Rule 1 Scope

These rules apply to all criminal cases handled in the Commonwealth Superior Court. If you're involved in a criminal case in this court, whether as a defendant, attorney, or other party, these are the rules that control how the case moves forward from start to finish.

This means the same set of procedures applies across the board. Courts and attorneys can't pick and choose different rules for different cases. Everyone follows the same playbook when it comes to things like filing charges, handling evidence, scheduling hearings, and moving through trial.