True or False: the jury can be present at the arraignment.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only in capital cases
• D. Depends on jurisdiction

Answer: (B)

Arraignment is the judge-led initial hearing where the charges are formally read, the defendant can enter a plea, and the court explains rights, appoints counsel if needed, and may set bail. The jury’s role is to decide guilt or innocence at trial, not to weigh charges or make preliminary determinations. Because no evidence is being presented to determine guilt at this stage, there’s no need for a jury; the proceeding is resolved by the judge and the defendant’s plea and related rulings. (There are other steps, like grand jury reviews or preliminary hearings, that involve jurors in different ways, but the arraignment itself is not a jury proceeding.) Therefore, the statement is false.