calendar call

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Calendar call is a pre-trial meeting that is held by a judge with the attorneys of both the parties in a case to schedule a date for trial or hearing, and to arrange some other pre-trial details. Generally, a court session is held in which numerous cases are set for a calendar call at the same time and the judge schedules each of the cases for trial or hearing depending on the status of each case.

Calendar calls are a standard legal procedure for almost all court cases and are particularly important in criminal cases. Under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, a criminal defendant has a right to a speedy trial and quick calendaring ensures that the defendant is not held in custody for an unreasonably long time.  

[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]