Quick answer
An indictment is a charging document, while an arraignment is a court hearing. In Washington superior court, an indictment follows a grand jury's probable-cause decision. The State may instead begin a case with an information filed by the prosecutor. After an indictment or information is filed, the defendant is arraigned and addresses the charge, counsel, release, and a plea.
These terms describe different parts of a criminal case. Neither an indictment nor an arraignment is a conviction, and neither proves guilt. The actual charging document, court, custody status, and signed orders determine what happens next.
This article focuses on Washington superior-court procedure under the Superior Court Criminal Rules. District and municipal courts follow the Criminal Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, so their charging documents, terminology, and timing can differ.
Indictment vs. arraignment at a glance
| Question | Indictment | Arraignment |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | A written accusation that charges one or more offenses | A court hearing after a charge has been filed |
| Who acts? | A grand jury finds the indictment and presents it to the court | The judge, defendant, defense counsel, and prosecutor address the filed case |
| What is addressed? | Whether probable cause supports issuing the accusation | Counsel, reading or receiving the charge, a plea, and potentially bail or release conditions |
| Does it decide guilt? | No | No |
What is an indictment in Washington?
An indictment is one way the State may formally charge a superior-court criminal case. Washington Superior Court Criminal Rule 2.1 says the State's initial pleading is an indictment or an information. The document must state the essential facts constituting the alleged offense and identify the law allegedly violated.
Under RCW 10.27.150, a grand jury may issue an indictment in its discretion after investigating the evidence when at least three-fourths of the jurors find probable cause to believe the person under investigation—called the “principal” in the statute—is guilty of a criminal offense. The foreperson then presents the indictment to the court.
How is an information different from an indictment?
An information is also a written charging document, but it is filed by the prosecuting attorney rather than found by a grand jury. CrR 2.1 applies many of the same content requirements to both documents.
The practical point is that a Washington superior-court case does not require an indictment to exist. If the filed document is titled “Information,” the person has still been formally charged. VanWa's guide to charges filed without a prior arrest explains how an information, summons, warrant, and arrest can occur in different sequences.
What happens at an arraignment?
Arraignment is a court event, not a charging document. Under CrR 4.1, the court addresses the defendant's right to counsel. The indictment or information is read unless that reading is waived, and the defendant receives a copy.
A plea is also addressed under CrR 4.2. The available pleas include not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity, and guilty. A guilty plea has additional safeguards and consequences; no one should make that decision from a generic description of arraignment.
The court may address bail and release conditions. Depending on the allegations and existing orders, those conditions can affect travel, contact, weapons, substance use, or other conduct. The signed order—not a general article—controls what the defendant must do.
Which comes first: indictment or arraignment?
The charging document comes first. In a superior-court case, a grand jury finds an indictment and presents it to the court, or the prosecuting attorney files an information. Arraignment follows. An arrest, summons, or preliminary appearance may occur at another point in the sequence, which is why the docket and filed documents matter more than an assumed timeline.
Current CrR 4.1 uses different arraignment deadlines based on custody and release status:
- If the defendant is held in the county jail where the charge is pending, or is subject to release conditions connected to the same charge, arraignment in the adult division of superior court must occur no later than three days after the indictment or information is filed.
- If the defendant is not held in that jail and is not subject to those release conditions, arraignment must occur no later than 14 days after the next appearance following the filing.
Those are rule-based deadlines, not a promise about a particular calendar date or remedy. CrR 4.1 also requires an objection to an allegedly late arraignment to be raised at arraignment or the right to object may be lost.
Arraignment is not a trial
The court does not determine guilt at arraignment. Witnesses ordinarily are not presented for a full merits trial, and the hearing does not resolve every challenge to the State's evidence. Later stages may include discovery, motions, negotiations, hearings, or trial.
An arraignment also differs from a preliminary appearance. A preliminary appearance may address probable cause, counsel, rights, and release before arraignment. The name of the hearing on a notice should not be ignored or treated as interchangeable with another event.
What to do before a Washington arraignment
Preparation should focus on the actual case rather than assumptions about the terminology:
- Read the indictment, information, summons, and hearing notice completely.
- Confirm the court, case number, date, time, and appearance method through an official source.
- Keep following every signed release or no-contact order.
- Preserve messages, video, photographs, receipts, location records, and potential witness information.
- Do not contact an alleged victim or witness in violation of an order or to influence a statement.
- Discuss the charge, plea, release conditions, and immediate deadlines with defense counsel.
If a court date may already have been missed, review the firm's guide to bail jumping and failure to appear in Washington. Do not assume that a warrant has—or has not—been issued without checking the official record.
Talk with a Vancouver criminal defense lawyer
An indictment or information identifies the accusation, but it does not explain every defense, evidentiary issue, or likely next step. A lawyer can review the filed document, police reports, hearing notice, custody status, and release conditions before advising you about the arraignment.
VanWa Legal provides criminal defense representation in Vancouver and Southwest Washington. Bring every court document and a factual timeline to the consultation. The firm's Vancouver office and court guide can help you identify the local court listed on your paperwork.
This article provides general Washington legal information and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Charges, court procedure, deadlines, pleas, release conditions, defenses, and outcomes depend on the specific record and current law. Washington authorities were checked on September 24, 2026.
