A settlement conference is mandatory in Wayne County felony cases. This requirement is mandated by Local Court Rule 6.110(D), which states:
(D) Implementation of Court-Administered Final Plea Conference in Criminal Felony Matters. A
final plea conference shall be held prior to trial of all criminal felony cases bound over to the
Third Judicial Circuit. The final plea conference shall be scheduled by the court after the
conclusion of the arraignment on the information and no later than 3 weeks prior to the
scheduled trial date. The final plea conference shall be administered by the presiding judge of
the criminal division. The defendants, defense attorneys, and the Wayne County Prosecuting
Attorney's office shall be notified in writing of the court-scheduled final conference and shall
appear at the time and location specified in the notice. The failure of the defendant to appear for
the final conference may result in the issuance of a warrant for his or her arrest and the
revocation of bond. All requests for adjournment of the final conference are to be taken in open
court before the presiding judge of the Criminal Division.
The settlement conference may be the final opportunity for the accused to resolve the case through a plea agreement prior to trial.
The accused is required to appear at the settlement conference.