SLR 19-7.014: Continuances 10

( 1) No continuances will be granted except for good cause. Except in unusual circumstances, any motion to postpone a court appearance must be in writing and must comply with applicable UTCRs and SLRs. ( 2) Each continuance motion must state the specific reasons for the requested continuance and be signed by an attorney or the party making the request. All motions must set f orth: ( a) The date scheduled for trial or hearing; (b) The reason for the requested postponement; (c) The dates previously set for trial or hearing, and which party made the request; (d) Acknowledgment that the client has been advised of the motion for continuance; and (e) Whether any parties to the proceeding object or agree to the requested postponement; (f) For criminal matters, if the defendant is in-custody. ( 3) If the motion to postpone is based upon a conflicting proceeding in another court, it must set forth, in addition to the information required by subsection (2) of this section: ( a) The name of the court in which the conflict exists; (b) The date of the conflict; (c) The date on which the other proceeding is to begin; (d) The case number and the date of filing of the conflicting case; (e) The date on which the conflicting case was set for trial or hearing; and (f) The information required by UTCR 6.040(2). 19th Judicial District - Columbia County Circuit Court Supplementary Local Rules 2026 11 (4) T he Court will grant a continuance only for good cause shown. On a case -by-case basis, the Court will evaluate whether sufficient cause justifies a continuance. As a guide to practitioners, the following, on their own, will generally not be considered sufficient cause to grant a continuance of a matter on the trial docket: ( a) Counsel or the parties agree to a continuance without a specific reason; (b) T he case has not previously been continued; (c) U navailability of a witness who has not been subpoenaed. If the motion does not specifically state whether a witness has been subpoenaed, it is assumed that the witness is not subpoenaed; (d) A party or counsel is unprepared to try the case for reasons including, but no t l imited to, a party's failure to maintain necessary contact with counsel; (e) A p olice officer or other witness is either in training or is scheduled to be on vacation, unless the Court is advised of the conflict soon after the case is s cheduled and sufficiently in advance of the trial date.