THE COURTS
Title 255—LOCAL
COURT RULES
LACKAWANNA COUNTY
Repeal and Adoption of Rules of Civil Procedure; No. 2014 CV 1
[44 Pa.B. 7515]
[Saturday, December 6, 2014]
Order And Now, this 18th day of November, 2014, it is hereby Ordered and Decreed that the following Lackawanna County Rules of Civil Procedure are amended as follows:
1. All other local Lackawanna County Rules of Civil Procedure (excepting all Lackawanna County Family Court Rules, which are contained in a separate document and which are not affected by this Order) as they appear prior to the effective date of this Order on the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts' (''AOPC'') website, the Lackawanna Bar Association's website, or in the WestLaw local rules are Hereby Repealed;
2. All local Lackawanna County Rules of Civil Procedure contained herein are Hereby Adopted;
3. Pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 239(c), the following Local Rules shall be disseminated and published in the following manner:
(a) Seven (7) certified copies of the following Local Rules shall be filed with the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts;
(b) Two (2) certified copies of the following Local Rules and a computer diskette containing the text of the following Local Rules in Microsoft Word format and labeled with the court's name and address and computer file name shall be distributed to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin;
(c) One (1) certified copy of the following Local Rules shall be filed with the Civil Procedural Rules Committee;
(d) The following Local Rules shall be kept continuously available for public inspection and copying in the Office of the Clerk of Judicial Records, Civil Division, and upon request and payment of reasonable costs of reproduction and/mailing, the Clerk of Judicial Records shall furnish to any requesting person a copy of the requested Local Rule(s); and
(e) A computer diskette containing the text of the following Local Rules in Microsoft Word format and labeled with the court's name and address and computer file name shall be distributed to the Lackawanna Bar Association for publication on the website of the Lackawanna Bar Association.
4. The amendment of the Lackawanna County Rules of Civil Procedure shall become effective thirty (30) days after the date of publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. 239(d).
By the Court
THOMAS J. MUNLEY,
President Judge
LACKAWANNA COUNTY RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
**Note: All rules governing family law proceedings have been separated from this document and can be found in the Lackawanna County Family Court Rules.''
RULES OF CONSTRUCTION Rule 51. Title and Citation of Rules.
All rules adopted by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County pertaining to Civil Procedures shall be known as the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas Rules of Civil Procedure and may be cited as ''Lacka.Co.R.C.P. ______ .''
Rule 52. Effective Date of Rules.
Each rule adopted by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County, whether civil, criminal, orphans', or governing district justices, shall become effective upon the date specified by the court in promulgating the rule; but, no rule shall be effective until notice of its promulgation is published in the ''Lackawanna Jurist.'' The content of each rule promulgated shall be made available through the Lackawanna County Bar Association and as mandated by law or rule of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Rule 76. Definitions.
Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, each word or phrase when used in any rule promulgated by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County shall have the same meaning as that word or phrase is given in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, with the exception of the following:
(a) ''court'' or ''the court'' shall mean the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County;
(b) ''rule'' shall mean any rule of civil procedure promulgated by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County
(c) ''party'' or ''parties'' shall mean the party or parties appearing in a civil action pro se, or the attorney or attorneys of record for such party or parties, where appropriate.
Rule 101. Principles of Interpretation.
In the construction of any rule, the principles set forth in the chapter of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure designated ''Rules of Construction'' shall be observed unless the application of such principles would result in a construction inconsistent with the manifest intent of court.
Rule 127. Construction of Rules.
(a) The object of all interpretation and construction of the Rules of Civil Procedure of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County is to ascertain and effectuate the intention of this court.
(b) Each rule shall be construed, if possible, to give effect to all its provisions. When the words of a rule are clear and free from all ambiguity, the letter of the rule is not to be disregarded under the pretext of pursuing its spirit.
(c) When the words of a rule are not explicit, the intention of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County may be ascertained by considering, among other matters:
(1) the occasion and necessity for rule;
(2) the circumstances under which the rule was promulgated;
(3) the purpose for the rule was promulgated and the object to be attained;
(4) the prior practice, if any, upon the same or similar subjects;
(5) the consequences of a particular interpretation;
(6) the history of the rule; and
(7) the practice followed under the rule.
Rule 128. Presumptions and Ascertaining the Intent of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County.
In ascertaining the intention of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County in the Promulgation of a rule of civil procedure, all seeking to interpret the rule should be guided by the following presumptions:
(a) that the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County does not intend a result that is absurd, impossible of execution, or unreasonable;
(b) that the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County intends that the entire rule or chapter of rules is to be effective and certain;
(c) that the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County does not intend to violate the Constitution of the United States or of this Commonwealth or any rule promulgated by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania;
(d) that the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County intends to favor the public interest as against any private interest; and,
(e) that no rule shall be construed to confer a right to trial by jury where such right does not otherwise exist.
Rule 130. Construction of Rules and Derogation of the Common Law.
The principle that laws in derogation of the common law are to be strictly construed shall have no application to any rule of civil procedure promulgated by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County.
Rule 151. Effective Date of Amendments.
An amendment to a rule of procedure, whether civil, criminal, orphans', or governing district justices, shall be effective upon the date specified by the court in promulgating the amendment; but, no amendment shall be effective until notice of its promulgation is published in the ''Lackawanna Jurist.'' The content of each amendment promulgated shall be made available through the Lackawanna County Bar Association and as mandated by law or rule of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
THE BUSINESS OF THE COURT Rule 171. Sessions of Court.
The court shall annually, by order, prescribe the official Judicial Calendar of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County for the next calendar year following said annual order, and shall in said order prescribe the sessions of court to be held during the year and designate the time for each. Such order shall be published in the ''Lackawanna Jurist.''
Rule 172. Holidays.
The Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County shall not be in session on any day designated by the laws of Pennsylvania or by any proper authority as a legal holiday within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Whenever the initial day of any sessions of court or any return day shall fall on any legal holiday, the next succeeding secular weekday shall be considered the initial day of said session or the return day as the case may be. Motion court due to be held on a legal holiday will be postponed to the next regular day of hearing motions.
Rule 188. Professional Conduct.
The Code of Professional Responsibility, as adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, is hereby adopted as the standard of conduct for members of the bar of this court.
Any attorney of this court who shall be found to have violated any of the standards of conduct established for attorneys of this court or to have been disbarred from practice or disciplined in any court of record of this Commonwealth, of the United States, or of any other state, territory or insular possession of the United States may be suspended or disbarred from practice in this court or otherwise disciplined as the court shall determine.
PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE GENERALLY Rule 200. Attorneys Practicing Before This Court.
(a) Any person of good moral and professional character who is learned in the law and has been formally admitted to the bar of this court or of the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania may practice law in this court.
(b) Attorneys of record of other counties of Pennsylvania, who have yet to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania but who are eligible for admission on motion to said bar, and attorneys of record from other states, who have been admitted to the general practice of law in such other states, may be admitted to practice pro hac vice in this court for a particular case or proceeding on oral motion of an associate attorney of record appearing in the case or proceeding who is a member of the bar of this court.
(c) Any attorney admitted to the bar of this court under this rule shall file with the Clerk of Judicial Records of Lackawanna County an address for the service or receipt of all pleadings, motions, notices and other papers served or sent in pursuance of the rules of this court. Any changes of address shall be reported promptly to the Clerk of Judicial Records.
Rule 200.1. Appearances and Withdrawals.
(a) The signing of a pleading or motion by an attorney shall be deemed an entry of appearance. Appearance by an attorney or a party not signing pleadings or motions shall be by praecipe filed with the Clerk of Judicial Records.
(b) Appearance of counsel shall not be withdrawn except by leave of court or by written consent of the party. If at the time that withdrawal is sought, the case has been assigned to a judge for trial or has been tried, a motion to withdraw shall be presented to the trial judge for determination. Otherwise, such motion shall be presented at motion court and a rule to show cause shall issue to the client represented by the movant and to all other parties in the litigation.
Rule 201. Agreements of Attorneys.
All agreements of attorneys pertaining to the business of the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County shall be in writing signed by all parties to the agreement or shall be entered on the record made in the course of a court proceeding; otherwise, such agreements shall have no validity if disputed by any party to the alleged agreement.
Rule 205.2(a). Pleading Requirements.
All new civil actions are to be filed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper in the Office of the Clerk of Judicial Records, Lackawanna County Courthouse, 200 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503.
Rule 205.2(b). Civil Cover Sheet.
No summons, complaint, pleading or other document used to commence a new civil action will be accepted for filing by the Clerk of Judicial Records unless it is accompanied by a duly completed Civil Cover Sheet in the format set forth in Form 1 of the Appendix. In all residential mortgage foreclosure actions bearing the case code designation ''RP/MF/RES'' on the Civil Cover Sheet, no summons, complaint, pleading or other document used to commence a new residential mortgage foreclosure civil action will be accepted for filing by the Clerk of Judicial Records unless it is accompanied by a Notice of Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program form in the format set forth in Form 8 of the Appendix.
Rule 206.1(a). Definition of Petition.
In addition to an application to strike and/or open a default judgment or a judgment of non pros, a party seeking relief from the court shall proceed by petition and rule when the party is seeking an order which is not otherwise covered by any statute or rule of civil procedure governing motions, including an order:
(1) imposing sanctions for failure to obey a discovery order;
(2) holding a party or witness in contempt;
(3) granting relief from any other judgment, including judgments entered by confession; or
(4) granting a preliminary injunction.
Any party presenting a petition seeking the issuance of a rule to show cause must follow the procedures set forth in Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 206.4(c).
Rule 206.4(c). Issuance of Rule to Show Cause.
Any petition presented pursuant to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 206.1(a) shall proceed upon a rule to show cause. The procedure following the issuance of the rule to show cause shall be in accordance with Pa.R.Civ.P. 206.7. In conformity with Pa.R.Civ.P. 206.6, a rule to show cause shall be issued as of course upon the filing and presentment of the petition. To secure a rule to show cause, the petition shall be presented to the Motions Court judge under Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 208.3(a) and shall be accompanied by a proposed order in the format prescribed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 206.6(c) and the Official Note thereto. The court may grant a stay of execution or stay of the proceedings only upon request by the petitioner and for cause shown. Following presentment of the petition to the Motions Court judge, the petitioner shall proceed pursuant to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 211 and secure a rule returnable date and a hearing date, if necessary, from the Court Administrator and shall thereafter file the original petition and rule to show cause with the Clerk of Judicial Records, with copies of the same being served upon all counsel and unrepresented parties in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure and Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 440. The petitioner shall file a certificate of service with the Clerk of Judicial Records verifying that the petition and rule have been duly served upon all counsel and unrepresented parties.
Rule 208.2(c). Motion Content.
In addition to the form and content requirements set forth in Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.2, a motion shall include a brief statement of the applicable authority with citations to the official reporters. If a moving party relied upon an unpublished opinion as authority, a copy of the unpublished opinion must accompany the motion as an attachment.
Rule 208.2(d). Certificate of Concurrence.
All motions shall contain a certification by counsel for the movant that counsel has sought concurrence in the motion from each party and, when appropriate, that the motion being presented is uncontested.
Rule 208.2(e). Discovery Motion Certification.
Any Motion relating to discovery shall include a certification signed by counsel for the moving party certifying that counsel has conferred or attempted to confer with all interested parties in a good faith effort to resolve by agreement the issues raised by the motion without court intervention together with a detailed explanation why such agreement could not be reached. If part of the issues raised by the motion have been resolved by agreement, the statement shall specify the issue(s) so resolved and the issues(s) remaining unresolved.
Rule 208.3(a). Motion Procedure.
A party seeking relief from the court by way of motion shall serve all counsel and unrepresented parties with a copy of the motion, together with notice that the motion will be presented to the court on a date certain, at least (3) business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) prior to the date of presentation. Except for discovery motions which are governed by Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 4000, 4000.1, 4012, 4013 and 4019, any motion as defined by Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.1 shall be presented in Motion Court which shall be held daily by the designated Motions Court judge on Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and by the Court en banc on the last Friday of the month at 9:30 a.m. Counsel and pro se litigants who desire to make motions or to present petitions at Motion Court shall write their names legibly in the motion book maintained for such purposes. Unless otherwise directed by the Motions Court judge, all motions shall be heard in order in which the names appear in the motion book. Motion court involving domestic relations and orphans' court matters shall be held by judges assigned to the family court division and the orphans' court division at the times and on the days designated by the Court Administrator. Whenever practicable, emergency motions shall likewise be presented in Motion Court pursuant to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 208.3(a). In the event that an emergency motion cannot be presented in Motion Court, the party or counsel presenting an emergency motion shall submit the motion to the Court Administrator who will assign the emergency motion to an available judge under Pa.R.Civ.P. 249 for disposition. The Motions Court judge may dispose of the motion at the time of initial consideration or may defer any ruling and, in the interim, either (i) set forth procedures for disposition of the motion pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 208.4(a)(2) or (b)(1), or (ii) direct the parties to proceed under Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 211.
Rule 210. Submission and Form of Briefs.
(a) A copy of any brief which is submitted to the court or to any judge of the court shall be filed to the docket number of the case to which the brief pertains in the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records.
(b) All briefs shall be typewritten and printed or otherwise duplicated on 8 1/2 by 11 paper and shall be endorsed with the name of the case, the court, the docket number of the case, and the name and address of the attorney filing same. Briefs shall contain an accurate citation to all official authorities relied upon, and shall contain a photo copy of any unofficial authority or any authority not found within the Lackawanna County Law Library. The brief of the moving party shall contain a procedural history of the case, a statement of facts, a statement of questions involved, and an argument. The brief of each party, if more than fifteen pages in length, shall contain an index and table of citations of the cases, statutes and other authorities referred to within the brief, with references to the pages at which they are cited.
Rule 210.1. Transcription Required for Argument.
(a) If in the opinion of counsel for any party a transcription of the testimony or of a prior court proceeding is necessary for the just disposition of a matter to be argued to the court or to an individual judge of the court, that counsel shall serve upon the office of the court reporters and upon all other parties to the action a written notification that such transcription shall be required. Such notice shall be provided as soon as practicable and, in any event, not later than five (5) days after the filing of motion or petition which is to be argued. Said notice shall contain:
(1) the full caption of the case;
(2) the date(s) of the proceeding(s) for which a transcription is deemed necessary;
(3) the type of proceeding for which the transcription is deemed necessary; and
(4) the date on which the transcription is required, which date should be no later than seven (7) days prior to the scheduled date of argument.
(b) As soon as can be determined after receipt of the notice required by paragraph (a), the office of the court reporters shall advise all parties and the court of the approximate date on which said transcription shall be available, so that the parties and the court can consider alternative argument dates if such appears necessary or desirable.
Rule 211. Disposition of Motions and Petitions.
(a) To assign a motion or petition to a judge for disposition or to schedule a motion or petition for argument where a rule returnable does not set a schedule, a party shall file with the Clerk of Judicial Records and the Court Administrator a Praecipe for Assignment. See Appendix, Form 2.
(b) Prior to filing a Praecipe of Assignment, the moving or petitioning party shall contact counsel for all other parties of record to determine whether an opposing party or lawyer wishes to present oral argument. The moving or petitioning party shall indicate on the Praecipe for Assignment whether the matter is being submitted on briefs and without the necessity of oral argument or is to be scheduled for argument by the Court Administrator. No Praecipe for Assignment will be accepted by the Clerk of Judicial Records or the Court Administrator unless the moving or petitioning party has indicated in writing whether the matter is to be submitted on briefs or scheduled for oral argument.
(c) The Court Administrator shall assign motions and petitions to the judges of the court on a rotating basis and shall establish a briefing schedule for the parties.
(d) The original of a party's brief shall be filed with the Clerk of Judicial Records and copies shall be provided to the assigned judge and all opposing counsel in accordance with the schedule set by the Court Administrator.
(e) If the moving or petitioning party fails to timely file and serve a brief, or fails to appear at oral argument, if requested, the matter may be dismissed by the court as of course. The judge to whom the matter has been assigned may grant additional time for the filing of briefs or may require supplemental briefing by the parties.
(f) If any party other than the moving or petitioning party fails to timely file and serve a brief, that party may be deemed not to oppose the motion or petition and may not be allowed to present oral argument.
(g) No case listed for argument will be continued except for good cause shown to the satisfaction of the court.
Rule 212. Pre-Trial Procedure and Settlement Conference.
It is the intent of this rule that, in all civil actions, a pre-trial proceeding may be instituted at various states for specific purposes.
(a) Prior to Filing of Certificate of Readiness.
After a complaint alone has been filed or after a complaint and answer have been filed all parties may request a preliminary pre-trial settlement conference if it is the consensus of the parties that the case may be settled as a result of such a conference, and it is the intention of the parties to avoid ordinary pre-trial procedures leading to the filing of a certificate of readiness. The parties may request such a settlement conference by submitting a written request to the Court Administrator who shall assign it to the Settlement Master for a settlement conference. In addition, any judge may direct the Court Administrator to assign a particular case to the Settlement Master for a pre-trial settlement conference, or may issue an order directing the parties in a case to participate in a pre-trial settlement conference before the Settlement Master. The Settlement Master may require the parties to submit pre-trial settlement conference statements in advance of the pre-trial settlement conference. See Appendix, Form 3.
(b) After filing Certificate of Readiness.
Upon the filing of a Certificate of Readiness, the Court Administrator shall assign a case to an individual judge to conduct a status conference, schedule a pre-trial conference and establish a date for trial.
(c) If the court determines at the time of the status conference that a party has not fully complied with Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 214(b), the court may strike the original certificate of readiness and remove the case from the judge's individual calendar or may take such other action as it deems appropriate under the circumstances. At the status conference, the court will schedule the pre-trial conference and trial date. In addition, the court may direct the parties to participate in a settlement conference before the Settlement Master. The Settlement Master may require the parties to submit pre-trial settlement conference statements in advance of the settlement conference.
(d) For the pre-trial conference, each party shall submit to the court and serve on all other parties at least seven (7) days prior to the scheduled time of the conference, a pre-trial statement substantially in the form set forth in Plaintiff/Defendant Pre-Trial Conference Statement or such other form as shall be required by the assigned judge. See Appendix, Form 4. The court may in its discretion require the parties to submit a pre-trial order in the format contained in former Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 212.1. See Appendix, Form 5.
(e) Except for good cause shown, trial counsel with complete settlement authority must attend the pre-trial conference in person. The designated representative for the plaintiff and defendant, including duly authorized representatives of the primary and excess liability insurers and statutorily created funds, must be available by telephone during the entire course of the pre-trial conference. The court may in its discretion order the designated representatives for the plaintiff and the defendant and the duly authorized representatives of the primary and excess liability insurers and statutorily created funds to attend the pre-trial conference in person. To ensure that full settlement authority has been secured by the date of the pre-trial conference, the primary and excess liability insurers and statutorily created funds are required to have the matter at issue investigated, evaluated and reviewed by all necessary representatives and committees prior to the date of the pre-trial conference.
(f) At some time prior to the filing of Plaintiff/Defendant Pre-Trial Statement, all parties shall confer to discuss settlement. It shall be the responsibility of the plaintiff to schedule the conference required by this subparagraph. The parties shall certify in writing in their pre-trial statements that such a settlement conference was held and shall identify the date of the conference, the individuals who participated and the results of the conference.
(g) If a party or counsel fails to attend the pre-trial conference or fails to participate in a settlement conference pursuant to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 212(f), the court may make such order or impose such sanctions as it deems proper under the circumstances.
Rule 212.2. Miscellaneous Instructions Pertaining to Trial.
(a) In all non-jury trials, the appropriate waiver of a jury trial shall be executed and filed no later than the day trial commences.
(b) In all jury trials, requests for instructions to the jury, together with citations to legal authorities in support thereof, proposed voir dire questions, and jury interrogatories shall be submitted in duplicate at chambers. Such materials shall be filed when the judge may direct but in the absence of any specific direction, not later than the day when trial commences.
(c) Except upon stipulation of affected counsel or by order of the judge, no statement contained in preliminary pre-trial memoranda or the pre-trial order shall be made the subject of comment to the jury by any party at the trial of the case.
(d) Any counsel needing special equipment, device, personnel, or courtroom arrangements shall be responsible for assuring that such items are available at the time they are needed. Personnel assigned to the judge shall not be expected or depended upon to provide service for any party or counsel in the absence of a notation contained in the final pre-trial order.
Rule 212.6. Special Trial Masters.
A. Appointment and Authority of Special Trial Masters.
1. The Civil Rules Committee of the Lackawanna County Bar Association shall recommend to the President Judge five (5) members of the Association with substantial trial experience to serve as a Screening Committee to review the qualifications and experience of volunteers from the Association to serve, pro bono, as Special Trial Masters.
2. The Screening Committee, upon approval by the President Judge, shall review submission of applications, resumes and other documentation from volunteers willing to serve, pro bono, as Special Trial Masters and make recommendations to the President Judge of persons to serve as Special Trial Masters. Persons recommended shall have been admitted to the practice of law for no less than (10) years.
3. The President Judge shall, from the recommendations, appoint persons to be Special Trial Masters. A list of appointees shall be maintained in computerized form by the Court Administrator from which one, as needed, shall be randomly selected by computer to serve in a case.
B. Consent to Proceed by and Procedure to Finalize Special Trial Master.
1. Where all parties agree to submit a case to a Special Trial Master, each party shall consent to doing so in writing which shall be filed of record and a copy provided to the Court Administrator.
2. When all parties have consented to proceeding with a Special Trial Master and have submitted the consent form to the Court Administrator, the Administrator shall, by computerized random selection, select a Special Trial Master for that case.
3. The plaintiffs, collectively, and the defendants, collectively, shall each have one (1) peremptory challenge to a selected Trial Master which they may or may not choose to exercise.
4. On notice of selection and being provided with the identity of all parties and counsel in the case, the selected Trial Master shall, within five (5) days, notify the Court Administrator of his/her acceptance of the case or his/her recusal from it. If recusal occurs, the Administrator shall select a different Trial Master until acceptance occurs.
5. Prior to the expiration of the period for the exercise of peremptory challenges, any selected Trial Master and all parties and their counsel shall have a duty to disclose to the Trial Master and all parties and all counsel the facts and circumstances which give rise to any potential conflict.
6. Once a Trial Master accepts a case, the plaintiffs collectively and the defendants collectively shall, within five (5) days of notification of the selection of the Master, notify the Court Administrator of the exercise of a peremptory challenge. After five (5) days and not prior to the expiration of the five (5) day period, the Court Administrator shall notify the parties if any challenge has been made and, if so, the identity of a different randomly selected Trial Master. If both plaintiffs and the defendants have exercised their peremptory challenge, no further challenge is permitted and the next selected Trial Master shall try the case. Once a Trial Master is finally determined, the case shall proceed before that Trial Master.
7. Special Trial Masters shall conduct all pre-trial and trial proceedings in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure and the Practice and Procedure Rules of Lackawanna County.
8. Post-trial Motions. In the event that a trial is conducted before a Special Trial Master, any and all post-trial motions timely filed following such a proceeding shall be ruled upon by the Special Trial Master in the form of a Report and Recommendation to the assigned Trial Judge. The assigned Trial Judge will approve or reject the Report and Recommendation. Rulings on Post-trial Motions shall not be deemed final until acted upon by the assigned Trial Judge.
Rule 213. Motions for Consolidation or Severance of Actions and Issues.
A motion to consolidate or sever actions or issues pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 213 shall be made in accordance with Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 208.3.
Rule 214. Listing Cases for Hearing or Trial.
(a) The Court Administrator shall assign a case for hearing or trial upon the filing of a Certificate of Readiness in the form attached to the Appendix of these Local Rules as Form 7. The Certificate of Readiness should identify the judge who has decided any case dispositive motion under Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 1028, 1034, or 1035.2, and whenever practicable, the Court Administrator shall assign the case for hearing or trial to the judge who has decided that case dispositive motion.
(b) No Certificate of Readiness may be filed until all discovery in the case has been completed and all depositions for use at trial have been scheduled or completed, nor may a Certificate of Readiness be filed if any case dispositive motion is pending for disposition by the court. The filing of a Certificate of Readiness shall constitute a verification that no case dispositive motions are pending nor does any party or attorney contemplate filing such a case dispositive motion.
(c) No Party or lawyer may file more than one Certificate of Readiness on any single day.
(d) At least fifteen (15) days prior to the filing of a Certificate of Readiness, the party or lawyer seeking to certify the case for trial must advise all counsel of record and self-represented parties of the intention to file a Certificate of Readiness. If no counsel or party objects to the filing of a Certificate of Readiness within that fifteen (15) day period, the Certificate of Readiness may be filed as provided by paragraphs (b) and (c) above. In the event that an attorney or party objects to the filing of a Certificate of Readiness, and the attorney or party seeking to certify the case for trial believes that the objection is frivolous or being asserted for an improper purpose such as to unnecessarily delay the disposition of the litigation, the attorney or party seeking to certify the case for trial shall present a motion to the Motion Court judge pursuant to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 208.3(a) requesting leave of court to file a Certificate of Readiness over the objection of the opposing party or counsel.
Rule 214.1. Hearing and Trial Terms.
(a) The judicial calendar of the court shall establish hearing and trial terms each year for the conducting of arbitration hearings, equity and non-jury trials, jury trials, and protracted case trials.
(b) While the composition of the judicial calendar may vary and should therefore be consulted, generally the court schedules terms as follows:
(1) arbitration hearings—to be scheduled by the Court Administrator's office;
(2) equity and non-jury trials—one week each month every month, except July and August;
(3) jury trials—three weeks each month every month, except July and August.
Rule 214.3. Notice of Hearing or Trial.
(a) Notice of trial in a jury case will be provided by the judge to whom the case has been assigned for trial.
(b) Notice of hearing in arbitration cases will be provided by the Court Administrator by mail to all counsel of record and pro se parties.
Rule 216. Application for Continuance.
(a) An application for continuance of a hearing or trial must be submitted to the assigned judge at least seven (7) days before the first day of the hearing or trial term for which the case is listed.
(b) The grounds for continuance shall be those set forth in Pa.R.Civ.P. 216.
(c) The grant or denial of an application for continuance shall be in the discretion of the judge giving due consideration to the timeliness of the application, any prejudice to the opposing party or counsel, the reasons offered for the continuance, and any other factors deemed relevant by the judge.
Rule 223. Civil Trials.
(a) Schedule of Commencement of Trial.
During a trial session, cases shall be called for trial in the order in which they were scheduled for trial by the assigned judge.
(b) Openings and Closings.
The opening addresses and closing arguments of counsel engaged in trial shall be in accordance with the following principles:
(1) Unless the trial judge shall otherwise direct, only one attorney may present an opening address or a closing argument for any party;
(2) Opening remarks shall consist only of a succinct statement, without argument of the positions and contentions of the party represented by the speaker and a brief recital of the evidence intended to be introduced in support of the same;
(3) Counsel for the party having the affirmative of the issue on the pleadings shall open the case and shall be followed by opposing counsel, and by third parties, in order in which each appears in the caption of the action;
(4) Counsel for the defendant or any third party defendant may elect to make the opening address prior to the taking of any testimony or immediately prior to the presentation of evidence by the defense, unless the trial judge in a particular case required such opening addresses by the defense counsel to be made at a particular time;
(5) At the conclusion of the evidence, closing arguments shall be presented by counsel in the reverse order in which counsel was entitled to open under subparagraph (3), so that counsel for the party having the affirmative of the issue shall close last;
(6) In actions involving more than one plaintiff, defendant, or third party defendant, not covered under subparagraph (3), if the attorneys are unable to agree, the trial judge shall determine the order of presentation of the opening addresses and closing arguments.
(c) Conduct of Trial.
The party calling a witness shall, upon motion of another party or when required to do so by the court, state briefly the matter proposed to be established by the testimony of that witness and the legal purpose for presenting such evidence. The entire examination of a witness shall be conducted by only one attorney for each party unless otherwise permitted by the trial judge.
Rule 223.1. Trial Briefs.
Prior to the commencement of trial, counsel shall furnish the court a trial brief which shall contain a succinct statement of evidence to be presented, the position of the party filing the same with respect to anticipated legal issues to be encountered, and citation of legal authorities relied upon to support the legal positions of the party and to support any requests for rulings which the party anticipates seeking from the court.
Rule 223.2. Additional Submission for Non-Jury Trials.
In all civil actions tried by a judge without a jury, counsel for the respective parties shall each present to the trial judge requests for findings of fact and conclusions of law. These requests shall be filed with the Clerk of Judicial Records and shall thereby become part of the record of the court in the case.
Rule 226. Points for Charge and Jury Interrogatories.
Points upon which the trial judge is requested to charge the jury in civil litigation shall not exceed twelve (12) in number without leave of court. Points to be requested shall be framed so that each constitutes a single request which may be completely answered by a single affirmation or negation. Counsel for each party shall furnish that party's requested points for charge to the judge and to opposing counsel at the beginning of the trial unless otherwise allowed or directed by the court. Such requests may be supplemented for matters arising during the trial or directed by the court. Such requests may be supplemented for matters arising during the trial that could not have been reasonably anticipated at the beginning of the party's case in chief.
For each requested point for charge, counsel shall cite the legal authority as the basis for which that particular point is requested which citation shall be made immediately following the particular request to which it applies.
Any special interrogatories which are to be requested shall also be framed so that each constitutes a single request which may be answered by simple affirmation or negation.
Rule 227.1. Post-Trial Motions in Jury Trials.
(a) All post-trial motions after trial pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 227.1 shall be filed within ten days after nonsuit or verdict or disagreement of the jury.
(b) All post-trial motions must be written and the movant and respondent of each post-trial motion shall serve copies of each document which they file with reference to any such motion upon the trial judge and all other parties. Such service shall be made prior to or immediately after the time the document is filed in the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records.
(c) All motions of the type set forth in paragraph (a) above shall contain specific references to the alleged errors which form the basis of the motion. A post-trial motion will be dismissed as of course as dilatory and in needless expense to the county and to the litigants if the reason set forth are mere conclusions, are captious, or are not supported by the record.
(d) Whenever a post-trial motion is based upon matters not appearing of record, it shall be made in the form of a petition for rule to show cause and shall be supported by affidavits or depositions upon argument thereof.
(e) A motion for a new trial on the ground of after-discovered evidence must be made on petition, verified by affidavit, setting forth the names of the witnesses or sources of evidence which have been discovered, a reasonable expectation as to what is to be proved by such evidence, and an assertion that the movant did not know of the evidence before or during the trial. In the event that the rule to show cause is granted, all of the foregoing matters shall be established by deposition or by testimony presented in court at the time that the motion is considered.
(f) Unless for good cause shown the court orders otherwise, post-trial motions may be decided without the transcript of testimony having been prepared.
(g) Where it is determined that a transcript or portion thereof is necessary, counsel shall have as a matter of right ten additional days to submit additional allegations of error following receipt of the transcript.
Rule 229. Discontinuance.
Leave of court is required for a plaintiff to discontinue an action as to less than all defendants. Such leave of court shall be sought by petition and rule to show cause.
Rule 230.2. Termination of Inactive Cases.
The termination of inactive cases in which there has been no activity of record for two years or more shall be governed by the procedure set forth in Pa.R.Civ.P. 230.2 (effective July 1, 2003).
Rule 238. Notice of Settlement Offer.
Each settlement offer made pursuant to Pa.R.Civ.P. 238(b) and each response given to such offer shall be in writing and dated.
Rule 240. Proceeding in Forma Pauperis in Civil Cases.
(a) Any party who is represented by counsel who certifies on the application or by separate document that the plaintiff is indigent, or any party who is represented by court-appointed counsel or by counsel furnished from the non-profit legal services organizations providing free legal services to the indigent, may apply to the court for leave to proceed in forma pauperis.
(b) If the party is represented by an attorney, The Clerk of Judicial Records shall allow the party to proceed in forma pauperis upon the filing of a praecipe in the form prescribed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 240(d)(1) and (i). In all other cases, the parties seeking to proceed in forma pauperis shall file a petition and an affidavit in the form prescribed by Pa.R.Civ.P. 240(c) and (h).
(c) Parties eligible to apply for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, as set forth in subsection (a) above, may also apply to the court for relief from payment of special or unusual expenses, i.e., those costs not related to filing and service of process.
(d) The right to apply for leave to proceed in forma pauperis shall likewise be available to parties in any civil action commenced before the minor judiciary. Applications in such cases shall be brought to the presiding District Justice for disposition in the manner set forth in subparagraph (a) above.
Rule 248. Modification of Time.
The time prescribed by any rule herein for the doing of any act may be extended or shortened by written agreement of the parties or by order of court.
Rule 250. Scope of Chapter.
(a) The rules contained within this chapter entitled ''Practice and Procedure Generally'' shall apply to all civil actions and proceedings unless otherwise designated in a particular rule and as limited by subsection (b) below.
(b) The rules contained within this chapter shall apply to class actions only to the extent that they do not conflict with Pa.R.Civ.P. 1701—1716, Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 1703—1713, and such other rules as may be promulgated by the court with respect to class actions.
Rule 250.1. Suspension of Rules.
The court may suspend one or more of these rules in individual cases by written order. When a judge of this court issues any order in specific case which is not consistent with these rules, such order shall constitute a suspension of these rules for such case only and only to the extent that it is inconsistent.
Rule 261. Court Records.
(a) The Clerk of Judicial Records shall endorse upon all papers filed the date and time of filing the same. No parol evidence shall be received to contradict such endorsement, unless upon an allegation, verified by affidavit, of fraud or mistake.
(b) No person other than the Clerk of Judicial Records or his or her deputy or designee shall make any entry upon the docket or records of the court.
(c) The Clerk of Judicial Records shall allow no papers to be taken from his or her office, except when specially allowed by the court or one of the judges thereof, unless the same be called for trial or a hearing before a referee, board of arbitrators, auditor, or master, and then only upon receipt of the person or persons authorized to take such records.
(d) In cases where tax or municipal liens shall be divested without having been paid in full, by reasons of any order of this court or of the United States Court in Bankruptcy, either by compromising said liens or directing the sale of the liened premises free and clear of such liens which filed the lien, enter upon the records of each lien thus divested in the municipal lien docket and judgment index an annotation to the effect that the lien has been divested under order of court, making specific reference to the number of term of this court or to the number and bankruptcy court under which the lien was divested.
Rule 262. Court Records (Transcripts).
In order to implement Supreme Court Order No. 35 and subject to Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 261, counsel shall not be permitted to take any court records out of the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records, by order of court or otherwise, for the purpose of photocopying transcripts.
Only in an emergency situation may counsel be permitted to photocopy a transcript, but the court reporter still must be paid the copy rate since counsel is not entitled to a free transcript indirectly off the court reporter's services and since counsel cannot receive a free transcript directly from the reporter.
Rule 263. Ordering of Transcripts.
Counsel for the moving party shall serve a formal request for transcript on the court stenographer. The court stenographer will then provide counsel for the moving party with an estimate of the transcript fee for an original and one copy. Upon receipt of at least one half of said transcript fee, transcription will commence. However, filing of the original transcript deliver of a copy to counsel shall not be made until full payment is made.
Delivery of copies ordered by opposing counsel will be made only after the moving party has made full payment for the original and one copy and payment in full is made by opposing counsel for any copies so ordered.
Rule 275. Costs.
(a) Taxation of Bill of Costs.
A bill of costs, accompanied by an affidavit of their correctness and the necessity for the number of witnesses in attendance, shall be taxed by the Clerk of Judicial Records.
(b) Notice.
Any party requesting taxation of costs by the Clerk of Judicial Records shall give the Clerk and all other parties ten (10) days written notice of such request. The Clerk shall fix the time for taxation and notify the parties or their counsel.
(c) Exceptions.
Any party desiring to challenge the correctness of a bill of costs may do so by filing with the Clerk of Judicial Records within ten (10) days after service of the bill of costs written exceptions thereto, accompanied by an affidavit attesting to the truth of the facts asserted within the exceptions. Exceptions to a bill of costs shall particularize the items objected to in detail unless the exceptions are to the whole bill for any particular reason.
(d) Clerk's taxation.
The clerk of Judicial Records shall tax the costs upon consideration of the bill of costs and any exceptions presented thereto, which taxation shall be subject to appeal to the court.
(e) Appeal.
An appeal taken to the court from the Clerk of Judicial Records' taxation of a bill of costs must be taken within thirty (30) days from the date of filing of the Clerk's taxation.
(f) Security for Costs.
The defendant in any case, upon entering an appearance or upon filing a responsive pleading, may petition for a rule on plaintiff to give security for costs. Such petition and rule shall be in accordance with Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 206.1(a) and/or Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 206.4(c).
Rule 290. Appellate Court Filing Fees.
When an appeal is brought by filing a notice of appeal in the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records and for which a filing fee is required by the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County and an additional filing fee is required by the appellate court to be collected by the Clerk of Judicial Records of Lackawanna County, such appellate court filing fee shall be paid a separate check or money order made payable to the prothonotary of the appellate court involved. It shall be the obligation of the Clerk of Judicial Records to forward said filing fee to the appellate court, consistent with the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure.
SERVICE OF ORIGINAL PROCESS AND OTHER LEGAL PAPERS Rule 400.1. Notice to Serve.
(a) Any document or process issued out of the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records, other than a complaint, shall contain a notice to serve directed to the sheriff of the appropriate county to serve the process on or before a day certain, which shall be not less than five days in advance of any return date set with respect to the process, or to otherwise return the process marked ''Not Found.''
(b) The form of such notice to serve will read:
TO THE SHERIFF of _________________ COUNTY:
You are hereby authorized and directed to effect service of the within process on or before _________________ .
If you are unable to do so, return said process marked ''Not Found'' with reasons therefore.
_________________
Attorney forRule 430. Service by Publication in Actions in Ejectment.
Service upon a defendant by publication in an action in ejectment shall be made by publishing once in the ''Lackawanna Jurist'' and once in a daily newspaper of general circulation within Lackawanna County, a notice which shall be substantially in the following form:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
County of Lackawanna
(CASE CAPTION) To _________________
(Name of defendant)You are notified that _________________ the plaintiff, has commended an action in ejectment
(Name of Plaintiff)
against you, which you are required to defend, to recover possession of land described as follows:
NOTICE If you wish to defend you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing with the court. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you without further notice for the relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you.
YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGAL HELP.
(Offices to be listed are set forth in Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 1018.1)
___________________________
(Attorney for plaintiff)
___________________________
(Address of Attorney for plaintiff)
(b) When service is to be made by the publication in accordance with subsection (a) above, if an affidavit is filed that the heirs and assigns of the named former owner of the property are unknown, the publication shall be directed for the former owner and his heirs and assigns generally.
Rule 430.2. Service by Publication in Actions in Replevin.
(a) Service upon a defendant by publication in an action in replevin shall be made by publishing once in the ''Lackawanna Jurist'' and once in a daily newspaper of general circulation in Lackawanna County a notice which shall be substantial in the following form:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
County of Lackawanna
(CASE CAPTION) To: _________________
(Name of defendant)You are notified that _________________ has commenced an action in replevin, which you are
(Name of plaintiff)
required to defend, and in which the following property may be seized:
NOTICE If you wish to defend, you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing with the court. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you without further notice of the relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you.
YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGAL HELP.
(Offices to be listed are set forth in Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 1018.1)
___________________________
(Attorney for plaintiff)
___________________________
(Address of Attorney for plaintiff)
(b) When service is to be made by publication in accordance with subsection (a) above, if an affidavit is filed that the heirs and assigns of a named former owner of the property are unknown, the publication shall be directed to the former owner and his heirs and assigns generally.
Rule 430.3. Service by Publication in Action Requesting Equitable Relief.
(a) Service upon a defendant by publication in an action seeking equitable relief shall be made by publishing once in the ''Lackawanna Jurist'' and once in a daily newspaper of general circulation within Lackawanna County a notice which shall be substantially in the following form.
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
County of Lackawanna
(CASE CAPTION) To: _________________
(Name of defendant)You are notified that _________________ has commenced an action in equity against you which
(Name of plaintiff)
you are required to defend.
NOTICE If you wish to defend, you must enter a written appearance personally or by attorney and file your defenses or objections in writing with the court. You are warned that if you fail to do so the case may proceed without you and a judgment may be entered against you without further notice of the relief requested by the plaintiff. You may lose money or property or other rights important to you.
YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR LAWYER AT ONCE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A LAWYER OR CANNOT AFFORD ONE, GO TO OR TELEPHONE THE OFFICE SET FORTH BELOW TO FIND OUT WHERE YOU CAN GET LEGAL HELP.
(Offices to be listed are set forth in Lacka.Co.R.C.P. 1018.1)
___________________________
(Attorney for plaintiff)
___________________________
(Address of Attorney for plaintiff)(b) When service is made by publication upon the heirs and assigns of a named former owner or party in interest and said heirs and assigns are unknown, the publication shall be directed to the heirs and assigns generally if within the complaint or by separate affidavit it is stated that the heirs and assigns are unknown.
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