What happens after an arrest?

If you have never been arrested and you learn that someone you care about has been it is likely that you will have many questions about what is happening to them. The process is relatively simple. At just about any time after the arrest the person can be bailed out, which may mean that they skip some of the below steps. However, if they are to remain in jail for several days this is what will happen.

Arrest, transport and processing

The first thing that will happen is the person will be confronted by officers and if they are suspected of a crime they will be arrested. At this point they will be transported to the jail and booked. The processing time is usually relatively short. Once the defendant is processed they can generally be bailed out, should they have someone that will do that for them.

Appearing before the judge (Arraignment)

If the person is not bailed out they will go through a formal arraignment process which generally includes being transported to the courthouse to stand before the judge. The judge will read the charges against the defendant and they will have the opportunity to plead guilty or innocent. If the person pleads guilty the judge will issue a sentence.

Bail options

Should the person plead innocent the judge can alter the original bail amount, which is usually set according to a bail schedule based on common crimes. The bail most often stays the same but it can go up, down or even withheld, which means the person is being denied bail. This usually happens if the person is deemed dangerous or a flight risk.

Case goes to trial

At this point the case will go to trial at some date in the future. This can be months and months in the future and the defendant will have to remain locked up if they are not bailed out.

To avoid having your loved one sit in jail for an unnecessary amount of time before their trial you can post bail for them using a bail bond. If you need to post bail in Rancho Cucamonga get in touch with Arrow Bail Bonds. We will be happy help you during this tough time, and we are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To learn more about the benefits of posting bail in Southern California get in touch with us today by calling (909) 891-0578.