What is a Pre-trial Conference?
During pre-trial conferences the defense attorneys set dates for the omnibus hearing and the jury trial. If you want to know which dates have been set, call into Administration the next day and the information will be provided or click here for the LINX system to obtain current scheduled hearing information.
A pre-trial conference is not a date for the trial of your case. It is really an opportunity for your lawyer to meet with the prosecutor to gather information about your case. This gathering of information is called discovery and usually consists of an informal conversation in which the prosecutor provides a summary of the case against you and the names of the witnesses he or she intends to call against you should your case go to trial. Your attorney will file all necessary pre-trial motions on your behalf and it is not necessary for you to attempt to do so on your own.
A pre-trial conference is a meeting with the prosecutor to discuss your case. The prosecutor has authority to ask the court to modify or dismiss the charges. After listening to the particular facts and circumstances of any given case, the prosecutor sometimes makes a Plea Bargain with the defendant. In other words, the defendant pleads guilty to an agreed charge, and the prosecutor either moves to dismiss other charges, or makes some agreement limiting the fine or other punishment. In other cases, the prosecutor might not offer a plea bargain, or may actually ask the court to increase the number or severity of the charges.
