The first court appearance in a criminal case, where the charges are read and a plea is entered.
An arraignment is the formal opening of a criminal case in court. The defendant is told what they are charged with, is advised of the right to counsel, and enters a plea. Conditions of release - bail, or release on conditions - are commonly addressed at or around the same appearance.
It is not a trial and no evidence is heard. Almost all defendants plead not guilty at this stage, including those who later resolve the case by agreement, because a not-guilty plea preserves every option while the evidence is still unknown.
The practical significance is timing rather than substance: it starts procedural clocks, and it is often the first point at which counsel is appointed for someone who cannot afford a lawyer.
Ideally before the hearing rather than after it. Anyone who cannot afford a lawyer should say so on the record at the arraignment, as that is the mechanism by which counsel is appointed - and statements made in court before advice is obtained cannot be withdrawn.
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