Were you recently arrested due to involvement of some form in a criminal activity? You may be wondering what’s going to happen next. Being arrested is an experience that can incite fear, anxiety, and anger. The most important part of this process is calming yourself and taking the right steps to make sure that things go smoothly. Take these simple steps to make that happen.
Talk to Family or Friends
After being arrested, you’ll be given the opportunity to contact family or friends to alert them to your current circumstances. When calling your family member, it’s most important to remember to pick one that can help keep you calm and guide you through the process accordingly. Picking the right person can make the process easy or difficult.
Follow Your Lawyer’s Advice
Following your arrest, you can choose to be represented by a lawyer or go without presentation. If you choose to take on representation, you’ll be given the choice between a public defender or hiring a lawyer on your own. When you’ve chosen a lawyer, whether or not they’re privately hired or a public defender, be sure to follow their guidance. They’re there to assist you in minimizing the impact of your actions on the rest of your life.
Act Appropriately
When in legal custody, acting appropriately is one of the best favors you can do for yourself. Keeping your head down, acting with kindness, being compliant, and following the rules while in legal custody can make a positive impression on the people around you. Being on your best behavior is the best way to get a reduced sentence, or early release.
Wait For Your Arraignment
An arraignment hearing is a meeting with the judge to determine the next steps in your particular case. These hearings can happen at any point in time after you’ve been taken into custody, and how quickly they occur is entirely dependent upon how busy the courts are that day. Typically, at an arraignment hearing you’ll be told what the next steps in your case are, what your assigned court date is, and how much the bail amount will be in order for you to be released.
Contact a Bail Bondsman
After you know the conditions of your bail, you’ll be able to contact a bail bondsman to be able to assist you. When choosing a bail bondsman, it’s important to make sure that they are reputable and able to satisfy your needs so that you can be released in a timely manner. Mercy Bail Bonds are dedicated to serving the needs of our community and assisting them in an effective manner.
If you’ve been arrested recently, knowing the right steps to take can make all the difference in your already stressful situation. Talking to the right family and friends and following your lawyer’s advice is key in keeping things running smoothly. Be sure to act appropriately while in custody, it normally leads to better outcomes, and can help get you released sooner rather than later.