Editing Arraignment (section)

{{Short description|Formal reading of the offence to a criminal defendant}}
{{distinguish|Arrangement}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Ministries trial arraignment.webm|thumb|Arraignment at the [[Ministries trial|Ministries Trial]], 20 December 1947]]
'''Arraignment''' is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the [[defendant]], to inform them of the [[Criminal charge|criminal charges]] against them. In response to arraignment, in some jurisdictions, the accused is expected to enter a [[plea]]; in other jurisdictions, no plea is required. Acceptable pleas vary among jurisdictions, but they generally include ''[[Guilty (plea)|guilty]]'', ''not guilty'', and the [[peremptory plea]]s (pleas in bar) setting out reasons why a trial cannot proceed. Pleas of ''[[nolo contendere]]'' ('no contest') and the [[Alford plea]] are allowed in some circumstances.