Honorable Dolly M. Gee

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Chief District Judge
United States Courthouse, 350 West 1st Street,


Los Angeles, CA, 90012, Courtroom 8C, 8th Floor
ALL HEARINGS SHALL PROCEED IN-PERSON, UNLESS OTHERWISE ORDERED BY THE COURT.




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Recording, copying, photographing and rebroadcasting of court proceedings is prohibited by federal law. A violation of this prohibition may result in sanctions, including suspension of your license to practice before this court, referral to the state bar, denial of the right to appear by video or telephonically at future proceedings, criminal prosecution, contempt, denial of admission to future hearings, and any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court.

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Law and Motion Schedule: 

1. Calendar:


  • Civil Motions: Friday at 9:30 a.m.



  • Criminal Motions: Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

2. Motions: You must click on the link at the top of the page to view closed motion dates.
It is not necessary to clear a hearing date with the Courtroom Deputy Clerk prior to filing a motion, except for motions for summary judgment or preliminary injunction. Moving papers are to be filed and served at least twenty-eight (28) days before the hearing date. Opposition papers are to be filed and served no later than twenty-one (21) days before the hearing date, and any reply papers are to be filed and served at least fourteen (14) days before the hearing date. See Local Rules 6-1, 7-9, 7-10.


Prior to filing a motion, Counsel shall comply with the requirement of conference of counsel under Local Rule 7-3.

Judge's Procedures: 

​3. Telephonic or Video Appearances: The Court MAY permit appearances by telephone or video for status conferences, scheduling conferences, and for oral argument on motions upon a showing that a personal appearance will cause undue hardship. If you wish to appear by telephone or video, you must:



  • email the Courtroom Deputy Clerk and copy opposing counsel at least seven (7) days in advance of the scheduled appearance;
  • if appearing by telephone, use a landline to call into the bridge line provided by the clerk; and
  • be available at that number for at least 15 minutes before the time of the scheduled hearing.



4. Tentative Rulings: The Court makes every effort to issue a tentative ruling at the time of the hearing.  The tentative ruling is not available before the hearing.


5. Mandatory Chambers Copies: All original filings are to be filed electronically pursuant to Local Rule 5-4. No chambers copy is required for CIVIL or CRIMINAL cases, except at the specific request of the Court (i.e., please refrain from contacting the Courtroom Deputy Clerk).







If requested by the Court, chambers copies shall be delivered to and placed in the Judge's courtesy box, located outside of the Clerk's office, on the 4th floor, by 5:00 p.m. on the first court date after the filing date.


All exhibits, declarations, etc. to chambers copies must be tabbed, where applicable. Blue-backs and hole punches are not required.

Chambers

 copies of under seal documents shall all be placed together in a manila envelope labeled "UNDER SEAL."








6. Ex Parte Applications: Ex Parte Applications are solely for extraordinary relief and should be used with discretion. (See Mission Power Engineering Co. v. Continental Casualty Co., 883 F. Supp. 488 (C.D. Cal. 1995). Ex parte application are taken under submission on the papers and are rarely set for hearing. Counsel will be notified of the Court’s ruling. If a hearing is necessary, the Courtroom Deputy Clerk will notify counsel of the date and time of the hearing. The moving party shall immediately serve the Ex Parte Application on the opposing party by fax, email, or hand delivery and shall notify the opposing party that any opposition must be filed not later than 24 hours after the service of the application. The moving party shall advise the Court in its application whether opposing counsel will be filing opposition and explain what efforts, if any, have been made to confer with opposing counsel regarding the substance of the application and any potential resolution prior to the filing of the application. All ex parte applications should include a proposed order. See Local Rules 7-19 and 7-19.1.

7. Continuances and Extensions of Time: A stipulation to continue the date of any matter before this Court must be supported by a sufficient basis that demonstrates good cause why the change in the date is essential. Counsel requesting a continuance must electronically file a stipulation and lodge a proposed order including a detailed explanation of the grounds for the requested continuance or extension of time. Counsel shall avoid submitting requests for continuance or extension of time less than five (5) court days prior to the expiration of the scheduled date.

8. Telephone and Email Contact: Parties shall refrain from phoning or emailing the Courtroom Deputy Clerk: (1) to request the status of a pending stipulation or submitted motion; (2) to determine if a hearing on calendar will proceed as scheduled; or, (3) with questions about how to file documents using the court's CM/ECF system.




Counsel shall refer to L.R. 5- 4 and/or contact the electronic filing help desk at 213-894-0242.




 

9. Electronic Equipment: The Local Rules prohibit the recording of federal proceedings, either by electronic recording means or by camera.

Video cassette recorders, monitors, computers, overhead projectors, and silent copiers, and the like for presentation of evidence are permitted, but require a property pass.






Arrangements for a property pass to bring equipment and voluminous exhibits into the courtroom may be made through the Space and Facilities Help Desk, at (213) 894-1400.






Counsel may contact the IT Help Desk at AVgroup.cacd.uscourts.gov to arrange training on the Court’s Audio Visual Equipment.  Advise the IT Help Desk to hold the training session in an available courtroom (i.e., do not contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk for the availablity of Judge Gee's courtroom)




10. Transcripts: For general information on how to order a transcript of any reported or digitally recorded proceeding, please contact 213-894-3015 or visit the Court's website section referring to Court Reporter/Recorder Transcripts. If you require an estimate of cost for the preparation of a transcript, contact the court reporter/recorder for the desired proceeding.

To determine the court reporter/recorder for a particular proceeding, go to the Court Reporter Schedule web page and click on View by Date. Once you’ve determined the correct court reporter/recorder for the desired session, click on Court Reporter Phone and Email List for contact information.

11. Discovery: All discovery motions are to be calendared before the Magistrate Judge assigned to the case.

12. Scheduling and Case Management Orders: A Scheduling and Case Management Order will be issued after the Scheduling Conference has been held. The Order will set case management deadlines, pre-trial conference dates, and trial dates.

13. Trial:

a. Hours:
Trials are generally conducted Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.(except that the first day of trial begins at 8:30 a.m.), with two 15-minute breaks, and a 75-minute lunch break, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

b. Exhibits:

Counsel shall comply with Local Rule 16-6 with regard to exhibits. In addition, on the first day of trial, counsel shall submit to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk three (3) hard copies of the Joint Exhibit List.

EACH individual exhibit shall have its own separate exhibit number and entry on the Joint Exhibit List.  Do not group exhibits into one exhibit number if the parties do not intend to admit the exhibit as a whole.  The Joint Exhibit List shall be substantially in the format indicated by the following example.


Case Title: ____________________ Case No.: _____________________

No. of Exhibit          Description                                     Date Identified Date Admitted
3                           1/30/80 letter from Doe to Rose   
      
105                        $500 check dated 2/3/82 drawn on
                              Roe payable to Doe      
 
1002*                     Handwritten notes dated 1/16/80    
   
[* An asterisk shall be placed next to the exhibits which a party may offer if the need arises.]

Counsel are to prepare their exhibits for submission to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk on the first day of trial by placing them in tabbed binders indexed by exhibit number with exhibit tags affixed. Counsel shall submit to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk an ORIGINAL and ONE COPY of all binders. The exhibits shall be in three-ring binders labeled on the spine portion of the binder as to the volume number and contain an index of each exhibit included in the volume. An exhibit tag shall be affixed consistently on the upper or lower right hand side of the front of the exhibit. 

Digital exhibit tags are available on the Court's website under Court Forms > General Forms > Form G-14A (plaintiff) and G-14B (defendant). Digital exhibit tags may be used in place of the tags obtained fom the Clerk’s Office. All exhibits will be returned to counsel at the end of trial and will not be kept by the Court. Counsel shall keep the lodged and admitted exhibits in their possession pursuant to Local Rules 79-3 and 79-4.


c. Witness Lists:
Counsel shall comply with Local Rule 16-5. In addition, on the first day of trial, counsel shall submit to the Courtroom Deputy Clerk three (3) hard copies of witness lists; with witnesses listed in the order in which they are expected to be called.

d. Jury Instructions:
At the time of filing the [Proposed] Final Pretrial Conference Order, counsel are to submit to the Court a joint set of agreed-upon jury instructions, along with a separate set of proposed instructions as to which there are objections. The disputed instructions, if any, shall have a section for each party’s proffered instructions and all other parties’ briefly stated objections and citation of authorities in support of such objections.

e. Verdict Forms:

Counsel shall prepare the verdict forms necessary in a criminal trial. 
In a civil matter, the parties shall prepare a proposed verdict form(s) and lodge it at the time designated in the Court’s scheduling and case management order.


14. Interpreters: It is the responsibility of counsel in a civil case to arrange for the services of an Interpreter. The Interpreter’s Office may be reached at 213-894-4599.

15. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): This Court participates in the Court-Directed ADR Program. If counsel have received a Notice to Parties of Court-Directed ADR Program (ADR-08), the case will be presumptively referred to the Court Mediation Panel or to private mediation. See General Order 11-10, §5.1, Local Rule 16-15, and Local Rule 26-1(c). The Court will review and consider the parties’ ADR Procedure Selection form and their ADR preferences as set forth in their Joint Rule 26(f) Report. For information about the Court’s ADR Program, review General Order 11-10 on the ADR page of the Court website.

16. Settlement: Counsel shall immediatley email the Courtroom Deputy Clerk as soon as a settlement of your case has been reached. The Court will assess jury fees against each side under Local Rule 40-3 if the notification of settlement occurs after 4:00 p.m. on the last business day prior to trial.


17. Electronic Filings:






a. Counsel shall e-file all criminal and civil filings pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 5(d)(3), and Local Rule 5-4, as follows:





Step 1: All non-signature items shall be E-FILED in pdf format. All proposed signature items shall be E-FILED as an attachment to the main document in pdf format.


Step 2: All proposed signature items shall be E-MAILED to Judge Gee’s generic chambers e-mail address using the CM/ECF System in Word or Word Perfect format.



b. Pro se litigants may submit documents for filing through the Court's Electronic Document Submission System (EDSS) instead of mailing or bringing documents to the Clerk's Office. Only internet access and an e-mail address are required. Documents are submitted in PDF format through an online portal on the Court's website. To access EDSS and for additional information, visit the Court's website at https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/edss.    
     
Attorneys may not use EDSS to submit documents on behalf of their clients. Attorneys are required by the local rules to file documents electronically using the Court's CM/ECF System.





18. Under Seal Filings:
Civil Cases: Counsel are ORDERED to follow the procedures outlined in L.R. 79-5.2.2. The "Guide to Electronically Filing Under Seal Documents in Civil Cases" is attached below.No chambers copy is required, except at the specific request of the Court (i.e., please refrain from contacting the Courtroom Deputy Clerk.)

Pursuant to Local Rule 79-5.2, all documents to be filed under seal and all Applications for Leave to File Under Seal must be filed electronically using the Court’s CM/ECF System, unless otherwise indicated in this rule or exempted from electronic filing pursuant to Local Rule 5-4.2.

Counsel shall create two separate docket entries:

PUBLIC Entry: Application for leave to file under seal with proof of service, attaching a redacted version of the document(s) to be sealed, and proposed order; and

SEALED Entry: Declaration in support of Application, attaching an unredacted version of the document(s) to be sealed.

A PDF file that is too large to docket may be split into several smaller PDFs. Each document or sets of documents shall have a title page pursuant to Local Rule 11-3.8, and should only contain the materials to be filed under seal. For example, DO NOT e-file a PDF of exhibits 1-40 if only exhibits 5, 20 and 39 are to be filed under seal.

After electronically filing, send an email to the chambers email address at dmg_chambers@cacd.uscourts.gov., containing a Word or WordPerfect version of the proposed order. The subject line of the email should have the case number, including the words "UNDER SEAL REQUEST." See Local Rule 79-5.2.2 and 5-4.4.1.


Please note: If approved, the document itself will be sealed and not viewable by the public. However, the title that you insert on the caption of the sealed document will be viewable on the docket entry. For example, the public docket entry would read as follows: "Declaration of John Doe, Exhibit A." Therefore, you should be circumspect about the title of the document if that may reveal confidential information.






Criminal Cases: Counsel shall refer to the Under Seal Instructions for Criminal Cases, attached below.  No chambers copy is required, except at the specific request of the Court (i.e., please refrain from contacting the Courtroom Deputy Clerk.)

The submission of documents for IN CAMERA REVIEW is governed by Local Rule 79-6.

19. Other Information: Counsel are directed to comply with all Local Rules, except as modified herein or by Court order. If Counsel have received a Notice to Parties of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program with an attached ADR Program Questionnaire (form ADR-09), please see General Order 11-10, which is located in the General Orders section on the home page of the Central District’s website, for further information. The Attorney Information > ADR section also contains Attorney Settlement Officer information.
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