If you or a loved one has just been arrested in Brooklyn, an arraignment lawyer is a necessity. Once of the first things that will happen when you become arrested is a hearing known as an arraignment hearing. Working with a Brooklyn arraignment lawyer, in this hearing you will enter your plea. This is what will set the process in motion. Because your arraignment is where the process will start, it is important that you understand what will happen.
Things Happen Very Quickly
An arraignment hearing will often happen very quickly after an arrest, typically within a day or two. If you or your loved one was held in jail, you should expect it to happen on the next business day. If you were released, you should expect to get a summons. Typically the arraignment hearing will happen in a district court and you will need to make sure you have an Arraignment Lawyer on your side for the best possible result. Both felonies and misdemeanors will generally be held in a district court for the arraignment but felonies will usually be heard at another type of court.
You Will Enter Your Plea
Before the arraignment hearing occurs, you will talk with your arraignment lawyer about your plea. There are three possible pleas that you can enter during an arraignment. You can enter a plea of “not guilty”, which means you are denying any charges that you have been accused of. You can plead “guilty”, which means you admit that the charge is correct or you can plead “no contest”, which means you do not admit or deny the charges and that you won’t offer any type of defense. Many times, this plea is thought of as similar to a guilty plea.
By talking to your arraignment lawyer, you will be able to find the right plea for you. If you choose to plead “not guilty” in your arraignment, you will have the right to a trial that will be decided by a judge, or jury, typically your choice. If you plead “guilty”, you will typically move quite quickly to a sentencing stage which can range from probation to fines and of course, prison time. However, sometimes pleading guilty from the start can help you get a lesser sentence. Your criminal lawyer will be able to give you the right advice for your case.
