Minneapolis writer Joel Rosenberg, charged by Minneapolis police with a weapons violation, had his arraignment hearing on January 7.  Rosenberg’s blog reports:

The only thing we can say publicly is that Joel, along with his attorney, David Gross, appeared in court, as required, and that an “omnibus” hearing is scheduled for March 18th; it’s the next scheduled court hearing on this matter.

Under Minnesota law, an arraignment hearing is where the court ensures a defendant understands his rights and what he is charged with.

The next appearance, called an omnibus hearing, is where a defendant may challenge probable cause and any evidence obtained in violation of his constitutional rights.

After that the case is set for a pre-trial conference, and if a plea agreement has not been reached between the prosecution and defense, a trial date is set.