Arraignment

Arraignment is a court hearing at which the prosecutor announces whether the State is filing charges. If the State files charges, the judge explains to the defendant the nature of the charges and asks him or her to respond to the charges by entering a plea of guilty, no contest, or not guilty. In some cases, the prosecutor may offer to divert the case from the criminal court process into a pre-trial diversion program. If the client pleads not guilty, the case is scheduled for trial.

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