Arraignments 

Many people who are charged with a crime begin thinking about hiring a lawyer when they receive notice from the Court of an arraignment date. An arraignment is a hearing where a defendant is formally charged with a crime by a government agency, whether it be a municipality or the state. At the hearing, the defendant is advised of the nature of the charge against him or her, including the potential penalties associated with the charge, as well as their constitutional rights. The judge will then ask the defendant to enter a plea of “guilty” or “not guilty.”

As a general rule, it is best to enter a plea of not guilty at an arraignment; this preserves your rights and gives you additional time to speak with a lawyer. When a defendant enters a plea of not guilty, the judge may set certain conditions, one of which is bail. If bail is set, you or a family member must arrange for it to be posted, this can also be done through a number of bail bond agencies. Other conditions may be no-contact orders, alcohol/drug evaluations, etc.

Following the arraignment, the case is set on to a series of hearings called case settings, or in a municipal or district court, pre-trials. These are hearings which give the defense attorney time to gather the police reports and other evidence and negotiate with the prosecutor. Also, this is the time where I meet with my clients and get to know every important fact about the case as well as communicate to the client any developments in the case. If you have an arraignment date for a criminal misdemeanor or criminal felony charge in the Seattle, Tacoma, or Western Washington area, call Mick today at (206) 228-5767 for a free consultation from an experienced, aggressive, and affordable Seattle, Tacoma, and Western Washington criminal defense lawyer for more information on arraignments, criminal law, and the criminal law process.