Rule 7-505 Pretrial conference; scheduling order.

A judge can call both sides in a criminal case to meet before trial to help move things along faster. This meeting is called a pretrial conference. The judge can order this meeting to happen even if nobody asked for it. Normally witnesses don't need to show up for this meeting, unless the judge specifically says otherwise.

The judge can also set up a schedule for the case called a pretrial scheduling order. This schedule puts deadlines on things like when both sides need to file motions, when the court will hear those motions, and when they need to finish gathering evidence and information (called discovery).

The scheduling order can also list other important dates, like when future court hearings will happen and when the trial itself will start. The judge can add anything else to this schedule that they think will help the case run smoothly.