§ 259 Order of witnesses.

Here's a plain English summary of this rule:

Once the state finishes questioning its witnesses at a preliminary hearing, the defendant gets a chance to bring in witnesses too. Before those witnesses can testify, the defendant's lawyer has to explain to the judge what the witness will say and why it matters to the case. This is called an "offer of proof."

The judge will only allow the defense witnesses to testify if their testimony actually relates to the issues being decided at the preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing is meant to decide if there's enough evidence to move forward with charges, so the judge keeps the testimony focused on that question. If the defense wants to bring up something that doesn't connect to that issue, the judge can say no.

This rule basically controls the order of who testifies and makes sure defense testimony stays on topic. It gives the defendant a fair chance to present their side, but only for evidence that's relevant to whether the case should go forward.