The arraignment can be among the most important few minutes of the case. Hiring a good defense attorney can be the difference between being remand or having bail set (or having bail set versus getting released on recognizance). Hiring a lawyer to guide the defendant through the arrest and arraignment process can also reduce a lot of the stress on the defendant’s family. A private attorney hired in time for the arraignment can explain and monitor the process to reassure the defendant’s friends and family that their loved one is getting their due process. The earlier an attorney is involved in the process, the more they can protect their client.
If the defendant is not able to hire an attorney, they will be appointed a lawyer that is staffing the arraignment courtroom. The appointed lawyers are not in the position monitor individual cases from arrest to the arraignment. They receive the case last minute after the accused has been fully processed by the police and court staff. The appointed attorneys are often very knowledgeable, but their caseload and the lack of time involved prevents them from speaking with the police and the court staff in order to obtain reliable information about the case.
The attorney for the accused will usually provide their client with accurate, reliable information about their situation. That is of course dependent on the time of hiring and the extent the lawyer is able to communicate with their client while in the courtroom.