ARRAIGNMENT

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ARRAIGNMENT

ARRAIGNMENT, crim. law practice. Signifies the calling of the defendant to the bar of the court, to answer the accusation contained in the indictment.It consists of three parts. 2.-1. Calling the defendant to the bar by his name, and commandinghim to hold up his hand; this is done for the purpose of completelyidentifying the prisoner, as the person named in the indictment; theholding up his hand is not, however, indispensable, for if the prisonershould refuse to do so, he may be identified by any admission that he is theperson intended. 1 Bl. Rep. 3. 3.-2. The reading of the indictment to enable him fully tounderstand, the charge to be produced against him; The mode in which it isread is, after' saying, "A B, hold up your hand," to proceed, "you standindicted by the name of A B, late of, &c., for that you on, &c." and then gothrough the whole of the indictment. 4.-3. After this is concluded, the clerk proceeds to the third part,by adding, "How say you, A B, are you guilty or not guilty?" Upon this, ifthe prisoner, confesses the charge, the confession is recorded, and nothingfurther is done till judgment if, on the contrary, he answers "not guilty",that plea is entered for him, and the clerk or attorney general, repliesthat he is guilty; when an issue is formed. Vide generally, Dalt. J. h.t.;Burn's J. h.t.; Williams; J. h.t.; 4 Bl. Com. 322; Harg. St. Tr. 4 vol.777, 661; 2 Hale, 219; Cro. C. C. 7; 1 Chit. Cr. Law, 414.

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