Shortly after your arrest, you will appear in front of a judge or magistrate who will read the official charges to you. Once you have heard your charges, you will be able to submit a plea to the charges, usually in the form of guilty, not guilty, or no contest. Depending on the situation and your plans for defense, you and your attorney will be able to develop an early strategy to help build your case starting with your plea.
After an arrest, you should get in touch with an attorney as soon as possible. When there is a lawyer representing you, they will be able to take control of the situation and make sure that you do not make any statements that could possibly incriminate you or complicate your case. With a lawyer, you can be confident that you are working towards a positive outcome.