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Rocket Docket

NEXTGEN is coming to the Rocket Docket

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | April 15, 2021 | Rocket Docket

On April 12, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that it would be upgrading its CM/ECF system (the court’s electronic filing and publicly available electronic docket system) to the “Next Generation CM/ECF” on April 19, 2021. Commonly referenced as “NextGen,” these upgrades have already…

Rocket Docket Taps the Brakes on Various Proceedings Due to Surge in COVID-19 Cases

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | January 12, 2021 | Rocket Docket

In September, the district courts in the Rocket Docket began to carefully resume operations that had been suspended due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The courts resumed criminal jury trials using a modified process with altered courtrooms that allowed for sufficient social distancing throughout the entire process (though it did…

Rocket Docket Halting Criminal Jury Trials as COVID-19 Surges in District

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | November 17, 2020 | Rocket Docket

Acknowledging the deterioration of conditions in the community, on November 16, 2020, the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia issued General Order 2020-22, in which the court decided to “take an incremental step back” by halting all criminal jury trials for a period of two months. In…

Bringing Local Rules on Photography and Recording Up to Date

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | October 28, 2020 | Rocket Docket

Many of you will find it refreshing—as I do—to focus on a development in the EDVA Rocket Docket that is not directly related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The District Court has proposed changed in Local Civil Rule 83.3 and Local Criminal Rule 53 (which are identical) to update the…

EDVA Adopts Modified Jury Packet for Prospective Trial Jurors

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | August 14, 2020 | Rocket Docket

The latest adjustment in the District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia to the COVID-19 pandemic is the adoption of a modified jury summons packet that will be provided to all prospective jurors within the District. The Court adopted this packet in anticipation of the resumption of criminal jury…

Rocket Docket to Resume Criminal Jury Trials No Earlier Than September.

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | July 2, 2020 | Rocket Docket

On June 30, 2020, Chief Judge Mark S. Davis issued General Order 2020-19, announcing that the resumption of criminal jury trials in the Eastern District of Virginia will be delayed until September 14, 2020. This most recent General Order does not further address the Court’s previous pronouncement that civil jury…

In the Rocket Docket, Motions are Not Just for Fridays Any More

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | June 15, 2020 | Rocket Docket

For those of us who practice regularly in the Eastern District of Virginia, for many years,  Fridays have been busy days in the courthouse, with lots of traffic at the entrances and in the elevators. This is because the District Judges and Magistrate Judges have customarily held their civil…

Court Institutes “Phased Expansion of Court Operations” COVID-19 Edition, Part 4

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | June 3, 2020 | Rocket Docket

On May 26, 2020, the Chief Judge of the Eastern District of Virginia issued General Order No. 2020-16 setting forth the “phased expansion of court operations.” This General Order represents the next step in the Court’s efforts to keep court proceedings going while observing restrictions necessary for public health…

Riding the Rocket Docket – COVID-19 Edition, Part 3

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | April 22, 2020 | Rocket Docket

In our last installment, we discussed the general orders issued by the court that further continued in-person hearings and deadlines in civil cases. On April 20, 2020, the Clerk of the Court in the Eastern District of Virginia sent out an email announcing a new development that may help civil…

Riding the Rocket Docket – The COVID-19 Edition, Part 2

On Behalf of Berenzweig Leonard, LLP | April 13, 2020 | Rocket Docket

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has continued to issue General Orders adjusting its practice rules to accommodate the competing interests of public health safety and the Constitutional rights and other interests of parties in civil and criminal litigation. Among other…