Posted about 2 years ago. Applies to Nevada, 1 helpful vote

Save
Email
Many people accused of committing a crime believe they can show up at the initial court hearing and plead their case to a judge. This is a common misconception. The court is not interested in hearing evidence at the initial court hearing, or arraignment. The arraignment is the initial court appearance on any criminal case in Nevada, regardless of whether you are charged with a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or a felony. The court will hear the arraignment in either the county's justice court facility, or the city's municipal court facility, depending upon either type of criminal conduct alleged, or the specific jurisdiction the alleged crime was committed in. At the time of the arraignment, the judge will ask you, or your counsel if you've hired an attorney, to enter a plea to the charges the prosecution is alleging in either the complaint or the information. You may elect to plead guilty, not guilty or nolo contendere (no contest). After the defendant enters the plea upon the court's record, the judge will set the next court appearance hearing date. This can be either a jury trial, bench trial, or status hearing. Remember, the arraignment is not a hearing for you to explain to the court what happened, it is only the time to enter a plea once you have been accused of and charged with a crime.

Additional Resources

For more information on the court process, please visit batterydomesticviolence.com

Vote up (1) Vote down (0)

Related Questions

Please note that laws vary state to state. The legal advice provided in the answers below may not apply to your case.

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask a Lawyer

Get free answers from experienced attorneys.

 

Ask now

24,767 answers this week

2,610 professionals answering

Ask a Lawyer

Get answers from top-rated lawyers.

  • It's FREE
  • It's easy
  • It's anonymous

Ask a Lawyer

24,767 answers this week

2,610 professionals answering

Find Criminal Defense Lawyers

Legal Dictionary

Don't speak legalese? We define thousands of terms in plain English.

Browse our legal dictionary