Defendants arraigned at the time criminal charges are filed shall have their preliminary hearing date scheduled for the next available Central Court date as per Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(F)(1)(a).
The originating MDJ office shall immediately notify all parties and the General Clerk from Court Administration of a waiver entered prior to the date of Central Court.
When a case is sent to Central Court for scheduling, a copy of the preliminary hearing date, a copy of the complaint including the affidavit of probable cause, and a subpoena list shall be forwarded by the originating MDJ office to the District Attorney's Office simultaneously.
The presiding MDJ shall have latitude in assuring proper case flow on any given Central Court day.
Defendants who do not waive their preliminary hearing or plead guilty shall have a preliminary hearing scheduled for the next Central Court date within the hearing block at a time to be determined.
Negotiations by the counsel for the Commonwealth and defendant which result in the entry of a plea within the jurisdiction of the MDJ or outright dismissal of charges shall be handled after waivers are completed or at the discretion of the presiding MDJ as time permits.
Defendants desiring to waive the right to a preliminary hearing at Central Court (as per applicable Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure) shall present their request to the presiding MDJ and shall have first priority of disposition over defendants desiring to enter a plea.
If charges are reduced so that the most serious charge remaining is a summary offense, the presiding MDJ shall complete the disposition form. All case materials shall be returned to the originating MDJ office by the General Clerk from Court Administration. Any fines, costs, or restitution shall then be collected by the originating MDJ office. Requests by the Commonwealth for the assessment of fees/restitution against the defendant related to victim/witness costs must be presented at the time of case disposition for consideration.