Superior Court Proposes Amendments to Civil and Criminal Procedure Rules

Superior Court Proposes Amendments to Civil and Criminal Procedure Rules

March 06, 2026

The D.C. Superior Court Rules Committee has completed its review of proposed amendments to Rule 4 of the Superior Court Rules of Criminal Procedure and Rules 5 and 16 of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure.

Among the major revisions, subsection (d)(2) of Criminal Procedure Rule 4 was amended to conform to a 2024 amendment to D.C. Code § 23-563 authorizing service of a misdemeanor warrant or summons at any place within the jurisdiction of the United States if the court finds good cause. Revised subsection (d)(2)(A) of Civil Procedure Rule 5 has been amended to clarify that expert reports under Rule 26(a)(2)(B) must not be filed except by court order. Subsection (b)(5)(B) of Civil Procedure Rule 16 has been amended to remove the requirement that a fact witness not timely named on a party's witness list be precluded from testifying at trial unless the party seeking to call the witness at trial establishes that it did not learn of the witness until after the deadline for filing witness lists set in the scheduling order.

The Rules Committee will recommend approval of the amendments by the Superior Court Board of Judges unless, after consideration of comments from the Bar and the public, they are modified or withdrawn. Written comments must be submitted by 10 a.m. ET on March 31 via email to [email protected]or by mail to:

Office of General Counsel
Attention: Superior Court Rules Committee
District of Columbia Courts
500 Indiana Avenue, NW, Room C620
Washington, DC 20001