“The grand jury issued the arraignment last Tuesday.”
Usage Entry 1090 / 1605 60-second read
Arraignment vs. Indictment
The court appearance where charges are read versus the formal accusation itself.
The comparisoni
“The grand jury issued the indictment last Tuesday; the arraignment came two weeks later.”
The ruleii
¶
INDICTMENT = the charges. ARRAIGNMENT = the reading.
An INDICTMENT is the formal written accusation — often issued by a grand jury. An ARRAIGNMENT is the court proceeding where the accused is informed of the charges and enters a plea.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Indictment is the paper. Arraignment is the hearing.