The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress onMay 30, 1854<span>. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of </span>1820<span> which prohibited slavery north.</span>
If you are held for court, the next step in the process is arraignment. Formal arraignment is a hearing in which a judge or commissioner will advise the defendant of the charges that have survived the preliminary hearing and ask the defendant how he or she pleads.
