What is the legal term for the process by which a defendant is brought before a judge to be informed of the charges against them?

The legal term for the process by which a defendant is brought before a judge to be informed of the charges against them is arraignment. During this crucial stage of the criminal justice process, the defendant is formally presented with the charges filed against them. This is not only a procedural step but also an opportunity for the defendant to enter a plea, whether guilty, not guilty, or no contest.

Arraignment serves several purposes: it ensures that the defendant understands the nature of the charges, it helps to establish their rights within the judicial process, and it sets the stage for the subsequent legal proceedings. This process is vital for safeguarding the rights of the accused and ensuring that they are treated fairly under the law.

In contrast, other options such as preliminary hearing, trial, and sentencing involve different stages of the judicial process. A preliminary hearing typically occurs to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, a trial is the examination of evidence and arguments to determine guilt or innocence, and sentencing is the phase where a judge imposes a penalty after a verdict has been reached. Each of these processes serves distinct roles in the trajectory of a criminal case, but none of them represent the specific act of informing a defendant of their charges, making arraignment the correct