[3] In Queensland the indictment is read to the defendant by the judge's associate prior to the empanelling of the jury.
[4] In British Columbia, arraignment takes place in one of the first few court appearances by the defendant or their lawyer.
In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, arraignment is the first of 11 stages in a criminal trial, and involves the clerk of the court reading out the indictment.
[10] The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution grants criminal defendants the right to be notified of the charges against them.
Under the United States' Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, arraignment shall consist of an open reading of the indictment (and delivery of a copy) to the defendant, and a call for them to plead.
In New York, a person arrested without a warrant and kept in custody must be brought before a local criminal court for arraignment "without unnecessary delay".
[14] In California, arraignments must be conducted without unnecessary delay and, in any event, within 48 hours of arrest, excluding weekends and holidays.
During the hearing, the judge assesses the offense, the mitigating factors, and the defendant's character, and passes sentence.
In the past, a defendant who refused to plead (or "stood mute") was subject to peine forte et dure (Law French for "strong and hard punishment").
This is also often the stage at which arguments for or against pre-trial release and bail may be made, depending on the alleged crime and jurisdiction.