A pretrial conference is a meeting that is held usually about 30 days before the trial between the plaintiff, judge, prosecutor, and defense counsel. This meeting is the perfect platform to ensure that all evidence, charges, witnesses, and motions are legitimate. On some occasions, there is sufficient evidence presented to drop the case or acquire a conviction. Plea bargaining may come into play at this point based on what is discussed. Other parties may also be invited to this preliminary meeting as well at the discretion of the judge. Deadlines are set in place for the discovery process, serving or filing motions, plea bargaining, and trial proceedings. There are times that a judge may schedule another pretrial conference before determining whether a trial is necessary. Avoiding having to go to trial may or may not be in your best interest. You want to make sure that your defense team diligently seeks ways to decrease the criminal punishment or discredits the evidence brought against you altogether. The decision to go to court should be one based on facts and in accordance with Minnesota law.