An arraignment hearing is an important and integral part of the legal process in the US. The arraignment hearing is where the charges are formally read to the defendant in a criminal case, the arraignment gives the defendant an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. A criminal attorney in Timonium, MD will be with the accused at this time. In most cases the defendant will plead not guilty and a date will be set for the trial. Depending on the charge and the circumstances, a bail hearing is often a part of the arraignment hearing. Failure on the behalf of the accused to attend the arraignment will result in additional charges and in most cases, denial of bail. When the individual is first arrested and held in jail, the hearing is usually very swift, a matter of a day or two.
The US criminal justice system allows the defendant to know exactly what he is charged with, at the hearing these charges are read to the defendant and the defendant is asked if he understands the charges. It is at the arraignment that a criminal attorney in Timonium, MD can help the defendant understand the charges and their severity. In most cases the charges do not come as any surprise to the defendant but the hearing gives him or her a chance to actually hear them read out and have the severity and the consequences explained by the attorney.
Other than when the charge is heard in US Federal Court, the defendant must make a guilty or not guilty plea at the arraignment hearing. In the case of a charge in US Federal Court, there is an arraignment hearing where the charges are read and a separate hearing to her the plea of the defendant. The acceptable pleas are guilty, not guilty and no contest. When a person pleads guilty or not guilty, these are easily understood. A no contest plea means the defendant does not admit any guilt but has no intention of fighting the charges.
The severity and type of the crime the defendant has been charged with has a significant impact on what happens next. If the crime is of minor consequence, the judge may hand out a simple sentence on the spot; this is not the case for a major felony such as murder.
If you have been charged in state or federal court with a felony you will need the services of a criminal attorney in Timonium, MD. You are invited to contact Maria K. Caruso Attorney at Law.
