352. The preferable response is to refer to an Evidence Code section. To argue an objection any further, counsel should ask for a sidebar conference. The Court expects counsel to make such requests sparingly –i.e., when an adverse ruling may cause significant prejudice. d. Counsel shall minimize the amount (and volume) of communication with each other while the jury trial is in session. e. There shall be no food at counsel tables. A cup or bottle of water, soft drink, coffee or tea is permitted, but the Court reminds counsel of the ongoing mask requirements. 9. Attorney Conduct a. Counsel shall always maintain respect for the Court and shall observe the dignity of the Courtroom. • Counsel shall not interrupt the Court or opposing counsel. • Once the Court has heard argument and ruled on any matter, there shall be no further argument. Counsel shall respectfully yield to the Court's ruling. • Counsel shall respond to legal arguments briefly and succinctly. Counsel shall refrain from long-winded, redundant, bombastic argument. If the Court informs counsel that it has heard sufficient argument, counsel shall stop argument. • Counsel must request permission from the Court to speak on any issue, such as "May I be heard?" "May I bring an issue to the Court's attention?" "May I speak to that?" b. Counsel shall always conduct themselves in a courteous, professional manner. • Counsel shall refrain from expressing personal feelings of anger, outrage, and indignity in the Courtroom. • Counsel shall properly modulate his or her voice and shall not yell. • There shall be no bickering between counsel. • Disrespectful non-verbal behavior is not permitted, such as eye-rolling, smirking, muttering, and related misconduct. • No sarcastic or disparaging remarks of any sort. Ever. c. Counsel shall always abstain from all offensive personality, scrupulously avoiding unfair or derogatory personal references to opposing counsel, litigants, witnesses, jurors, and the Court. Counsel shall always refrain from personal attacks on opposing counsel. 10. Sanctions: A violation of this Order may subject counsel to monetary sanctions pursuant to CCP §177.5. Dated: January 26, 2022 Valerie Salkin Judge of the Superior Court Rev. 04/26 [Pages 2 and 5 to 11 of the file are page scans, transcribed by eye; the other pages are composed from the printed text.]
Northwest Dept. U Courtroom Information & Trial Guidelines Judge Valerie Salkin The Court is pleased to assist counsel in all efforts to promote efficiency, productivity and progress in all cases pending in Department U. The Court is dedicated to helping the attorneys do the best job they can for their clients as a means of ensuring a fair and efficient trial for both sides. Please embrace the enh
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-29 (California T3 Los Angeles build 2026-09-29) from BenchPath custody ca/t3/ca-los-angeles/dept/CourtroomInformation_NW_U.pdf (1206594 bytes, sha256 6f5bf87ce2c1faec027ae338c4e63306cfffb021c559b4073f5515b6e0c05f04; 12 pages) assembled in page order: the printed pages composed with the shared verbatim composer (v2 reflow, drawn-glyph reading), and pages 2 and 5 to 10 (page scans); page 11 (a page scan that also carries a text layer, hidden under the scan or printed over it), transcribed by eye from the rendered page images, every page read against the image, with a local machine reading (RapidOCR) as the second reader and, for pages that also carry a hidden text layer, that layer as a third; checkboxes are set as “☐”, blanks and signature lines as a rule of underscores, a two-column caption left cell then right cell, line and page numbers omitted, and notes in brackets. For each composed run, proof 1 (whitespace-only), proof 2 (same character multiset as the text layer minus chrome) and proof 3 (same characters as the glyphs drawn on the page) all pass. Composed pages 1, 3, 4 and 12 carry Acrobat ClearScan text; each was read against the machine second reader and checked at the page image. 4 places where the file's character codes contradict the print, set as printed after the proofs and checked at the page image: “TelephonicNideo Appearances” set as “Telephonic/Video Appearances” (page 1: the print has Telephonic/Video); “conference (CMG)” set as “conference (CMC)” (page 3: the print has (CMC)); “division/civi1/C10109.aspx” set as “division/civil/CI0109.aspx” (page 3: the print has civil/CI0109); “courtinterpreter/GI IN001.aspx” set as “courtinterpreter/GI_IN001.aspx” (page 4: the underscore prints under the link's underline (the file's ActualText has it)). Attached to the department only (review task): The sheet (its order dated January 26, 2022) names Judge Valerie Salkin, who is not on the court's current bench; the app and the Judicial Officer Search place Judge Lee S. Arian in Department U.
1 verbatim requirement on judge preferences.
20 verbatim requirements on judge preferences.