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Standing order in limine for civil jury trials in the Leon County district courts: without first approaching the bench and securing a ruling, no attorney may mention before the jury or venire any of twenty-seven listed matters - insurance and jurors' connections with the insurance industry, liability for the judgment, collateral sources, retention of counsel, attorney's fees, income taxes, independent medical examinations, criminal offenses, alcohol or drug use, settlement or mediation, discovery disputes, prior suits or claims, ex parte statements, absent witnesses, hearsay medical opinions, exhibits not yet tendered and admitted, requests for stipulations or files, discrimination, the social cost of an award, hardship, the golden rule, counsel's opinion of credibility, the effect of jury answers, and witnesses, documents or objections tied to evidence not produced in discovery; each attorney admonishes clients and non-adverse witnesses.
Texas > Tenth Administrative Judicial Region > Leon County > the 87th, 278th and 369th District Courts. Applies during the trial of any civil jury case in the district courts unless suspended for a specific trial.
STANDING ORDER IN LIMINE FOR TRIAL OF CIVIL JURY CASES During the trial of any civil jury case in the District Court, unless and except to the extent that the operation of this order shall have been suspended with reference to such specific trial, no attorney shall make mention, refer to or suggest any of the matters hereinafter set forth in the presence or hearing of the jury, the venire, or of any member of either without first approaching the bench and securing a ruling from the Court authorizing such reference. In addition, each attorney shall admonish the client, client's representatives and all non-adverse witnesses the attorney may call to testify similarly to refrain from any such statement, reference or suggestion unless same is essential to respond truthfully to a question asked by opposing counsel. The matters to which reference is prohibited by this order are as follows: 1. Insurance. Unless an insurance company is a named Defendant, that the Defendant is or is not protected, in whole or in part, by liability insurance, or that defense counsel was retained by, or all or any part of the costs to defense, or of any resulting judgments, are or will be paid by an insurance company, or any other matter suggesting an involvement of any insurance company with the defense of the case. 2. Jurors' Connection with Insurance Industry. Inquiring of potential jurors as to their present or past employment or connection with the insurance industry, or present or past connection of any family member with the insurance industry, except that: a. If a potential juror's juror information card discloses employment in the insurance industry, such potential juror may be questioned concerning same; b. Inquiry may be made of potential jurors concerning their experience (or that of members of their family), if any, reviewing, adjusting or allowing/disallowing claims, as long as no express reference is made to "insurance." 3. Liability or Non-Liability for Judgment. That the named Defendant may or may not have to pay any resulting judgment. 4. Collateral Source. That any portion of the damages sought by Plaintiff has been, or will be, paid by any collateral source, including but not limited to: a. Health and accident or disability insurance. b. Any employee benefit plan, formal or informal, including payment of wages for time not actually worked. c. Social security or welfare. d. Veterans or other benefits. e. Provisions of medial services free of charge or for less than reasonable and customary charges, provided that the foregoing does not prohibit reference to unpaid charges of any health care provider who actually testifies for Plaintiff (or whose medical records are offered by Plaintiff), or to any letter of protection securing any such charges. 5. Retention of Attorney. The time or circumstances under which either party consulted or retained an attorney provided that if any attorney referred a party to a health care provider who testifies in the case (or whose medical records are introduced by such party) such fact may be a subject of inquiry. 6. Attorney's Fees. That any party will have to pay attorneys' fees, or any reference to the amount or basis of any attorneys' fees, unless a claim for recovery or attorneys' fees in the case will be submitted to the jury. 7. Income Taxes. That any recovery will or will not be subject to income taxes, in whole or in part. 8. Independent Medical Examination. That the plaintiff offered to, or was or is willing to, undergo an examination by an independent physician or psychologist. 9. Criminal Offenses. That any part of witness has been suspected of, arrested for, charged with or convicted or any criminal offense unless there is evidence of a specific conviction that the Court has previously ruled is admissible in this case. 10. Alcohol or Drug Use. That any party or witness uses or abuses alcohol, tobacco, or any controlled substance, unless and until such alleged used or abuse is shown to be specifically relevant to the matters in controversy. 11. Settlement Negotiation or Mediation. Any negotiations, offers or demands with respect to any attempted settlement or mediation. 12. Discovery Disputes. Any reference to discovery disputes that arose during the preparation of the case for trial, any position taken by any party with respect thereto, or to the Court's rulings thereon. 13. Prior Suits or Claims. That any party has been a party to any prior lawsuit, or has asserted any prior claim, or that any prior claim has been asserted against a party; provided that this clause does not prohibit inquiry about a prior injury that may have been the subject o fa claim, as distinguished from the claim, suit or settlement with reference thereto, if the nature of injuries claimed in the present suit make the same relevant. 14. Ex Parte Statements of Witnesses. Any reference to any ex parte statement of any witness or alleged witness, other than an adverse party or agent of an adverse party, unless and until such witness has been called to testify and has given testimony conflicting with such ex parte statement. A deposition or a statement in business or medical records that have been proved up as required by the Rules of Evidence is not an ex parte statement. 15. Testimony of Absent Witness. Any statement or suggestion as to the probable testimony of any witness or alleged witness who is unavailable to testify, or whom the party is expected to testify by deposition, this provision does not apply to testimony contained in the deposition expected to be offered. 16. Hearsay Medical Opinions. Any hearsay statement offered for the truth of the statement by an allegedly injured person concerning any diagnosis or medical opinions communicated to such person by a physician or other health care provider. 17. Photographs and Visual Aids. Showing any documents, photographs or visual aids to the jury, or displaying same in such manner that the jury or any member thereof can see the same, unless and until the same has been tendered to opposing counsel, and has been admitted in evidence or approved for admission or use before the jury, either by the Court or by all counsel. 18. Requests for Stipulation. Any request or demand in the presence of the jury for a stipulation to any fact, or that counsel admit or deny any fact. 19. Requests for Files. Any request or demand in the presence of the jury that opposing counsel produce any document or thing, or that opposing counsel or any party or witness exhibit, turn over or allow examination of the contents of a file or briefcase (except that a party may demand to see a document used by a witness on the stand to refresh his/her recollection, or that a witness testifies that he/she has used previously to refresh his/her recollection.) 20. Discrimination. Any argument that a party should be treated more or less favorably because of such party's race, gender, national origin, nationality, religion, marital status, occupation, or financial status (except in the second phase of a bifurcated trial). 21. Social Cost of Award. Any argument or suggestion that an award of damages will affect insurance premiums, the price of any goods or services, or the level of taxation. 22. Hardship or Privation. Any argument or suggestion that a failure to award damages will cause a Plaintiff privation or financial hardship. 23. Golden Rule. Any argument or suggestion that the jurors should put themselves in the position of the party. 24. Counsel's Opinion of Credibility. Any expression of counsel's personal opinion regarding the credibility of any witness. 25. Effect of Answers to Jury Question. Any argument that any finding or failure to find in response to a particular jury question will or will not result in a judgment favorable to any party. This provision does not bar argument by counsel that a particular jury question should be answered in a particular way. 26. Evidence Not Produced in Discovery Responses to a Proper Request. Calling any witness, or offering any document in evidence, if the identity of such witness or document has not been disclosed in response to a proper discovery request. If a party has a good faith basis to urge that such witness or document should be received either because (a) no discovery request properly called for its disclosure, or (b) good cause existed for failure to timely disclose, such party shall first approach the bench and secure a ruling thereon. Counsel are advised that to the extent possible or predictable, such matters should be addressed and a ruling sought at pretrial once the case is assigned for trial. 27. Objections to Evidence Not Produced in Discovery. Any objection based on failure to disclose evidence in pre-trial discovery. Any party desiring to urge any such objection shall request to approach the bench and urge such objection outside the hearing of the jury. To the extent possible and predictable, such matters should be addressed and a ruling sought at pretrial once the case is assigned for trial, although the objection may be urged for the record outside the hearing of the jury at the time such evidence is offered in the event the Court has overruled the objection at pretrial. [signature] Hon. Amy Thomas Ward Judge, 87th District Court [signature] Hon. Tracy Sorensen Judge, 278th District Court [signature] Hon. Jonathan Richey Judge, 369th District Court [File stamp: FILED, CASSANDRA NOEY WILSON, DISTRICT CLERK, LEON COUNTY, TEXAS, JUN 30 2026, by [signature]]
STANDING ORDER IN LIMINE FOR TRIAL OF CIVIL JURY CASES During the trial of any civil jury case in the District Court, unless and except to the extent that the operation of this order shall have been suspended with reference to such specific trial, no attorney shall make mention, refer to or suggest any of the matters hereinafter set forth in the presence or hearing of the jury, the venire, or of
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-19 (AJR-10 Tenth Region build) from BenchPath custody sources/registered/3018.pdf (application/pdf, 1060016 bytes, sha256 20613bafc6bbd5ca2ee9a386bc7bf0f63e657121a921be4c5fd487059bc92847; 4 pages) - the TOPICs-registered document: transcribed by eye from the rendered pages of the scanned PDF (no text layer in the file was relied on), machine OCR draft corrected page by page; signature and file-stamp blocks bracketed. Identical bytes posted on the county site: https://www.co.leon.tx.us/upload/page/4922/1Standing Order in Limine Civil.pdf; https://www.co.leon.tx.us/upload/page/4921/1Standing Order in Limine Civil.pdf. Four-page image-only PDF typed from the rendered pages; the file stamp overlaps the title. The instrument carries no signing date; effective_date is the district clerk's file stamp. Printed as on the instrument: "Provisions of medial services" (4e), "recovery or attorneys' fees" (6), "any part of witness" and "convicted or any criminal offense" (9), "alleged used or abuse" (10), "the subject o fa claim" (13), "or whom the party is expected to testify by deposition, this provision" (15).
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.
Standing order of the 109th Judicial District Court for every pending or later-filed case in Andrews, Winkler and Crane Counties: any attorney or self-represented litigant who uses any form of artificial intelligence for legal research or drafting in a case must, before using AI-generated information in a court submission or proceeding, sign and submit the court's certification form stating that all language, quotations, sources, citations, arguments and legal analysis created or contributed to by generative AI were verified as accurate by a human through traditional (non-AI) legal sources, and acknowledging responsibility and potential sanctions for their or their co-counsel's failure to comply. Effective immediately; in effect until rescinded or replaced.