A pretrial hearing takes place after a defendant has a
preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing determines whether
there is enough evidence against the defendant to have a trial.
The prosecution and the defense use the pretrial hearing to file
motions before a judge. The pretrial phase of a criminal case,
known as motion practice, happens mainly on paper.  Pretrial
Motions  There are a wide variety of motions that may be made
during the pretrial stage. Some common pretrial motions include
the parties asking the court to:    • Exclude evidence   • Grant
access to evidence in the possession of the prosecution   •
Compel or exclude testimony from certain people   • Exclude the
defendant's statements or confession   • Require the opposing
party to release evidence   • Dismiss the case   • Relocate the
trial  Purpose of Pre-Trial Motions  Pretrial motions are made
by the prosecution and defense attorney in an effort to set
boundaries for trial. The acceptable use of evidence, legal
arguments and witnesses at tri