SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF
STREET ADDRESS:

MAILING ADDRESS:

CITY AND ZIP CODE:

BRANCH NAME:

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

DEFENDANT:

v.

FOR COURT USE ONLY

CR-600

CAPITAL CASE ATTORNEY PRETRIAL CHECKLIST 

CASE NUMBER:

Instructions: This checklist is designed to be a tool for counsel to use throughout the pretrial proceedings in death penalty cases to 
ensure timely compliance with record preparation requirements and to make the certification of the record of the pretrial proceedings 
in these cases easier and more efficient for both counsel and the court. To acknowledge that counsel has reviewed this checklist as 
early as possible in the pretrial proceedings in a case in which the death penalty may be imposed, within 10 days of their first 
appearance, primary counsel for each defendant and the prosecution in the pretrial proceedings must sign and submit this checklist. 
Counsel may, but is not required to, use the right-hand column on the checklist to subsequently monitor their compliance with record 
preparation requirements.

ATTORNEY TASK

FOR OPTIONAL 
FOR OPTIONAL 
USE BY ATTORNEY
USE BY ATTORNEY

DURING PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS

1. Review, sign, and submit checklist. Within 10 days of your first appearance in court, review, sign, 

and submit this checklist. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 4.119(b).)

2. Ensure all exhibits are marked. Make sure that all exhibits that you offer during the pretrial   

proceedings are properly marked for identification. 

3. Comply with rule 2.1040. If you present or offer into evidence an electronic sound or sound-and-

video recording, including a recording of a deposition or other prior testimony or a video that is made 
part of a digital or electronic presentation, you must comply with Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.1040. 
Among other things, this rule requires that you provide a transcript of the electronic recording, which, 
under rule 8.610, must be included in the record on appeal.

4. Prepare a list of appearances, exhibits, and motions. Prepare the lists specified in a, b,  
    and c below.

    a. A list of all appearances by the party you represent during pretrial proceedings, including  
        ex parte appearances 

          •   Capital Case Attorney List of Appearances (form CR-601) must be used for this purpose. The 
list must include the date of each appearance, the department in which it was made, the name 
of the attorney making the appearance, and a brief description of the nature of the appearance.  

          •   A separate list of Penal Code section 987.9 appearances must be maintained under seal for 

each defendant.

    b. A list of all exhibits offered by the party you represent during pretrial proceedings 

          •   Capital Case Attorney List of Exhibits (form CR-602) must be used for this purpose. The list 

must include all exhibits offered at any pretrial proceedings and must indicate whether the 
exhibit was admitted in evidence, refused, lodged, or withdrawn. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 
4.119(c)(1)(B).) 

          •   Make sure that all exhibits that you offer during the pretrial proceedings are properly marked for 

identification.

    c. A list of all motions made by the party you represent during the pretrial proceedings,   

including ex parte motions. Capital Case Attorney List of Motions (form CR-603) must be used for 
this purpose. The list must indicate if a motion is awaiting resolution. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 
4.119(c)(1)(C).)

Form Adopted for Mandatory Use  
Judicial Council of California  
CR-600 [New April 25, 2019]

CAPITAL CASE ATTORNEY PRETRIAL CHECKLIST 
(Criminal)

Page 1 of 3

Cal. Rules of Court, 
rules 4.119 and 4.230 
www.courts.ca.gov

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA v.

DEFENDANT:

CASE NUMBER:

CR-600

ATTORNEY TASK

FOR OPTIONAL  
USE BY ATTORNEY

4.  d.

Providing lists to substituting counsel. In the event of any substitution of attorney during the 
pretrial proceedings, the relieved attorney must provide the lists of all appearances, exhibits, and 
motions to substituting counsel within five days of being relieved. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 
4.119(c).)

AFTER COMPLETION OF PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS

5. Prosecution should notify court of intent to seek death penalty. 

          •   Primary counsel for the prosecution should notify the judge assigned to try the case or, if none 

is yet assigned, the presiding superior court judge or designee of the presiding judge, about 
whether the prosecution intends to seek the death penalty. 

          •   After the presiding judge has ordered preparation of the pretrial record, primary counsel for the 

prosecution should notify the judge assigned to try the case if the death penalty is no longer 
being sought.

6. Submit and serve completed lists of appearances, exhibits, and motions. 

          •   No later than 21 days after the clerk notifies you to do so, submit the completed lists to the court. 

Serve a copy of all the completed lists, except the list of Penal Code section 987.9 
appearances, on all parties. 

          •   Unless otherwise provided by local rule, submit the lists to the court in electronic form. (Cal. 

Rules of Court, rule 4.119(c).)

     a. The completed list of all appearances by the party you represented during pretrial   

     b. The completed list of all exhibits offered by the party you represented during pretrial 

     c. The completed list of all motions filed by the party you represented during the pretrial 

proceedings 

proceedings

proceedings

7. Review reporter's transcript, court file, and lists. When the clerk delivers the reporter's                     

transcript of the pretrial proceedings and the lists to you, you must: 

          •   Review the reporter's transcript and the lists of appearances, exhibits, and motions to identify 

any errors or omissions in the transcripts;  

          •   Review the docket sheets and minute orders to determine whether all preliminary proceedings 

have been transcribed; and   

          •   Review the court file to determine whether it is complete. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.613(f)(2).)

8. Confer. You must confer with opposing counsel within 21 days after the clerk delivers the reporter's 
transcripts and lists to you to discuss any errors or omissions in the reporter's transcript or court file 
identified during the review and determine whether any other proceedings or discussions should have 
been transcribed. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.613(f)(3).)

9. Serve and file declaration and request for corrections or additions/statement. Within 30 days 

after the clerk delivers the reporter's transcript and lists, each trial counsel must serve and file both of 
the following:

    a.   A declaration stating that counsel or another person under counsel's supervision has performed 
the tasks required by 8.613(f), including meeting and conferring with opposing counsel if ordered 
by the court. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.613(g)(1)(A).)

 CR-600 [New April 25, 2019]

Page 2 of 3

CAPITAL CASE ATTORNEY PRETRIAL CHECKLIST 
(Criminal)

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA v.

DEFENDANT:

CASE NUMBER:

CR-600

ATTORNEY TASK

FOR OPTIONAL 
USE BY ATTORNEY

9.   b. ONE of the following: 

          •   A request for corrections or additions to the reporter's transcript or court file. A request for 

additions to the reporter's transcript must state the nature and date of the proceedings and, if 
known, the identity of the reporter who reported them; OR 

          •   A statement that counsel does not request any corrections or additions.  

          Counsel may file a joint statement or request. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 8.613(g)(1)(B) and (C).) 

I acknowledge that I have reviewed this checklist.

Date:

(TYPE OR PRINT NAME)

(PARTY)

, attorney for 

(SIGNATURE OF ATTORNEY)

 CR-600 [New April 25, 2019]

Page 3 of 3

CAPITAL CASE ATTORNEY PRETRIAL CHECKLIST 
(Criminal)