Arraignment

Following an arrest, you will be provided with a notice to appear. This means that you are legally required to appear before a judge on a specific date at a specific location. If you or someone you know has been arrested, it is extremely important that you hire an experienced attorney who understands the arraignment process to help defend your case. Orange County arraignment lawyer, William Weinberg is an experienced attorney who has successfully defended hundreds of clients in criminal cases. Mr. Weinberg is a zealous advocate for the clients that he represents and has a track record of proven results. Mr. Weinberg takes the time to individually review each potential client’s case to provide a plan that works best for their circumstances.

An arraignment is the first court appearance you will make on criminal charges. You will likely receive a copy of the charges against you and you may also receive a copy of the police report from your arrest. It is important to understand the charges against you and determine what is in the police report as these documents will be what the prosecutor will base their case on. An experienced arraignment attorney in Orange County will help you to understand these documents so that you can formulate the best defense possible for your case.

Additionally, at the arraignment the judge will explain the charges to you and inform you of your constitutional rights. You will also be able to enter your plea at this time. There are three different pleas that you can enter at arraignment: guilty, not guilty, and no contest (nolo contendere). If you plead guilty your case will be over and the judge will provide your sentence, there will not be a trial. If you plead not guilty, the judge will schedule a pre-trial hearing where the prosecutor will be required to prove that there is enough evidence to move forward with the case. If you plead no contest, you are not technically admitting guilt however this plea will still result in your conviction and a subsequent sentencing by the judge.

Prosecutors are busy and don’t have time to deal with all of the cases that they are assigned. Therefore, a prosecutor will typically offer you a plea deal, which is a reduced sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. If you accept the plea deal this means that your case is over and it will not go to trial. This will also help save you money in legal fees if that is a concern for you. However, it is important to keep in mind that the prosecutor does not have your best interests in mind. It is very important that you hire an experienced arraignment attorney in Orange County to review your case with you so that they can advise you of your best option. Although a plea deal may seem like a good idea at first glance there can be potential serious consequences that come into play after accepting this type of deal.

Orange County arraignment lawyer William Weinberg is an experienced lawyer in Orange County who has many years of experience defending clients charged with various crimes. He will consider your case free of charge and advise you of your options. To reach him please contact his Irvine office at (949) 474-8008 or by emailing him at bill@williamweinberg.com.