What is an Arraignment?
Your arraignment is a simple process where we plead either guilty/not guilty/nolo contendere (no contest) to the charges you’re being accused of (or commonly we just stand mute) and the judge will accept the plea to continue throughout the duration of the matter along with setting a bond which will determine your risk level of the following factors:
♦ Seriousness of the offense charged
♦ Protection of the public
♦ Previous criminal record
♦ Dangerousness of the accused
♦ Probability or improbability of the accused appearing at trial
Depending on the crimes you are being charged with, there could also be some restrictions during your arraignment, such as:
♦ Drug monitoring
♦ Alcohol monitoring
♦ GPS monitoring
♦ No weapons
♦ No contact with the complainant
♦ No trespassing at a location
♦ Reporting to the court or related services
♦ No commission of new crimes
♦ Staying within the state
♦ Appearing for future court proceedings
♦ Notifying the court of any address or telephone changes
Lastly, at an arraignment, the judge or magistrate will set your bond. Your bond could be for an amount (bail) or could be based on your personal recognizance (you will sign and promise to show up to future court proceedings). Bail could be either cash/surety, cash/surety/10%, or real property. Call B. Kizy Law today if you have an arraignment coming up and need an attorney who knows how to keep this process as pain-free and cost-friendly as possible.
