What Happens If A Relative Is Arrested?
Posted on: 12 November 2019
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If you know a family member has been arrested, then you'll want to make sure you do what you can to help them through the process the best you can. If you aren't familiar with the legal system and how things work during an arrest, then the information here can guide you through things.
Stay by phones to receive a call.
The first thing you should do is to make sure you have someone near a landline. Also be sure any and all cell phones they may call are on and charged with the ring volume turned up. It is highly likely they will call you and let you know where they are, so you can proceed accordingly.
What happens directly after an arrest?
Generally, what happens right after someone has been arrested is they are taken to the police station for the jurisdiction the arrest took place in. They may be held at the police station or the county jail until they have their bail hearing.
What should you do about health conditions?
Your loved one should let the jail staff know if they have health conditions and need medication. You should round up their medication and make sure the medications are all in current bottles with the labels on them. Bring the medication to the jail, and try to get a letter from their doctor with information on their diagnosis and list of medications and doses. You can also present this letter to the jail.
What happens at the bail hearing?
The defendant will go to a bail hearing where their bail will be set. You want to be at this bail hearing so you can learn the bail amount. This is the amount that needs to be put up in order for them to get out of jail until their trial. Trials can take a long time to come, and without bail, this means a person can spend a lot of time in jail, even if they end up being found not guilty after their trial.
What should you do after the bail hearing?
Once the bail amount has been determined, you'll need a bail bonds company to provide bail, unless you can cover the full amount, which is generally too high for many people. You'll need to put up collateral that will cover the cost the bondsman will put forth, so they will be guaranteed their money back should your relative decide to skip out on their court date.