Warren-Forest Court of Common Pleas Thirty Seventh Judicial District
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

(1) Based on a schedule published by the Court Administrator each year, no later than October 30th for the succeeding year, at the time a defendant either waives his preliminary hearing or is bound over following a preliminary hearing, he will be given a specific date for a settlement conference which date shall be no later than 45 days after the formal arraignment required by Local Rule 303. Each settlement conference shall be held in the Main Courtroom at times designated by the Court Administrator. Defense counsel and each defendant will be required to attend the settlement conference unless the defendant has previously entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere; a plea date is already scheduled; the matter is being considered for ARD disposition or the matter has been resolved in some other manner.

(2) Defense counsel and the defendant shall assemble in the Main Courtroom or such other designated location and the District Attorney shall have representatives available with authority to take a position on behalf of the District Attorney on each case.

(3) The District Attorney representative and defense counsel shall meet to discuss each case and at the discretion of counsel the defendant may participate in all or part of those discussions but the defendant shall remain available at the Courthouse until the defendant's conference is concluded.

(4) At the end of the settlement conference, a Certificate of Conference substantially in the form set forth as Form 311(4) shall be filled out and shall be signed by the District Attorney's representative, defense counsel and the defendant. The original Certificate of Conference shall be filed promptly with the Court Administrator by the District Attorney's office and the District Attorney's office shall also supply a copy of the Certificate of Conference to defense counsel and the defendant. A copy of the Certificate of Conference shall not be filed among the official papers in the Clerk of Courts office.

(5) Any pleas reached at the conclusion of the settlement conferences shall be entered before the Court on the same date as settlement conferences.

(6) The District Attorney will supply a list of defendants who will be entering pleas to the Court Administrator on each day set for settlement conferences and arraignments.

(7) A scheduled settlement conference may not be continued until another date unless ordered by the Court upon written motion filed by a party.

Form 311 (4)

                    IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
               OF THE 37TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    ________________COUNTY BRANCH
                              CRIMINAL

COMMONWEALTH OF  PENNSYLVANIA

	                   VS.			    No.
________________________________________
Defendant 
                      CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE

We, the undersigned attorneys [ or Defendants if not represented by
counsel], hereby certify that we have held a settlement conference in this
case with the following result [ complete Section I if you have reached a
plea agreement or Section II if you have not reached a plea agreement]:

                               SECTION I
_____ 1.  An agreement has been reached and that agreement
is:__________________________________________________ 
    __________________________________________________.

_____ 2.  No agreement has been reached and we anticipate this matter will
be going to trial.

_____ 3.  No agreement has been reached but the parties have had
productive discussions and an agreement may likely still be reached.
                                SECTION II

HAS DISCOVERABLE MATERIAL BEEN EXCHANGED? Yes_____ No_____
ARE ANY DEFENSE MOTIONS PENDING AT THIS TIME? Yes_____ No_____   IF SO,
SPECIFY TYPE OF MOTION(S)
____________________________________________________


ARE ANY DEFENSE MOTIONS ANTICIPATED? 
Yes_____ No_____
HAS ARD BEEN APPLIED FOR?   
Yes_____ No_____

____________________________  ________________________
Assistant District Attorney               Defense Attorney
____________________________
Defendant                     

I certify that I have been available throughout the settlement conference
and at the end of the settlement conference I have reviewed the
Certificate of Conference and I further understand the date and time I am
to next appear in Court.  Additionally, I certify that I have been advised
of the last day I will be permitted to enter a plea as a result of a plea
agreement and the last day I will be permitted to request a non-jury trial
both of which will be the date of the call of the trial list.
___________________________________
Defendant

Date and time the Defendant is to next appear in Court [to be filled in by
District Attorney representative at the end of the settlement
conference]:__________________________________

The last day the Defendant will be permitted to enter a plea based on any
plea agreement or waive any jury trial in favor of a non-jury trial is at
the call of the trial list [to be filled in by District Attorney
representative at the end of the settlement
conference]:___________________________________________

Thereafter, the Defendant will only be permitted to go to trial or plead
as charged.

Original:   Court Administrator
Copies:	    District Attorney
	    Defense Counsel
	    Defendant