Chapter 7. Arrest Of Judgment of California Penal Code >> Title 7. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 7.

A motion in arrest of judgment is an application on the part of the defendant that no judgment be rendered on a plea, finding, or verdict of guilty, or on a finding or verdict against the defendant, on a plea of a former conviction, former acquittal or once in jeopardy. It may be founded on any of the defects in the accusatory pleading mentioned in Section 1004, unless the objection has been waived by a failure to demur, and must be made and determined before the judgment is pronounced. When determined, the order must be immediately entered in the minutes.

The court may, on its own motion, at any time before judgment is pronounced, arrest the judgment for any of the defects in the accusatory pleading upon which a motion in arrest of judgment may be founded as provided in Section 1185, by order for that purpose entered upon its minutes.

The effect of an order arresting judgment, in a felony case, is to place the defendant in the same situation in which the defendant was immediately before the indictment was found or information filed. In a misdemeanor or infraction case, the effect is to place the defendant in the situation in which the defendant was before the trial was had.

If, from the evidence on the trial, there is reason to believe the defendant guilty, and a new indictment or information can be framed upon which he may be convicted, the court may order him to be recommitted to the officer of the proper county, or admitted to bail anew, to answer the new indictment or information. If the evidence shows him guilty of another offense, he must be committed or held thereon, and in neither case shall the verdict be a bar to another prosecution. But if no evidence appears sufficient to charge him with any offense, he must, if in custody, be discharged; or if admitted to bail, his bail is exonerated; or if money has been deposited instead of bail, it must be refunded to the defendant or to the person or persons found by the court to have deposited said money on behalf of said defendant; and the arrest of judgment shall operate as an acquittal of the charge upon which the indictment or information was founded.