Question: What happens at an arraignment?
Answer: There are essentially two types of arraignments - a not guilty arraignment and a guilty arraignment. At a not guilty arraignment, the judge tells the defendant what crimes the State has charged him with and what his release conditions will be prior to his trial. At a guilty arraignment, which is usually held after a defendant has agreed to plead guilty and signed a plea agreement at a preliminary hearing prior to the arraignment, the judge goes over the plea agreement, informs him of the rights he gives up by pleading guilty and listens to the defendant or his lawyer tell him the facts behind the charge to which he is pleading guilty.
At a not guilty arraignment, the judge sets a date for the defendant, his lawyer and the prosecutor to get together for a pre-trial conference. At a guilty arraignment, the judge sets a date for the defendant's sentencing after he enters the plea agreement.
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