In an arraignment hearing, the person charged with a crime appears before a judge for the first time. This is the initial appearance of a criminal defendant (unless continued from an earlier time) in which all the preliminaries are taken care of. You will be advised of your arraignment hearing either by a written date on your citation to appear in court or a summons issued by the court. You are allowed a one time only continuance of your arraignment hearing as long as you have not been charged with DUI or a domestic violence offense. To do so, you must contact the court prior to your hearing date.