Arraign is the act of being called upon to answer to charges that a crime has been committed. The act of answering is done before a judge in a court of law. It is usual that a person is arrested first, read their Miranda rights, told of the accusation against them, and then sent to be arraigned. During the arraignment, the accused is asked whether or not the charges have been explained to them. If so, they are then required to plead either guilty or not guilty to the charges. The judge then considers the charges against the person and the evidence against them briefly to determine whether or not it is warranted to proceed.
A judge is allowed to dismiss any case that they feel does not satisfy the legal requirement to continue with the charges. This might include faulty or circumstantial only evidence or other mitigating factors that the judge is not at liberty to share. If the judge rules that the accused should stand trial on the charges, the accused is either bailed or held over in jail until the next court hearing.