Editing Preliminary hearing (section)

===Terminology===
In criminal prosecutions, the court schedules an [[arraignment]] at which the charges are formally presented to the defendant. Several procedures must be done before the arraignment can happen. For example, in most states, the prosecutor first files an “information” document with the court. This filing describes the basic elements (the facts or factors) that make up the alleged criminal offense. Relatedly, the filing enumerates the criminal law(s) that the defendant allegedly violated. Finally, the defendant is scheduled for an arraignment which is when the charge is formally and openly presented. If the defendant pleads not guilty at the arraignment, the court schedules a preliminary hearing.<ref name="paam"/>

Where an indictment is obtained through means other than an information document, such as through [[Grand juries in the United States|grand jury proceedings]] or after an arrest when the defendant is first brought to court, the arraignment may be referred to as an "initial hearing",<ref>{{cite web|title=Initial Hearing / Arraignment|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao/justice-101/initial-hearing|website=Office of the United States Attorneys|access-date=15 September 2017}}</ref> or "preliminary arraignment",<ref>{{cite web|title=Preliminary Arraignment|url=http://pcv.pccd.pa.gov/available-services/Pages/Preliminary-Arraignment.aspx|website=Pennsylvania Office of Victim's Services|access-date=15 September 2017}}</ref> which is different from a preliminary hearing. Those other hearings are not probable cause hearings.