What is a PreTrial Conference?
If you have entered a plea of not guilty or stood mute at your arraignment, your case will be set for a pretrial conference. At the pretrial conference you, and your attorney if you have one, will meet with the Assistant Ingham County Prosecutor or Assistant City Attorney to attempt to resolve your case. If a plea agreement is reached, you may appear before a judge that same day to enter a plea and be sentenced. If a plea agreement is not reached the matter will either be set for trial before a judge (bench trial) or a trial before a jury (jury trial) depending on which form of hearing is requested at the pretrial conference. What is a Bench Trial? A bench trial is a trial in which there is no jury and the judge decides the case. A person must be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and has the right to call witnesses in their own defense, to cross examine witnesses called against them and to present evidence in their own defense. What is a Jury Trial? A jury trial is a trial before
