Art. 536 Form and contents of motion to quash; place to file

If you want to challenge a criminal charge before trial using a motion to quash, you have to follow some basic steps. The motion must be in writing and signed by you or your lawyer. You can turn it in during a court session or drop it off at the clerk of court's office.

The motion also has to clearly explain the specific reasons why you think the charge should be thrown out. You can't just say the charge is wrong. You need to spell out exactly what legal problems you're pointing to.

This last part matters a lot: the court will only listen to the reasons you actually wrote down in your motion. If you leave something out, you can't bring it up later during the hearing. So it's important to include every argument you plan to make right from the start.