Rule 20.0 Withdrawal of Counsel

If a defense lawyer wants to stop representing someone in a criminal case, they can't just quietly step aside. They have to ask the court in a hearing where both the accused person and the prosecution are present. This gives everyone a chance to speak up and makes sure the withdrawal doesn't hurt the case or catch anyone off guard.

There's only one exception. A lawyer can ask to withdraw without the other side present, but only if there's a good reason for keeping it private. The court has to be convinced that reason is valid before allowing it.

This rule protects the accused person's right to have proper legal representation throughout their case. It also stops lawyers from dropping a client at a bad time, like right before a trial, without the court and prosecution knowing what's happening.