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Trial Procedures — 497th District Court — posted on the court's own website — the court-procedure tier (standing procedures, policies, and preferences the court itself publishes), distinct from the TOPICs-registered local-rules tier (TRCP 3a registration applies to local rules). Operative requirements quoted verbatim; the posted document is the controlling text.
Texas > Harris County > 497th District Court
497th District Court Trial Procedures Attorneys and pro se defendants are expected to understand general trial procedures as well as all applicable substantive laws and rules. … Parties shall then ensure that any special issues existing in the case are addressed and arranged (interpreters, foreign witnesses, etc.). … If the case is not reached on its assigned trial date, the parties shall remain on call for 1 week and be prepared to begin trial any time during that week. … One attorney per side shall handle all objections and questions for any given witness. … Each witness shall be subjected to one direct/cross examination and one re- direct/re-cross examination. … Parties shall raise anticipated charge issues at the earliest possible opportunity. … Parties shall inform the Court of anticipated general issues prior to voir dire and a proposed jury charge when the State rests its case-in-chief. … Parties shall provide only the legal basis for the objection unless the Court requests clarification. … Witnesses must be present and ready to testify when called. … A party choosing to place a witness “on call” must ensure that the witness is ready when needed. … Parties must admonish their witnesses prior to testimony not to discuss any matters the Court has deemed inadmissible (order suppressing evidence, order in limine, etc.). … Parties must immediately bring to the Court’s attention any circumstances that could undermine a trial’s impartiality (prejudicial material on display, shackles visible to venire/jury, contact with a juror, etc.). … Parties shall understand courtroom technology in advance. … Plea bargains will not be considered less than 7 days before a trial setting absent exceptional circumstances. … Motions to dismiss will not be considered if filed less than 48 hours before a trial setting absent exceptional circumstances. … Requests for continuance will not be considered if filed less than 7 days before a trial setting absent exceptional circumstances. … Parties are expected to adhere to 497th District Court Trial Procedures the provisions of that article and risk waiving matters that are not timely raised.1 7.2. … The Court will also address any other matters that must be resolved prior to trial. … Parties should be prepared to discuss evidence that must be redacted so the exhibits can be prepared prior to the first day of trial. … Parties requiring accommodations (interpreters, special security measures, aids for the hearing impaired, etc.) must arrange to have the accommodations in place when needed. … Motions to suppress shall be carried with trial. … Parties shall raise strikes for cause after all questioning is concluded. … All juror information documents provided by the clerk shall be returned to the clerk when jury selection concludes. … Parties shall confer about exhibits in advance and bring to the court’s attention any disputed requests for redaction. … Trial will not be suspended so a party can redact an exhibit. … If an exhibit is only admissible once redacted, it is inadmissible until redacted. … Each party shall provide the Court and court reporter with a witness list and an exhibit list before beginning its case-in-chief. … Parties must not mark on or otherwise alter an exhibit that has been admitted. … 1 All pre-trial motions to be heard at the Pretrial Conference Setting must be filed in compliance with TEX. … 28.01, and any preliminary matters not raised or filed seven (7) days before the Pretrial Conference Setting will not be allowed to be raised or filed, except by permission of the Court for good cause shown. … Written responses, if required, shall be filed three (3) days prior to this setting. … If the rule has been invoked, parties shall bring all witnesses who are present into the courtroom to be sworn and instructed in front of the jury. …
Reviewer note: Own-site content fetched by us 2026-08-22 (Phase 3 justex/page sweep; hashed receipts in custody). Operative mandatory-language provisions quoted verbatim; the full posted document is the controlling text.
17 verbatim requirements extracted from 4243-01__2021-05.pdf, across 4 topics.
Judge Eckley-Moulder's courtroom policies (court starts 9:30 sharp): at the Final Pre-Trial, all trial counsel and the defendant must be physically present, phones silenced, and no recording without media clearance.