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Circuit Court Clerk's Office

Criminal Motions

  • All criminal motions, except motions to suppress, are heard at 9 a.m. on Fridays. To place a case on the Motions Day docket, counsel must file a praecipe/notice with the motion in the Clerk's Office (Room 310) no later than close of business on the Friday preceding the Friday for which the motion is scheduled. There is a maximum 10-minute time limitation for motions heard on a regular Friday Motions Day.
  • Bond Motions are heard Monday through Thursday at 10 a.m. The motion must be filed at least 2 business days prior to the day the motion is to be heard.
  • All Motions, except Motions to Suppress, that require more than 10 minutes are heard on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Counsel must file a praecipe/notice and motion at least one week preceding the Thursday scheduled.
  • Counsel may obtain a Thursday date at Criminal Docket call for all motions, excluding Motions to Suppress.
  • Motions to Suppress will be set by chambers on a Thursday 9 a.m. docket. Counsel may not set them without leave of court. To receive a date for the motion please either contact Judge's Chambers at 703-792-6171 or file a motion to have the date set on the Friday 9:00 docket.
  • Any motion requiring more than one hour should obtain a date certain by calling Chambers at 703-792-6171 or by filing a motion on Motions Day (file motion to set date).

Removing a Case from the Motions Day Docket

  • Cases may be removed from the Motions Day docket by calling the Clerk's Office at 703-792-6025 by the party who filed the motion.
  • Generally, cases may be removed up to the close of business on the preceding day.
  • In addition to calling to remove the motion, the Clerk's Office needs a pleading stating the reasons and that the other counsel/party has been given notice that the motion has been removed.
  • If a judge has set a case on the Motions Day docket for entry of an order, the case may not be removed without permission from the judge.
  • To place cases back on the docket after being removed, a new praecipe/notice must be filed with the Clerk's Office within current Motions Day guidelines. Also, please note on the motion that you are continuing the motion from the current date to the future data.