Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-04322/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-04322-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Breach of Contract

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United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

LEARNING TECHNOLOGY 

PARTNERS, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE 

WORD, 

Defendant. 

Case No. 14-cv-4322-PJH 

TRIAL RULES AND PROCEDURES 

In order to ensure the orderly and efficient presentation of the evidence at trial, the 

parties shall adhere to the following rules and procedures unless specifically ordered 

otherwise by the court. 

 1. EXHIBITS 

 The Case Management and Pretrial Order requires that all exhibits be premarked

and tabbed, and that at least two sets of the exhibits be submitted prior to the pretrial 

conference. One of these sets of each parties' exhibits will be placed on the witness 

stand for use by each witness during direct and cross-examination. 

 However, for cases in which the number of exhibits from any party exceed one 

hundred, all parties shall additionally prepare separate binders containing the exhibits 

that will be used during the direct and cross examination of each witness. Binders shall 

be provided to each witness, to opposing counsel and to the court as each witness is 

called to testify. 

 With regard to those exhibits not included in the pretrial exchange (e.g. rebuttal 

Case 4:14-cv-04322-PJH Document 114 Filed 12/15/15 Page 1 of 4
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United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

exhibits), the parties shall have sufficient copies for the witness, opposing counsel and 

the court at the time of their introduction. Exhibits to be used for demonstrative 

(illustrative) purposes only will not be admitted as evidence and shall be shown to 

opposing counsel at least 24 hours prior to their use at trial. Exhibits about which no 

testimony is elicited at trial, will not be admitted as evidence. 

 2. WITNESSES 

 (a) Counsel shall have their witnesses review, prior to taking the stand, all 

exhibits which counsel intends to question the witness about during direct examination. 

 (b) Only one lawyer for each party may examine any one witness. 

 (c) Counsel shall not approach a witness without first obtaining leave of court. 

 (d) Counsel shall refrain from eliciting testimony regarding undisputed facts set 

forth in the parties' Pretrial Statement(s). If the case is being tried before a jury, the court 

will read the undisputed facts from the Pretrial Statement(s) at the appropriate time as 

determined by counsel. 

 (e) If counsel intends to have a witness either draw diagrams, or put markings 

on visual exhibits or diagrams prepared by the party calling the witness, the witness shall 

do so before taking the stand. Once on the stand, the witness shall adopt the diagrams 

and/or markings and explain what they represent. If the diagram or visual exhibit is 

prepared by the opposing party, the witness shall not make any markings on the diagram 

or exhibit unless requested to do so by the opposing party. 

 (f) Counsel are expected to have sufficient witnesses ready to testify each trial 

day. Any gaps in trial time occasioned by the failure to have a witness ready shall be 

counted toward the party's allocated trial time in cases where the parties have been 

allocated a specific amount of trial time pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 16(c)(15) and 

General Signal v. MCI Telecommunications Corp., 66 F. 3d 1500 (9th Cir. 1995). 

Counsel are expected to cooperate with each other in the scheduling and production of 

witnesses. Witnesses may be taken out of order if necessary. Every effort shall be made 

to avoid calling a witness twice. 

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United States District Court 

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 (g) When the court recesses each day, counsel shall inform opposing counsel 

of which witnesses counsel intend to call during the next trial day. 

 3. DEPOSITIONS 

 The deposition of an adverse party may be used for any purpose. The deposition 

of a witness not a party may be used for impeachment or if the witness is unavailable as 

described in Fed. R. Civ. P. 32(a)(3). If the deposition is being used for impeachment, it 

is unnecessary to ask the witness if he/she recalls the testimony or otherwise lay a 

foundation. Simply identify the deposition, page and line numbers--so that opposing 

counsel may review the deposition to determine if the identified excerpt is in fact 

impeaching--and read the relevant portion. Opposing counsel may then immediately ask 

to read any additional testimony that is necessary to complete the context. 

 If a deposition is introduced because a witness or party is unavailable, do not offer 

the deposition wholesale; rather, counsel shall only offer copies of the relevant portions of 

the transcript, which may be read into the record at jury trials or may be submitted to the 

court for its review at court trials. If submitted to the court for review, the submission shall 

be made jointly and the excerpts selected by each party shall be highlighted in a different 

color. 

 4. OBJECTIONS 

 To make an objection, counsel shall rise, say “objection,” and briefly state the legal 

ground (e.g. “hearsay,” “irrelevant”). There shall be no “speaking objections” or argument 

from either counsel unless requested by the court. 

 5. SIDEBARS 

 Bench conferences during jury trials will be permitted only for truly extenuating 

circumstances. All matters of substantial evidentiary importance must be raised by 

motion in limine so that they may be resolved prior to trial. Disputes regarding witnesses 

or exhibits will be resolved, to the extent possible, at the pretrial conference. Any other 

disputes will be addressed either before the trial day commences, during a recess, or at 

the end of the trial day. Counsel are expected to assist the court in ensuring that there is 

Case 4:14-cv-04322-PJH Document 114 Filed 12/15/15 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

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Case 4:14-cv-04322-PJH Document 114 Filed 12/15/15 Page 4 of 4