In Hillsborough County this is a court date about a week prior to any jury trial takes place. It is the final chance to try and get your case resolved without a trial. If the case cannot be resolved the jury trial will take place within 10 days.

At the conclusion of the pre-trial phase, the prosecutor will give us an offer for settlement of your case, also called a “plea-bargain”. This offer may be an opportunity to plead to a lesser charge, or may simply be a negotiation about the consequences to be imposed if you admit guilt or plea no-contest. Because every case is different, a good deal in one case may be a bad deal in another. Of course, we will review with you the particular circumstances of your case, and assist you in deciding whether to accept or reject the prosecutor’s plea-bargain offer.