Alaska Request for Continuance of Arraignment (For use in Anchorage court only)

Criminal charges generally do not get dismissed at an arraignment. While prosecutors can dismiss a charge if there is a compelling reason to do so (for instance if they learn that a defendant was wrongly charged), in practice, they rarely do this.

Criminal charges generally do not get dismissed at an arraignment. While prosecutors can dismiss a charge if there is a compelling reason to do so (for instance if they learn that a defendant was wrongly charged), in practice, they rarely do this.

Prosecutors can add charges or dismiss charges pursuant to the criminal rules at arraignment or at any point while the case is pending, but whatever a police officer charges someone with when they arrest them will be their initial charges in court.

The primary purpose of an arraignment is to give the defendant written notice of the charged crime(s) and take the defendant's plea.

If a defendant pleads guilty to a very minor crime at arraignment, such as disorderly conduct, the judge may sentence the defendant at arraignment. The prosecutor and defense attorney may negotiate the guilty plea and agree on a sentence during the arraignment.

(1) If the defendant was arrested without a warrant, the judicial officer at the first appearance shall determine whether the arrest was made with probable cause to believe that an offense had been committed and that the defendant had committed it.

It's worth noting that not all criminal charges go to trial. Indeed, many charges are dropped prior to trial during negotiations between prosecutors and defense lawyers. But it is only the prosecutor who can drop such charges.

Try to directly persuade a prosecutor that a charge should be dropped, cast doubt on an accuser, highlight conflicting evidence, and. provide a reality check on the potential success of brining a charge.