Rule 1 Scope - Courts - Exceptions

These rules cover how criminal cases are handled in Idaho's district courts and magistrate courts. If you're charged with a crime in Idaho state court, these are the rules that control how your case moves forward, from arrest through trial and sentencing.

There are some exceptions, though. These rules don't apply to certain special types of legal proceedings, even though they might seem related to criminal law. For example, they don't cover extradition cases (when someone is sent back to another state to face charges), property forfeiture cases, or efforts to collect fines. They also don't apply to juvenile cases handled under Idaho's youth rehabilitation or child protection laws, habeas corpus cases, or post-conviction relief cases (with one exception under Rule 39).

A few other proceedings are also left out, like coroner's inquests and quo warranto cases (which deal with challenging someone's right to hold public office). If your situation falls into one of these special categories, different rules will apply instead of the standard criminal rules.