A felony readiness conference is a pretrial checkpoint, but its name and agenda depend on the court and the case. Start with the filed case’s actual hearing notice and latest court order: check when and where to appear, any appearance instructions, and the decisions or deadlines your lawyer expects the court to address. The county examples below explain why the hearing’s label alone does not tell you what will happen.
First, confirm what the court actually scheduled
Read the latest notice, minute order, and case calendar together. Check the case number; the hearing’s exact label; date, time, department, and courthouse; any appearance instruction; the current trial date; and any discovery, motion, or other deadline set by the judge. Do not assume a date from an older notice is still current.
| Check | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Hearing notice or order | Exact hearing name, date, time, department, courthouse, and appearance language |
| Latest docket or minute order | Whether the date changed and what the judge most recently ordered |
| Trial and motion calendar | Current trial date and any specifically assigned filing, hearing, or discovery date |
| Case stage | Whether the felony complaint has proceeded to an information or indictment, as applicable |
For a Los Angeles case, the Superior Court points users to counsel, its online calendar, or the courthouse to check hearing status and dates, and says a clerk can provide docket information or minute orders. Online case access warns that its summary is not the official court record. If the online listing conflicts with your notice or order, ask your lawyer and the court to clarify promptly. Do not treat a website entry as permission to miss a scheduled appearance. (LA Superior Court Criminal Division; Criminal Case Access disclaimer.)
The label can differ by county. San Diego’s court describes a felony readiness conference after an information arraignment as a place where discovery may be exchanged, motions may be filed, and the plea may change. That county’s description is a useful example, not a statewide agenda. A Los Angeles criminal case should be prepared from its own notice, orders, and calendar, not from a San Diego procedure or a civil “trial readiness conference” label. (San Diego Superior Court, Criminal Case Types: Felonies.)
Confirm whether you must appear
For felony proceedings outside the stages where physical presence is specifically required, California Penal Code § 977 generally requires the defendant to be physically or remotely present unless presence is waived with the court’s permission and defense counsel’s approval. The court may also direct the defendant to appear. (Penal Code § 977(b)(1)–(3), SB 174 (2026), § 6.)
Before relying on a waiver or remote appearance, ask counsel to confirm that the court approved it for this setting, counsel approved it, and the court has not separately ordered you to appear. A prior waiver, counsel’s attendance, or the availability of a video link does not by itself answer what this notice requires.
Use the setting to get clear answers
Before the conference, ask counsel to review the actual case calendar and identify the unresolved decisions. Useful questions include:
- What discovery is still missing, and does it affect a decision that may come up now?
- Which motions are filed, planned, awaiting a ruling, or subject to a court-set deadline? Is there a specific order assigning that date? For a San Diego felony, a separate guide explains the county’s noticed-motion papers and deadlines; use the actual arraignment order and current rules for that issue.
- Is there a written offer to consider? What charges, admissions, and conditions does it contain, and what questions need answers before deciding whether to accept or reject it?
- Is trial still scheduled? If someone is asking to move a date, what motion or order is involved, and what should you expect next?
These are preparation questions, not a claim that every offer, motion, or discovery issue must be resolved at a readiness setting. The judge controls the case calendar. In Los Angeles, Criminal Local Rule 8.7 requires a written criminal continuance motion subject to Penal Code § 1050. Under § 1050, a continuance requires good cause; convenience or the parties’ agreement alone is not enough. A request therefore does not guarantee a new date. (LA Superior Court Criminal Local Rules, rules 8.7 and 8.10; Penal Code § 1050(b)–(f).)
After court, record the next step
Ask counsel for the minute order or other written record of what the court ordered. Confirm any new hearing or trial date, deadline, appearance instruction, or direction about discovery or motions. Compare it with the notice and your calendar; if an entry is unclear or inconsistent, ask counsel or the court to resolve it. A readiness setting by itself does not promise a plea, dismissal, trial, continuance, or change in custody.
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley can review the notice, current case calendar, pending discovery or motions, and any written offer with you. Call (800) 755-5174.