Once the pleadings are closed, a plaintiff or defendant may apply for a trial date. Title III covers pleadings, motions, defenses, and counterclaims. The first was the defendants' motion for judgment on the pleadings. Proceedings are then conducted in two phases&colon; written pleadings and oral discussion. Rule allows pleadings to be amended or supplemented. He procured, for his own use, complete transcripts of the pleadings in selected cases. No further pleadings shall be entertained in this case. In practice the majority of cases are heard in private following written pleadings. The parties in a case exchange pleadings until a cause for a hearing is settled. Defense Minister Yu Qian rejected Esen's demands for ransom despite the Zhengtong Emperor's pleadings. Discovery devices could now be invoked independently of the pleadings. Most of the old common law pleadings were abolished. July 18, 2003&colon; Moussaoui filed two pleadings. Surprises include an amendment or substitution of pleadings. This allowed the use of "formulae", standardized written pleadings, to speed up cases.