Bill > HB1407

This bill amends the Civil Practice Act in Georgia to establish new procedures for scheduling civil trials, particularly for cases to be decided by a jury, excluding divorce and other domestic relations cases. It mandates that such cases can only be placed on a trial calendar after all dispositive motions (motions that could resolve the case) have been ruled on or the deadline for filing them has passed. The bill introduces detailed requirements for trial calendars, including their content, how they are filed and served electronically, and the timeframe for their distribution (at least 120 days before the trial session). It also outlines procedures for pretrial conferences, the submission of proposed pretrial orders, and rules for continuing cases from trial calendars, including provisions for attorneys with multiple cases. Furthermore, the bill requires parties to submit a joint report detailing factors like the location of parties and witnesses, the estimated trial length, and the likelihood of settlement, which the judge will use to create an updated trial calendar prioritizing cases where all involved parties and necessary witnesses are located within a 100-mile radius of the courthouse. The bill also includes provisions for special scheduling of cases with out-of-state or distant parties/witnesses and automatic continuances for attorneys with multiple cases on the same or closely scheduled trial calendars.

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73460