- Arraignment typically occurs 1–4 weeks after arrest — your first formal court appearance.
- The judge reads the charge and asks for your plea. Always plead Not Guilty.
- Misdemeanor arraignments in Travis County are held in County Criminal Courts at Law 1–6, Austin.
- Walking in without an attorney can waive rights and start your case on the wrong footing.
What Arraignment Actually Is
Arraignment is the first formal proceeding in your criminal case. The judge reads the DWI charge and asks how you plead. The hearing itself is brief — but everything around that moment is shaped by what happened in the weeks before it: who is representing you, what discovery has already been requested, whether the ALR hearing was filed in time, and whether bond conditions have been addressed.
Misdemeanor DWI arraignments in Travis County are held in County Criminal Courts at Law 1–6, Austin. Felony-level charges go before 167th, 299th, 331st, 390th, and 400th Criminal District Courts.
A Not Guilty plea preserves every option — charge reduction, evidence challenges, suppression motions, trial. A Guilty or No Contest plea at arraignment is final and forfeits all of those paths. Always plead Not Guilty. Your attorney advises on strategy from that point forward.
What to Wear and How to Show Up
- Conservative business attire — no jeans, no athletic wear, no graphic logos
- Arrive 30 minutes early — security lines and courthouse parking add time
- Bring all paperwork — arrest notice, court summons, attorney contact information
- Speak only to your attorney about the case — not to prosecutors, court staff, or other defendants
- Silence your phone before entering the courtroom
Why You Must Have an Attorney Before This Date
Planning to find an attorney after arraignment misses critical pre-arraignment windows:
- The ALR hearing deadline (15 days from arrest) falls well before arraignment — miss it and your license is automatically suspended
- Discovery from the prosecution begins with retention — later retention means later evidence access
- Bond conditions may be addressable before arraignment — not easily modified after
- The probable cause affidavit and charging instrument can be reviewed for defects before your first court appearance
What Happens After Arraignment
After a Not Guilty plea, the case enters pre-trial phase. Your attorney reviews all State evidence — dash cam, body cam, breath or blood test records, the officer’s report. Pre-trial motions challenge evidence admissibility. Plea negotiations occur. In many cases, a suppression motion targeting the traffic stop, the field sobriety tests, or the test administration results in a charge reduction or dismissal. The quality of your outcome in those months is determined by the attorney you chose in the first days after arrest.