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General Information:
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General Matters Media
Relations Communications
with Chambers
Facilities Court
Hours and Promptness Return to Judge
Proud
General Matters
The Standards for Professional Conduct Within the Seventh
Federal Judicial Circuit are hereby adopted as the governing
standard for matters pending before Magistrate Judge Proud.
Pro se litigants will abide by the directions therein to counsel.
The standards are published in the Practitioner’s Handbook
published by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Internet
access to the standards may be obtained at the following URL:
www.ca7.uscourts.gov/conduct.pdf
The filing of all pleadings shall be with the Clerk’s
Office on the first floor of courthouse and not in chambers.
However, alert chambers when filing pleadings less than one
week before a scheduled hearing or trial. Once a case is in
trial, all filings shall be with the Courtroom Deputy Clerk
in the courtroom. Otherwise, attempts to file matters directly
in chambers will be refused. Courtesy copies are discouraged,
unless they relate to a matter to be heard in court within seven
days or an imminent deadline.
All litigants and attorneys should be aware that something
filed with the Clerk’s Office will not be conveyed to chambers
until docketed, a process which often takes a full business
week. Consequently, if asking the court to extend the deadline
to file a pleading, the motion should take into account such
a time delay. For example, if the motion asks specifically for
a four-day extension of time, it likely will not reach Judge
Proud’s desk until after that four days has passed. Consequently,
the request cannot be granted unless the pleading has in the
meantime been deposited with the Clerk’s Office allowing
for an order to file instanter. The better practice would be
to alert chambers of its filing, so we can direct expedited
handling, or make the request open-ended, while advising the
judge how much additional time is needed and depositing the
pleading with the Clerk within the time requested. If depositing
the pleading with the Clerk, prior to leave being granted, supply
a proposed order to chambers directly which provides for leave
to file instanter.
Judge Proud will hear oral argument on motions in exceptional
circumstances only upon his determination of such need. Parties
who wish oral argument should make the request in writing and
state the reason the exception exists in the motion at issue.
If Judge Proud directs that oral argument should proceed, parties
will be advised by written or telephone notice and further advised
if a time limit on argument has been set. Parties should expect
time limits to be strictly enforced.
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Pretrial Information Hearing
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Media Relations
The media should expect this chambers and every member of it
to comply with Canon 3(A)(6):
A judge should avoid public comment on the merits of a pending
or impending action, requiring similar restraint by court personnel
subject to the judge’s direction and control. This proscription
does not extend to public statements made in the course of the
judge’s official duties, to the explanation of court procedures,
or to a scholarly presentation made for purposes of legal education.
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Pretrial Information Hearing
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Communications with Chambers
When the need arises to communicate with chambers, contact
the law clerk assigned to the case or, if it is a scheduling
matter, Courtroom Deputy Angie Vehlewald. If you don’t
know the law clerk assigned to your case call the chambers main
line and ask for the appropriate person.
Direct communication with chambers should only be for urgent
matters wherein the usual filing process will cause undue delay.
Likewise, such contact shall only be with the knowledge and
consent of or in concert with opposing counsel or pro se litigants.
Every litigant and all attorneys are expected to respect the
rules against inappropriate ex parte communications with all
members of chambers. The typical effort to violate this rule
occurs when persons attempt to influence law clerks in some
action usually through the vehicle of inquiring about the law
clerk’s opinion regarding how he or she expects the Court
to rule on a pending matter while simultaneously advocating
a position. Appropriate communications with law clerks include
scheduling matters (in the absence of the Courtroom Deputy and
with consent of opposing counsel or parties) and the need for
information regarding chambers-specific procedures and policies
not clearly established herein. Judge Proud requires adherence
to the Local Rules except in rare cases, of which he will directly
advise parties. Therefore, questions about Local Rules and procedures
covered by such Rules should be addressed by reading the Rules
and not directed to law clerks
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Pretrial Information Hearing
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Facilities
The following technological devices for evidence presentation
or video display are available: ELMO, projection screen and
dual television projections. Parties desiring to utilize such
equipment must notify the Court in advance.
Counsel should advise clients and witnesses to avoid contact
with the jury and to avoid lingering in the area outside of
the courtroom since the entrance to the jury room is just outside
the courtroom entrance.
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Pretrial Information Hearing
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Court Hours and Promptness
Promptness is expected of everyone involved in the proceedings
before Court. The Courtroom Deputy should be advised of any
delay to be occasioned by one’s tardiness.
During trial days, Court will be in session from 9:00 until
4:30, with morning and afternoon breaks and an hour and a quarter
for lunch. Judge Proud tries to break between noon and 1:15
for lunch. Counsel’s diligence in keeping track of the
time will greatly assist the Court in avoiding an interruption
in the testimony at illogical points. However, counsel should
not unilaterally stop at a point not reasonably close to the
above times and announce he or she is "ready to break now."
The Court will determine when to take a break after learning
from counsel the anticipated time of examination remaining.
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Pretrial Information Hearing
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Staff:
Courtroom Deputy Clerk: (Scheduling matters) Angie Vehlewald (618)
482-9419
Court Security Officer: Richard Ray (618) 482-9139
Law Clerk: Meg Robertie
(618) 482-9106
Law Clerk: Joan Tanner (618) 482-9006
Address:
Melvin Price Federal Courthouse
750 Missouri Avenue,
Courtroom 4
East St. Louis, IL 62201
Phone: (618) 482-9006 Fax: (618) 482-9010
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