Case Management & Calendar Control

• Manage the time between events. Times must be long enough to allow preparation but short enough to encourage preparation.
• Make sure events occur when scheduled and enforce deadlines. Always post hearing results in each case.
• It is recommended that cases in which a hearing or trial is requested that is more than 2 hours in length should be sent to mediation first. The court should prepare the mediation order; and, if attorneys state they want to use their own mediator, the mediator must provide a report to the court once mediation is complete.
• Make sure that each case has a setting so as to not lose track of that particular case. If you are not sure what to call the type of hearing, refer to the hearing as a "status hearing," with a comment indicating what happened at the last hearing.
• It is recommended that attorneys submit a Pretrial Scheduling Order for each civil or family law case, with all the dates listed by which certain case activities are to be completed. Discourage continuances.
• It is recommended that dismissal dockets be set every 6 months.

Rule 6. Time Standards for the Disposition of Cases

District and statutory county court judges of the county in which cases are filed should, so far as reasonably possible, ensure that all cases are brought to trial or final disposition in conformity with the following time standards

1. Criminal Cases. As provided by Article 32A.02, Code of Criminal Procedure.
2. Civil Cases Other Than Family Law.
   • (1) Civil Jury Cases. Within 18 months from appearance date.
   • (2) Civil Nonjury Cases. Within 12 months from appearance date.
3. Family Law Cases
   • (1) Contested Family Law Cases. Within 6 months appearance date or within 6 months from the expiration of the waiting period provided by the Family Code where such is required, whichever is later.
   • (2) Uncontested Family Law Cases. Within 3 months from appearance date or within 3 months from the expiration of the waiting period provided by the Family Code where such is required, whichever is later.
4. Juvenile Cases.
   
   In addition to the requirements of Title 3, Texas Family Code.
   • (1) Detention Hearings. On the next business day following admission to any detention facility.
   • (2) Adjudicatory or Transfer (Waiver) Hearings.
     • (a) Concerning a juvenile in a detention facility: Not later than 10 days following admission to such a facility, except for good cause shown of record.
     • (b) Concerning a juvenile not in a detention facility: Not later thatn 30 days following the filing of the petition, except for good cause shown of record.
   • (3) Disposition Hearings. Not later than 15 days following the adjudicatory hearing. The court may grant additional time in exceptional cases that require more complex evaluation.
   • (4) Nothing herein shall prevent a judge from recessing a juvenile hearing at any stage of the proceeding where the parties are agreeable or when in the opinion of the judge presiding in the case the best interests of the child and of society shall be served.
5. Complex Cases. It is recognized that in especially complex cases or special circumstances it may not be possible to adhere to these standards.

• It is recommended that reports are printed each month for cases that are more than 90 days old and have no hearings scheduled.
• All criminal cases should have future case event dates established at the arraignment.
• It is receommended that Criminal Scheduling Orders are prepared with all the dates listed on the order and hand out at arraignment to all parties.
• If a criminal case is reset, always assign a new date so that the case does not get lost in the system.
• When possible, send certain types of criminal cases to mediation so as to dispose of the cases faster.

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Updated: 01-Oct-2010