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NEW SUITS & GENERAL FILING FAQs
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How do
I file a new suit in
Federal Court?
Please see General
Civil Filing Information.
How many copies of
each pleading do I file?
An original plus one copy is required. The
Clerk's Office will retain the original for the case file
and send a copy to the judge. If you want a file-stamped
copy for your records, submit an additional copy (i.e.,
an original plus two copies).
What is the current filing
fee for a new
suit?
$350.00 for a civil suit; $455.00 for a notice
of appeal; $39.00 for a miscellaneous action. For other fees,
please refer to the Fee
Schedule.
How are judges assigned
to cases?
In divisions with more than one judge, they
are randomly chosen by a computer database, similar to a
deck of cards. When one judge is assigned, the 'cards' are
shuffled again for the next selection. The Clerk's Office
has no discretion in the assignment of cases.
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What is the significance of the number and
letter in my case
number?
Each action is assigned a case number
by the District Clerk's Office. The case number is composed
of five parts. The first digit is the division where the
case was filed (1: Abilene, 2: Amarillo, 3: Dallas, 4:
Fort Worth, 5: Lubbock, 6: San Angelo, and 7: Wichita
Falls). For example, a case filed in Amarillo would start
with 2 and Dallas with 3. After the division number and
colon is the year the case was filed (e.g., 98, 99) and
"cv" for civil or "cr" for criminal.
This is followed by the sequential case number, a hyphen,
and the alpha designation of the presiding judge.
Sample Case Number: 3:99-CV-0001-H
The sample would be the first civil case
filed in the Dallas Division in 1999, and it would be
assigned to Senior Judge Sanders. See Judge
Letter Designations.
What are the requirements for removing
a case from state court?
Please see Guide
for Filing a Notice of Removal.
Are there special requirements
for filing a suit against the federal government?
Please see Guide
for Filing Federal Suits Against the United States, an Agency
Official or an Employee of the United States Government.
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What discovery material
should be filed with the Clerk's Office?
Generally, discovery is not accepted for
filing in the Northern District of Texas. Discovery
materials in dispute will be accepted with an appropriate
motion. Also, when discovery materials are necessary for
consideration of a pretrial motion, a party must file portions
of the materials on which the party relies to support or
oppose the motion. See Fed.R.Civ.P.5(d) and Local Civil Rules.
What is a deficient pleading?
The Clerk's Office is required to check incoming
documents and identify pleadings that do not conform to the
Federal and/or Local Rules. When deficiencies are found, a
deputy clerk completes a Notice
of Deficiency form and forwards it to the judge. Also,
see General Civil Filing
Information.
Can I
fax a pleading?
The Clerk's Office does not accept faxed filings.
What is a Certificate
of Interested Persons and
what are the filing requirements?
A Certificate of Interested Persons is described in LR
3.1(f). It should be filed in accordance with LR
3.1, LR 7.4, LR 81.1, and LR 81.2.
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