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Prior to the trial itself, a meeting between the defendant with his Los Angeles criminal lawyer and the victim with his attorney is held before the judge, which may be referred to as the pre-trial conference.  The pre-trial conference may be present in both criminal court hearings and civil court hearings.  This process is part of the court procedure, which may be requested by either of the two: one of the parties of the case, or by the court. 

What may be the reasons why a pre-trial conference occurs?  Your Los Angeles criminal attorney may explain to you that the said kind of conference is needed to:

1.      Speed up the court procedure to gain faster results from the case

2.      Aid the court in developing greater control over the criminal/civil cases

3.      Ensure that thorough preparation is done to have a ‘quality trial’

4.      Ensure that the parties reach whichever settlement is necessary for the case

A pre-trial conference is different from the trial itself because the matters brought about by the defendant’s Los Angeles criminal attorney and that of the other party do not probe on whether a person is guilty or innocent.  The things discussed in the conference only include information such as the specific evidence that will or will not be excluded or who among the list of witnesses will be called upon the trial to testify.  

The pre-trial conference is also the usual time wherein the judge sets the date and time of trial, decide on which evidences will have to be removed due to repetition, determine the motions to be taken, etc.  After the pre-trial conference, if any issue arises, the parties will be allowed to ask for another pre-trial conference with the aim of resolving the specific issue.  Remember that the pre-trial conference is important; hence, you and your Los Angeles criminal lawyer must be prepared.