The main purpose of an arraignment is to make sure that the accused is made aware of the criminal charges filed against them. Sometimes the charges are formally read in court, but this old historical practice is largely unnecessary if the accused has a lawyer. That’s why in most cases, we will file what is called a “waiver of arraignment” on behalf of the client and enter a plea of “not guilty.” This preserves all of our client’s constitutional rights, including the right to a jury trial, and we demand to know the evidence that the prosecution intends to use at trial. It is highly unlikely for any of our clients to go into custody at an arraignment hearing, because we will never advise a client to plead guilty to any charges without us fully investigating the prosecution’s case and developing the best legal defense available.