STANDING ORDERS OF THE COMPLEX LITIGATION DIVISION OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS STANDING ORDERS OF THE COMPLEX LITIGATION DIVISION OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

• Jurisdiction: United States

STANDING ORDERS OF THE COMPLEX LITIGATION DIVISION OF THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Originally Effective: March 5, 2019

(Super. Ct. Misc. No. 035/2019 [STX])

Last Amended: April 10, 2019

(Super. Ct. Misc. No. 602/2019 [STX])

Author's Note

In 2019, the following six standing orders, as well as a letter to counsel, were enacted by the Complex Litigation judge assigned to the Complex Litigation Division of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. These documents are intended to supplement the pertinent provisions of the Virgin Islands Rules of Civil Procedure which are applicable to complex litigation cases. The six orders and the letter are reprinted below in their entirety.

IN RE: COMPLEX LITIGATION CASES PENDING IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS Super. Ct. Misc. No. 035/2019 (STX) STANDING ORDER #1

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this civil miscellaneous case shall govern all cases transferring to or pending within the Complex Litigation Division so that orders, including standing orders, applicable to all cases within the Division may be issued. It is further

ORDERED that, until another method becomes available, the Clerk's Office shall issue this Order and all subsequent orders issued in this case by electronic mail in portable document format ("PDF") to the Virgin Islands Bar Association for distribution to its members.

DONE AND SO ORDERED.

Date: March 5, 2019

STANDING ORDER #2

THIS ORDER concerns all papers served and filed in cases (including master cases) pending in the Complex Litigation Division. Unless and until the Court orders differently, and notwithstanding prior orders or court rules of procedure to the contrary, it is hereby

ORDERED that:

1. Captions. All papers filed in the Complex Litigation Division shall state "COMPLEX LITIGATION DIVISION" or "COMPLEX" in the caption adjacent to the case number to aid the Clerk's Office.

2. Service. Electronic service is hereby adopted for all papers served in Complex Litigation Division cases, unless a person expressly declines electronic service in writing. Cf. V.I. R. Civ. P. 5(b)(2)(E).

3. Certificate of Service. Compliance with Virgin Islands Rule of Civil Procedure 3-1(a) is modified for cases involving more than ten parties or more than ten attorneys so as to reduce the amount of paper filed in Complex Litigation Division cases. If a case (including a master case) involves more than ten parties or ten attorneys, the certificate of service must not exceed two pages and should only give the following: the name of the attorney served, the firm or professional entity with whom that attorney is affiliated, the party that attorney represents, and whether service complied with Virgin Islands Rule of Civil Procedure 5(b)(2)(A), (B), (C), (D), (E) or (F), e.g., John Doe, Esq, Law Offices of ABC and 123, P.C., Counsel for Defendant XYZ Corporation. Served per V.I. R. Civ. P. 5(b)(2)(A).

DONE AND SO ORDERED.

Date: March 5, 2019

STANDING ORDER #3

THIS ORDER concerns all cases transferred to the Complex Litigation Division that were commenced on or before March 31, 2017, the date the Virgin Islands Rules of Civil Procedure took effect. Virgin Islands Rule of Civil Procedure 3-1(c) requires all parties including "defendants, intervenors, and other part[ies] or the attorney therefor . . . to file a completed Case Information and Litigant Data Form with the clerk of the court at the time of first filing of a notice of appearance, answer, or other initial pleading or motion." V.I. R. Civ. P. 3-1(c)(2). "If the contact information contained on the Case Information and Litigant Data Form changes for any party or attorney," V.I.R. Civ. P. 3-1(c), the party or attorney must update their information.

The purpose of Virgin Islands Rule of Civil Procedure 3-1(c) is to ensure that the Clerk's Office has current and accurate information for the parties and attorneys in pending cases. Virgin Islands Rule of Civil Procedure 1-1(c)(2) makes the Virgin Islands Rules...