Shouldn't a plea hearing come before a pretrial conference?

Question

I called in to the Clerk of Courts office to find out that on April 4th my ex-fiance has a pretrial conference and on May 14th he has a plea hearing. Should a Plea hearing come before a pretrial conference? What does a pretrial conference mean? What will happen at this point? Can his lawyer do this for him or does he HAVE TO be there in person?

Answer 1

First-he could be excused, but should not do so. A pretrial conference sets forth deadlines and deals with such things as disclosure of witnesses and evidence. The pre-trial conference is a very good opportunity to begin serious plea bargaining. Your ex-fiance should go there looking very presentable, but not phony--i.e. not a suit unless he always wears a suit, but dressed up to make a good impression. The Judge and the prosecutor should think, "this is a guy who's serious about cleaning up his act." Not attending shows lack of concern, and if he doesn't care, why should the judge and prosecutor? If your ex is well spoken, he should be with his atty and be cordial to the prosecutor. You would not believe how many defendants are rude to the person who can help them the most. Remember this--no one wants this case to go to trial (except perhaps your ex's atty if he's getting paid by the hour--but really not even him/her). The Court, the prosecutor and the defense atty are all very busy. Everyone wants to work this out. The Pre-trial is the time to start in earnest and to make that good impression. Don't let him miss it.

Answer 2

A "pre-trial conference" is exactly what it sounds like -- it is a conference that happens before the trial.

This is an opportunity for the defense and the prosecution to meet and talk about issues. It can be used to start plea negotiations, or handle evidentiary disputes, or discuess other trial matters.

A defendant can have his attorney handle almost all pre-trial matters, including conferences, but I've always thought it a good idea for someone to be as involved in their own defense as the law allows them to be.

Answer 3

you need an attorney...not Internet access