The arraignment is the initial criminal hearing in the DUI process. The main purpose of this hearing is for the City to notify the defense of the charge(s) and for the defense to enter a plea to that charge. In virtually every case, regardless of the jurisdiction, a plea of "not guilty" should be entered. Still, as with every rule, there are exceptions. Do not go to the arraignment before having consulted with an attorney. For Seattle Municipal Court cases, it is imperative to consult with a Seattle DUI lawyer who is experienced in handling DUI defense in this court. The judges in Seattle Municipal Court are very proactive in imposing pretrial conditions on those charged with DUI. More so than just about any other court in the state.

The Seattle City Attorney’s office is famous (infamous) for its routine requests for very restrictive conditions at the time of arraignment; from the imposition of bail, to installment of an ignition interlock device, to the requirement that the person be placed on home detention or day reporting during the pendency of the case. Depending on the alleged facts of the case and the person’s DUI and DUI related history, the judges in Seattle Municipal Court routinely ratify these requests. It is therefore extremely important that a person being arraigned for a DUI in Seattle be prepared to respond to the city’s pretrial conditions requests. This may mean scheduling a drug and alcohol evaluation prior to arraignment, having letters written on your behalf by friends, family, co-workers, etc. or being prepared to post bail if it is ordered. Regardless, the importance of having consulted with a experienced Seattle Municipal Court DUI lawyer can not be overstated.

Finally, after the formal arraignment and the imposition of conditions, the court will schedule a pretrial hearing. In Seattle Municipal Court the pretrial hearing is usually set about 4-6 weeks after arraignment.