Employees (Southern District Only)
2026 COMMITTEE NOTE
The rule has been amended to create a single protocol for civil cases filed by
represented plaintiffs alleging the use of excessive force, false arrest, or malicious
prosecution by employees of a police department in violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983,
regardless of whether the case is assigned to Manhattan or White Plains. It has also been
Joint Local Rules, S.D.N.Y. and E.D.N.Y.
Effective January 2, 2026
amended to provide that referral to the Mediation Program or to a magistrate judge for
settlement purposes is at the discretion of the presiding judge rather than automatic.
Finally, the amendment incorporates into the rule (and updates to reflect current
practices) the list of items that a defendant must serve on a plaintiff and, relatedly,
eliminates references to attached exhibits that had been in the policy before it was
codified as a rule.
