Rule 40.03 Attendance and Participation at the Pretrial Conference

Here's what this rule means: the defendant, the defendant's lawyer, and the prosecutor all have to show up for the pretrial conference. This isn't optional for any of them.

The point is to get everyone who has a say in the case in the same room before trial starts. Having the defendant there in person matters because decisions made at this conference can affect the defendant's rights and how the case moves forward. The defendant's lawyer needs to be present to protect those interests and speak on the defendant's behalf when needed.

The prosecutor also has to attend because the State needs to be part of these discussions too. Since both sides and the defendant are required to be there, the conference can actually accomplish what it's meant to do, which is work out details and issues before the trial begins.