Should I plead not guilty at arraignment?

Yes, essentially always. A not guilty plea at arraignment is not a claim about what happened — it's a procedural step that keeps every option open.

What it preserves: the right to receive discovery and see the State's evidence, the ability to file motions including suppression, the opportunity to depose witnesses, and the ability to negotiate from a position of knowing what the case is.

Pleading guilty at arraignment gives all of that away, and it happens more often than it should — usually from a desire to get it over with, or because someone was told the offer expires.

Offers rarely expire the way people are told. And an offer accepted before discovery is an offer accepted without knowing whether the stop was lawful, whether the test was valid, or whether the witness will appear.

Nothing about pleading not guilty commits you to a trial. Most cases resolve without one. The plea simply preserves the ability to make that decision with information.