At a Massachusetts criminal arraignment, there are two types of cases, those involving arrests where an individual is detained and those involving a summons to appear. For a charge like a First Offense DUI, you will receive a summons to appear in court either the next day or shortly after your arrest. Typically, the arraignment on a DUI charge is extremely brief with the court setting the case down for pretrial upon your promise to return for your next court date.
If you have a history of not appearing at court or are charged with a serious offense, the district attorney may request bail. In most cases where a defendant has little or no record, there will not be a bail request. In a domestic assault and battery case, the arraignment could involve a request for a 209A restraining or request for a no contact order.
The most important tips to remember when appearing at an arraignment is that you should arrive on time, dress appropriately and not say anything during the arraignment, other than to enter a not guilty plea.
An arraignment in Massachusetts is to formally advise you of the charges; it is not a trial and the court procedure does not provide you with an opportunity to contest the charges. It is following the arraignment date that you can contest the allegations by filing motions, such as a motion to dismiss, motion to suppress or you can request a trial date.
In short consider, the following tips if you receive notice of an arraignment date or are arrested and have an arraignment the following day:
- Hire an experienced Massachusetts criminal attorney to being the process of preparing your defense;
- Arrive to the Court on time and check in with probation to ensure that your paper work is in the court and reduce your waiting time.
- Dress appropriately, as if going to a formal family event, a job interview or a religious service.
- Be respectful to the judge and all court employees as any employee of the court has access to the judge;
- enter a not guilty plea
Attorney DelSignore can be easily reached with questions at 508-455-4755 or 781-686-5924. Emails are also quickly answered through this website or directly at mdelsign@gmail.com.
Click here to download a free copy of "Understanding Massachusetts Drunk Driving Laws"
Click here to download a free copy of: Understanding a Massachusetts Domestic Assault and Battery Charge
