Rule 16. Pretrial conferences

(a) Pretrial conferences; objectives. -- Omitted.

(b) Scheduling and planning. -- Omitted.

(c) Formulating issues. -- In any action, the Court may, in its discretion, with or without motion, direct the attorneys for the parties or the parties themselves, to appear before it for a conference to consider:

(1) The simplification of the issues;

(2) The necessity or desirability of amendments to the pleadings;

(3) The possibility of obtaining admissions of fact and of documents which will avoid unnecessary proof;

(4) The limitation of the number of witnesses;

(5) Preparation of the evidence to be presented and determination of the admissibility of that evidence; or

(6) Such other matters as may aid in the disposition of the action inclusive of entering stipulated judgment and judgments by admission

(d) Final pretrial conference. -- Omitted.

(e) Pretrial orders. -- The Court shall make an order which recites the action taken at the conference, the amendments allowed to the pleadings, and the agreements made by the parties as to any of the matters considered, and which limits the issues for trial to those not disposed of by admissions or agreements of the parties; and such order when entered controls the subsequent course of the action, unless modified at the trial to prevent manifest injustice.

(f) Sanctions. -- If a party or party's attorney fails in good faith to participate in a pretrial conference, or to obey a pretrial order, the judge, upon motion or the judge's own initiative, may make such orders with regard thereto as are just which may include reasonable expenses incurred because of any noncompliance with this Rule, including attorney's fees.