Rule 24.020.Scheduling in Complex Cases with Appointed Counsel
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 24.020
Plain-English Summary
Some post-conviction cases carry a record that the ordinary schedule cannot absorb. A conviction for criminal homicide as defined in ORS 163.005, or aggravated murder as defined in ORS 163.095, can leave behind a record that dwarfs the ordinary case: years of proceedings, and a transcript to match. UTCR 24.020 gives counsel a way to say so early rather than by a string of extension motions later.
Counsel for either party may request a scheduling conference within 60 days of appointed counsel's appearance. The examples in the rule are not a closed list; it reaches any post-conviction case that involves a complex underlying case. At the conference the court, in its discretion, may issue an order modifying any deadlines these rules set, which includes the filing clocks in UTCR 24.010 and the pretrial schedule in UTCR 24.050.
Two things are worth noting about how this works. The court may modify the deadlines; it is not required to. And asking for the conference does not stop the clocks on its own. Until an order changes them, the deadlines in this chapter keep running.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a complex case under UTCR 24.020?
A post-conviction case that involves a complex underlying criminal case. The rule names criminal homicide as defined in ORS 163.005 and aggravated murder as defined in ORS 163.095, but it says those are examples and not the limit.
Who can ask for a scheduling conference in a complex post-conviction case?
Counsel for either party. The petitioner's lawyer and the defendant's lawyer have the same standing to request one, and the request does not require the other side's agreement.
When do I have to request the scheduling conference?
Within 60 days of appointed counsel's appearance. Asking early matters, because the conference is the rule's route to a workable schedule before the ordinary deadlines start biting.
Can the court change post-conviction deadlines at the scheduling conference?
Yes. At the conference the court, in its discretion, may issue an order modifying any deadlines these rules set. What comes out of it is a schedule fitted to the case rather than the default one.
Does requesting a scheduling conference pause the post-conviction deadlines?
No. Nothing in the rule suspends a deadline while a request is pending. The deadlines change when the court issues an order changing them, so keep filing on the existing schedule until that happens.