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

(1) The Court will be available for the purpose of taking guilty or nolo contendre pleas from time to time as designated by the Court Administrator which dates shall always include each afternoon when settlement conferences are held and immediately after the call of each criminal trial list.

(2) After pleas are taken following the call of the trial list, the Court will not accept any plea for a case on that criminal list unless said plea is a straight plea as charged and in no way is a negotiated plea even for the purposes of a sentencing recommendation by the District Attorney.

(3) The Court may waive this prohibition against late plea agreements only if both parties agree and have shown good cause for doing so to the Court. In the event the Court does find good cause shown and agrees to take the negotiated plea, such plea may be taken at that time or the case may be continued by the Court for the plea to be taken at another date all as the Court may direct.

(4) The call of the criminal trial list for a particular criminal term of Court shall be held by the Court prior to the first day of the criminal term of court as set forth on the schedule prepared by the Court Administrator pursuant to Local Rule 300(1).

(a) All defendants and all attorneys representing defendants on the call of the list must attend the criminal calendar call unless:

(1) A date certain has been scheduled for the entry of a plea; or

(2) A motion for a continuance has been previously properly presented and granted; or

(3) The Court has excused a defendant and/or counsel based on good cause shown or defense counsel and the District Attorney's office have agreed that the defendant and/or counsel may be excused from the call of the list.

(b) Failure to comply with the requirements of this rule may result in the imposition of sanctions of the Court including the issuance of a bench warrant and revocation of bail bond. Additionally, the District Attorneys office may file a charge of default in required appearance.