Rule 578. Omnibus Pretrial Motion for Relief.

 Unless otherwise required in the interests of justice, all pretrial requests for relief shall be included in one omnibus motion.

   Types of relief appropriate for the omnibus pretrial motions include the following requests:

    (1) for continuance;

    (2) for severance and joinder or consolidation;

    (3) for suppression of evidence;

    (4) for psychiatric examination;

    (5) to quash an information;

    (6) for change of venue or venire;

    (7) to disqualify a judge;

    (8) for appointment of investigator; and

    (9) for pretrial conference.

   The omnibus pretrial motion rule is not intended to limit other types of motions, oral or written, made pretrial or during trial, including those traditionally called motions in limine, which may affect the admissibility of evidence or the resolution of other matters. The earliest feasible submissions and rulings on such motions are encouraged.

   Official Note

   Formerly Rule 304, adopted June 30, 1964, effective January 1, 1965; amended and renumbered Rule 306 June 29, 1977 and November 22, 1977, effective as to cases in which the indictment or information is filed on or after January 1, 1978; amended October 21, 1983, effective January 1, 1984; Comment revised October 25, 1990, effective January 1, 1991; Comment revised August 12, 1993, effective September 1, 1993; renumbered Rule 578 and Comment revised March 1, 2000, effective April 1, 2001.

   Committee Explanatory Reports:

   Report explaining the October 25, 1990 Rule 306 Comment revision published at 12 Pa.B. 1696 (March 24, 1990).

   Report explaining the August 12, 1993 Comment revision published at 22 Pa.B. 3826 (July 25, 1992).

   Final Report explaining the March 1, 2000 reorganization and renumbering of the rules published with the Court’s Order at 30 Pa.B. 1477 (March 18, 2000).