critical stage
Defined in 1 dictionary — Case Law
Definitions from Case Law
From 368 U.S. 52 - Hamilton v. Alabama · 1961Most cited · 2,582 citing opinions
Arraignment under Alabama law is a critical stage in a criminal proceeding. What happens there may affect the whole trial. Available defenses may be as irretrievably lost, if not then and there asserted, as they are when an accused represented by counsel waives a right for strategic purposes.