May be held at anytime during the trial. The hearing of a case in front of a ruling body, either a judge or a jury. This is the time when a judge sets the punishment if a defendant is found guilty. Prior to this hearing, victims in the case will be contacted by the Probation Department and interviewed. It is the job of the Probation Department to determine emotional, physical and financial damages to victims and to consider that information in their recommendations to the court regarding sentencing.
Some judges maintain jurisdiction over a case after sentencing.
Sometime before the arraignment, someone from the DA's office may contact you to let you know about the date of the trial. You probably will not be asked to speak at this hearing. Frequently, this is just an administrative function and DAs rotate this duty. If a DA does not contact you shortly after the detective tells you that it has gone to the District Attorney, call them and ask for the calendar coordinator. You may need to be persistent.