Your felony arraignment in Riverside probably felt like a blur. The judge read off charges that sounded unfamiliar, a plea was entered in your name, bail and release were argued in a few rushed minutes, and then you were handed paperwork with new dates before you even caught your breath. Walking out of the Riverside courthouse, most people have the same question: What happens now?
Right after that first hearing, the process can feel out of your hands. You may be worried about going back into custody, losing your job, or what a felony record could do to your future. Family members are often just as anxious, trying to understand the strange terms on the minute order and how fast the case might move. The days between arraignment and the next court date are usually when fear and confusion peak.
At Greenberg, Greenberg & Kenyon, we have focused exclusively on criminal defense since 1980, including many felony cases in Riverside County courts. We are former prosecutors, so we know how the other side approaches the weeks after arraignment and which moves they are likely to make. In this guide, we walk through what actually happens after a felony arraignment in Riverside, step by step, and how a strategic defense approach can shape each stage.
What Your Felony Arraignment in Riverside Actually Decided
To understand what comes next, it helps to be clear about what your felony arraignment did and did not decide. In a typical Riverside felony arraignment, the judge confirms your identity, advises you of the charges, and informs you of your constitutional rights. If you did not already have a lawyer, the court addresses the appointment of counsel. A plea, almost always “not guilty” at this stage, is entered to each charge.
The judge also addresses bail and release conditions. This can involve reviewing the bail schedule, any risk assessment information, and arguments from the prosecutor and defense. The court may leave bail where it is, lower it, raise it, or, in some situations, order release with conditions. Finally, the judge sets your next court date, which might be a status or settlement conference and a date related to your preliminary hearing.
What many people do not realize is that the arraignment does not decide guilt or innocence, it does not set your sentence, and it usually does not lock in the final charges that will follow you through the case. The arraignment is more like the starting point on the Riverside felony track, where the case is formally opened and scheduled. Because we have been handling Riverside felony arraignments since 1980, we are used to reading between the lines of what happens in that short hearing and using it to plan our next steps on bail, investigation, and negotiation.
Your Next Court Dates After a Felony Arraignment in Riverside
The paperwork you received at arraignment likely lists more than one future court date, which can be confusing. In Riverside felony cases, courts commonly set an early status or settlement type conference and a date connected to the preliminary hearing. The names of these hearings can vary by courtroom, but they usually serve to check on the status of the case, see whether discovery has been exchanged, and find out whether there is any possibility of an early resolution.
At these early post-arraignment hearings, judges usually want to know if both sides are ready to move forward, whether there are discovery problems, and whether more time is needed. These appearances can be very brief from the court’s perspective, but they are key opportunities for your attorney to talk with the prosecutor, obtain additional reports, and start to feel out plea positions. Without context, they can feel like “nothing happened,” even though important groundwork is being laid behind the scenes.
Another concept that often comes up is “time” for the preliminary hearing and trial. Felony defendants have statutory time limits that give them the right to have the preliminary hearing and, later, trial within certain periods unless that time is waived. A “time waiver” means you agree, on the record, to give the court more time to hold those hearings. There can be good reasons to do this, such as allowing your defense team to complete the investigation or negotiate a better resolution. As part of our hands-on approach, we walk clients through what each type of hearing is, what the judge is looking for, and whether agreeing to a continuance or time waiver truly serves their interests.
The Riverside Felony Preliminary Hearing: What Really Happens
The preliminary hearing is one of the most misunderstood parts of a Riverside felony case. It is not a full trial, and there is no jury. Instead, the judge listens to evidence and decides whether there is enough to hold you to answer on each felony charge. The legal standard is called “probable cause,” which basically means the judge is deciding if there is reasonable evidence that a crime was committed and that you were involved, not whether the prosecution has proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
At a preliminary hearing, the prosecutor typically calls key witnesses, which may include police officers, alleged victims, or other fact witnesses. Your attorney has the right to cross-examine those witnesses, challenge the strength or reliability of their testimony, and sometimes present limited defense evidence. The hearing is more informal than a trial in some ways, but it is often the first time anyone testifies under oath about what happened.
Several important outcomes can flow from this hearing. The judge can decide to hold you to answer on all the charges, which means the case moves forward as charged. The judge can also reduce certain charges, such as reducing a felony to a misdemeanor in some situations, or decline to hold you on specific counts or allegations if the evidence is weak. In some cases, a judge may find there is not enough probable cause on the main charges at all. These rulings affect not only what you face at trial, but also the leverage on both sides in later plea discussions. Because we have worked as prosecutors and now as defense attorneys, we know how the Riverside District Attorney’s office prepares for prelims and how to use cross-examination and legal argument to narrow or challenge the case at this stage.
Plea Options & Plea Bargaining After Arraignment
Plea bargaining can begin very early in a Riverside felony case, sometimes as soon as the arraignment. The prosecutor may float an initial offer at a status or settlement conference based on police reports and charging standards. Later, after the preliminary hearing, offers can change because both sides have seen some of the evidence tested. A plea bargain is an agreement where you give up your right to go to trial in exchange for a specific outcome, such as reduced charges, a particular sentencing range, or certain probation terms.
A real plea discussion goes far beyond “guilty or not guilty.” It involves examining whether the proposed charges are accurate, what sentencing enhancements or strike allegations are attached, what the likely sentence range would be, and what collateral effects might follow you, such as immigration consequences or limitations on future employment and licensing. Many people feel pressure to accept the first offer because it seems like the fastest way out, without realizing how long the consequences of that decision can last.
Rushing into a plea before your attorney has reviewed full discovery, investigated defenses, and pushed the prosecution on weak points can lock you into a harsh result. In many cases, the way a preliminary hearing goes can open the door to a better offer or a different charging structure. Our approach is aggressive and strategic, which means we do not simply wait for offers to appear. We evaluate them against what we know about the evidence, the judge’s tendencies, and how Riverside prosecutors have handled similar cases over many years, then advise you on the tradeoffs in clear, direct terms.
How We Use the Time Between Hearings to Build Your Defense
From the outside, it can look like nothing is happening between court dates. In reality, the most important work on a felony case usually takes place during that time. After the arraignment, we focus on obtaining and reviewing every piece of discovery we can, including police reports, body camera footage, lab results, and witness statements. We examine the way evidence was obtained to see whether there are grounds for a suppression motion or other legal challenge.
Alongside this legal review, we start our own investigation. This can include interviewing witnesses the police did not talk to, re-interviewing key witnesses to explore inconsistencies, visiting the scene, or consulting with experts when needed. The goal is to develop a fuller picture of what happened than what appears in the initial reports, and to identify facts that can support motions, negotiation, or trial themes.
We also use this time to prepare for specific hearings. For example, if bail remains a problem, we may look at filing a bail review motion, supported by information about your ties to the community, employment, and any treatment or counseling you have begun. Documents like pay stubs, school records, certificates from programs, and character letters from employers or community members can all play a role. Because we are a boutique firm, our clients work directly with experienced attorneys on these steps. We do not push this crucial work down to junior staff, and we keep clients updated so they know what is happening between each appearance.
What to Expect If Your Riverside Felony Case Moves Toward Trial
If your case does not resolve by plea after the preliminary hearing, it moves into a different phase. After the judge holds you to answer, the prosecutor files a document called an information, which is a formal statement of the charges going forward. You then appear for an information arraignment, where the new document is read or waived, and you enter another plea, usually again “not guilty.” This hearing can be brief, but it marks the transition into pretrial and trial-setting.
From there, the court typically schedules pretrial conferences and a trial setting date. At pretrial conferences, the judge meets with the attorneys to discuss the status of discovery, any pending motions, and whether either side is realistically ready for trial. These conferences also provide more chances to negotiate, especially if new evidence or rulings have changed the strength of the case. Both sides weigh the risks of trial against any remaining plea options.
If the case does go to trial, you face a more involved process that includes jury selection, opening statements, witness testimony, evidence presentation, and closing arguments. Many felony cases resolve before reaching this point, but the court treats the possibility of trial seriously from the moment the information is filed. Our history of trying serious felony cases in Riverside since 1980 means we prepare from early on as if a case could be tried, which not only protects you if a trial is necessary but also signals to prosecutors that we are ready to hold them to their burden.
Practical Steps You & Your Family Can Take Right After Arraignment
While your attorney focuses on the legal and strategic work, there are concrete steps you and your family can take that make a real difference. Start by organizing all paperwork you received at arraignment, including the minute order and any bail documents. Highlight or write down the upcoming court dates, the courtroom department, and your case number. Having this information handy makes communication with your lawyer and the court far smoother.
Next, begin gathering basic background materials that may become important. These can include proof of employment or school enrollment, any documentation of medical or mental health treatment, records of counseling or programs you start after the incident, and contact information for people who can speak to your character. For families of someone in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center or another Riverside County facility, keeping a written log of events and questions to pass along to counsel can help ensure nothing is missed.
Early contact with a defense firm is often the difference between reacting to each court date and having a plan in place. The time between your arraignment and preliminary hearing in Riverside can be short, especially if you have not waived time. We prioritize unmatched communication, which means we return calls quickly, explain what each upcoming hearing is for, and keep families updated before and after each appearance. All of these conversations are confidential, and when we talk through strategy, we always consider how outcomes will affect your loved ones as well as you.
Why Having a Former Prosecutor Felony Defense Team Matters After Arraignment
The period after a felony arraignment in Riverside is when prosecutorial decisions and defense strategy interact the most. At bail review, the prosecutor decides what position to take on your custody status. At preliminary hearing, they choose which witnesses to call and what charges to emphasize. In plea negotiations, they weigh how likely they are to prove particular allegations at trial. A defense team that understands how prosecutors think at each of these points can plan moves that anticipate and respond to those choices.
As former prosecutors, we have stood on the other side of the courtroom and made those decisions in Riverside felony cases. We know the factors prosecutors typically consider when deciding whether to offer a reduction, how they evaluate witness weaknesses after a tough cross-examination at prelim, and what sentencing arguments they are likely to make if a case heads toward trial. We use that insight to build leverage where we can, to choose when to push and when to listen, and to present your story in ways that resonate with both the court and the district attorney’s office.
Our boutique, hands-on structure fits this stage of a felony case. Because you work directly with experienced attorneys, not layers of junior staff, we can react quickly to new discovery, changing offers, and shifting court schedules. We combine an aggressive, strategic mindset with constant communication, so you are not left guessing about what your next Riverside court date is for or why a particular step is being taken. In a process that can feel overwhelming and impersonal, that kind of focused attention can make the path after arraignment more understandable and more manageable.
Take Control Of What Happens After Your Riverside Felony Arraignment
A felony arraignment in Riverside can feel like the moment your life spun out of control, but in reality it is just the opening move in a longer process. The hearings and decisions that follow, from early status conferences through the preliminary hearing and beyond, are where preparation, investigation, and smart strategy can change the direction of your case. You do not have to walk into those next court dates uncertain about what they mean or what your options really are.
If you or a loved one has recently had a felony arraignment in Riverside, we invite you to contact us online at Greenberg, Greenberg & Kenyon to talk about the specific dates and paperwork in your case. We can review where you are on the Riverside felony timeline, explain what each upcoming hearing is likely to involve, and start building a plan that protects your rights and your future. Your next court date is closer than it seems, and having experienced former prosecutors on your side now can make a real difference in how the rest of the case unfolds.
Call (951) 574-2281 to speak with our team in complete confidence.