As amended through March 21, 2024
Rule 3 - Non-filing of Discovery Materials(a) Rule 7(a) of the Miss.Rules of civil Procedure provides which pleadings are to be filed with the Clerk in any action. Because of storage restraints and the considerable costs involved in furnishing discovery materials, this local rule shall govern the filing of discovery materials in the Circuit Court of Jones County, Mississippi. (1) The Court Reporter shall forward the original of the deposition to the party responsible for taking the deposition. Such party shall retain the original and become the custodian thereof. Upon receipt of the original deposition the party serving as custodian shall forthwith file with the Clerk a copy of the cover sheet of the deposition and a notice that all parties of record have been notified of the receipt of the deposition by the custodian. The form of the notice shall be clear and concise and shall be styled "Notice of Receipt of Original of Deposition." (2) Under Rule 33 of the Miss.R.Civ.P. and the responses thereto and Request for Production or Inspection under Rule 34 of the Miss.R.Civ.P. and responses thereto: These pleadings shall be served upon other counsel or parties and shall not be filed with the Court. The party responsible for service of the discovery request or the response shall retain the original and become the custodian thereof and shall file a notice with the Clerk of this Court notifying all counsel that the document has been received and is being held by the custodian. The form of the notice shall be clear and concise and shall be styled "Notice of Service of Interrogatories or Request for Production of Documents or Responses."(3) These documents shall not be filed with the Clerk of Court and the party responsible for service of the discovery request or response thereto, shall retain the original and become the custodian thereof. A Notice of Service of Request for Admissions and Responses thereto shall be filed with the Clerk of this Court and served on all counsel of record. (4) If relief is sought under Rules 26(c) or 37 of the Miss.R.Civ.P. concerning any interrogatories, request for production or inspection, requests for admissions, answers to interrogatories, or responses to requests for admissions, copies of the portion of the interrogatories, requests, answers, or responses in dispute shall be filed with the Court contemporaneously with any motion filed under said Rules. (5) If interrogatories, requests, answers, responses or depositions are to be used at trial, or are necessary to a pretrial motion which might result in a final order on any issue, the portions to be used shall be considered an Exhibit and filed with the Clerk at the outset of the trial or at the filing of the motion insofar as their use can be reasonably anticipated. (6) When documentation of discovery not previously in the record is needed for appeal purposes, upon an application and order of the Court, or by stipulation of counsel, the necessary discovery papers shall be filed with the Clerk. (b) The Clerk of this Court is authorized and directed to return forthwith any discovery materials submitted for filing which does not comply with the requirements set forth herein above.