Do I need a lawyer at my arraignment?

In most criminal courts the arraignment is where you first appear before a judge and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty to the offense charged. Assuming you enter a plea of not guilty, which almost every defendant does at this early stage, the following steps also happen at the arraignment:

    * the judge sets a date for the next procedural event in your case
    * the judge considers any bail requests that you or the prosecutor make
    * the judge appoints a lawyer for you, if appropriate, and
    * the judge may ask you to "waive time" -- that is, give up your right to have the trial or other statutory proceedings occur within specified periods of time.

Tags: courts criminal arraignment offense charged judge appoints