Arraignment
The first court appearance after charges are filed. The defendant is formally told what they are charged with and asked to enter a plea.
An arraignment is typically the first time a defendant appears before a judge after criminal charges have been filed. In Minnesota, this hearing usually takes place within 36 hours of arrest for in-custody defendants, or it is scheduled within days for defendants who were released after booking.
At the arraignment, the judge reads the charges aloud, ensures the defendant understands their rights, and asks for a plea — guilty, not guilty, or no contest. In most felony cases the defendant enters a not-guilty plea at arraignment regardless of their intentions, because the case has not yet been fully developed by either side. The arraignment is also when the judge sets or reviews bail and conditions of release.
In Minnesota, arraignment procedures are governed under Rule 5 of the Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure. For gross misdemeanors and felonies, the arraignment is often combined with a bail hearing, making it one of the most consequential early hearings in any case.
MN CRIME tracks the initial filing of criminal complaints across all 87 Minnesota counties. Every case you see on the site started with a charge document that triggered the arraignment process. You can browse today's newest complaints at mncrime.com/latest, search by defendant name or county at mncrime.com/search, or set up automatic alerts for specific charge types or counties through Scout at mncrime.com/scout.
This explanation describes the general meaning of this Minnesota court process term as used in Minnesota district court records. For legal advice, consult a licensed Minnesota attorney. Authoritative sources include the Minnesota Statutes and the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
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