Circuit Court Alert:
The scheduling of initial trial dates is no longer handled by Calendar Control. Initial trial dates may only be scheduled by:
Calendar Control is only handled telephonically. If you have any questions concerning Calendar Control, please contact Judges’ Chambers at 703-246-2221.
Motions for continuance in a criminal case are not placed on the docket. The party requesting the continuance must make arrangements to see the Calendar Control Judge. More information is available on our Continuance in a Criminal case page.
The Judges of the Fairfax Circuit Court believe that the maintenance of strict calendar control leads to a more expeditious and efficient administration of justice. As a result, once a case has been set for trial, a continuance of that trial date will be granted only for good cause.
Availability of Dates
The Court is constantly reviewing the status of the docket to determine if new dates can be added to the list of dates available for scheduling before the Calendar Control Judge. However, the resolution of a case which is scheduled to be heard on a future date does not necessarily mean that another case can be docketed for that date because the Court assumes that most cases will be settled and the docket is arranged accordingly. Priority for available court dates is given to cases that are being scheduled for trial for the first time over cases which are being continued and rescheduled for hearing by the Calendar Control Judge.
Calendar Control Time Availability
The Judges rotate the position on a weekly basis. On most days, two judges will be presiding over Calendar Control matters.
The Calendar Control Judges are available beginning at 8:30 a.m. each morning (Monday through Friday except for holidays) to hear continuance requests and emergency matters. Anybody wishing to appear (telephonically) before the Calendar Control Judge must call Judges' Chambers by 8:45 a.m.
The Calendar Control Judge hears requests for continuances, date certain for particular hearings and true emergency matters. Other motions should be noticed for a Friday motions day and should not be presented in the limited time available to the Calendar Control Judge each morning. The Calendar Control Judge will not entertain motions that can and should be noticed for a Friday Motions Docket. The Calendar Control Judge schedules matters for hearings rather than conduct the hearing itself. Absent extraordinary circumstances, the Calendar Control Judge does not enter orders during Calendar Control. Orders should be filed in the Clerk’s Office for routing as a daily order, with the file, to a Judge.
All requests for continuance of a trial or for the setting of a date certain for a motion or other hearing must be directed to the Calendar Control Judge.
The party requesting the continuance must make arrangements with the opposing side to be on a conference call prior to calling into Calendar Control. If the opposing side is not cooperative, twenty-four hours written notice must be sent to the opposing side stating what date and time the moving party will be calling into Calendar Control and the reason for the Calendar Control appearance. Proof of notice to the opposing side should be emailed to CCRCalendarControlNotice@fairfaxcounty.gov. It is the responsibility of the party requesting the continuance to arrange the conference call between themselves, the opposing side, and the Calendar Control Judge. Judges' Chambers cannot set-up the conference call for Calendar Control. The telephone number for Calendar Control is 703-246-2221.
If the opposing side agrees with the continuance request, they may endorse the Calendar Control Order Form and the moving party would be able to submit the endorsed Calendar Control Order Form to Judges’ Chambers prior to the telephone call and the moving party would be able to speak with the Calendar Control Judge without the opposing side. The fact that all counsel of record and/or pro se parties have endorsed the form and that only one attorney is calling in does not in any way improve the chance that the continuance will be granted. The continuance will only be granted for good cause shown.
Prior to contacting Calendar Control, the moving party must complete the Calendar Control Order Form, which is available in Judges’ Chambers and at the link below. The Calendar Control Order Form must be submitted to Judges Chambers, either by dropping off the original, printed form, or by emailing the form to Judges Chambers at CCRCalendarControlNotice@fairfaxcounty.gov. The completed form must be submitted no later than noon the day prior to the Calendar Control hearing.
When completing the Calendar Control Order Form, all information in PART ONE of the form must be completed. The Calendar Control Order Form should accurately reflect who will be calling in to speak with the Calendar Control Judge. If one attorney is calling in on behalf of another attorney, the attorney that is actually calling in should be the one listed on the Calendar Control Order Form. A current telephone number and email address should be included for all counsel and/or pro se parties that will be calling in.
If you have any questions relating to Calendar Control, you may contact Judges' Chambers at 703-246-2221.