Question

Chin was arrested for vandalism, and his case is going to court. What is the next step in the pretrial process?

-He will make an initial appearance to hear the charges.
-He will face a preliminary hearing at a magistrate court.
-He will face a grand jury and may receive an indictment.
-He will go to an arraignment and formally enter a plea.

Answer 1

He will make an initial appearance to hear the charges.

Answer 2

The correct answer is the first. In the federal system, a defendant is usually arrested once an accusation's jury has formally charged him or her with a crime. After the arrest, the defendant will be presented before a judge.

The judge informs the charges against him or her and asks if he/she pleads guilty or innocent to such charges. This procedure is the appearance.