Rule 34 Arrest of Judgment

If you've been convicted of a crime, you can ask the court to cancel, or "arrest," the judgment against you. But you can only do this for two specific reasons. First, the charging document (like the indictment) must have failed to actually charge you with a real crime. Second, the court must not have had the legal authority (jurisdiction) to handle your case in the first place. This rule doesn't let you challenge the judgment for other reasons, like disagreeing with the evidence or the verdict.

If you want to make this request, you can start by asking the judge out loud in court. But you also need to put your request in writing and file it with the court within 30 days after the judge enters your sentence. Missing that deadline means you lose the chance to make this specific request.

Asking for an arrest of judgment doesn't stop you from also asking for a new trial. You can do both. Filing one motion doesn't cancel out your right to file the other.