What does final pre trial mean?

What does final pre trial mean?

At the final pretrial conference (also called a settlement conference), all parties meet with the Court prior to trial for the purpose of effecting an amicable settlement or, if a settlement is not achieved, to narrow the legal issues for trial and set a date for trial to begin.

What happens at a pre trial hearing?

Plea bargaining involves the prosecutor and defense attorney and takes place at pretrial hearings. Plea bargaining includes charge bargaining and sentence bargaining. In general, pretrial hearings give both sides the chance to see how strong or weak a case is. If a case is weak the prosecutor will want to settle it.

How many pre trials can you have?

Some cases resolve with only two or three pre-trial hearings, while others may require five or six.

What is the purpose of a pre trial?

The purpose of the pretrial is to assure that all parties are prepared to go on to trial, if necessary, and to discuss alternate means of settling the dispute at an early stage of the proceedings.

Who bears the burden of proof?

There are different standards in different circumstances. For example, in criminal cases, the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt is on the prosecution, and they must establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, the plaintiff has the burden of proving his case by a preponderance of the evidence.

What does not occur during a pre trial conference?

At the pretrial conference, a defendant is entitled to review a copy of the complaint , any written police reports or any other evidence that the State intends to use at the trial . Witnesses do not attend the pretrial disposition conference and no testimony is taken.