Arrested? Now What?
It’s quite a frightening situation. An officer seems very interested in pinning a crime on you, and you just don’t know how to react. While it’s true that the circumstances surrounding every arrest are different, there are some general patterns you can expect should you find yourself in the unenviable position of having law enforcement believe you to be the likely culprit behind a crime. Regardless of the situation, you should always follow the officer’s instructions, behave respectfully, and wait until you have your attorney on site to speak. Here’s a rough idea of what to expect.
First Things First
Upon arrest you will hopefully be read your Miranda rights, where you will be advised that anything you say can later be used against you. Heed that warning!
Processing
You can expect to be cuffed and hauled to a local precinct where you will be booked. That is essentially the administrative process that occurs to document the arrest, which entails the mug shot, fingerprinting, identity verification, a search, and an initial medical assessment. They’ll run your info through their system to see if you have any outstanding warrants as well. Then you’ll turn in your personal clothing and property and switch into the official jail uniform (your personal items will be returned when you’re released when you present a voucher that lists your possessions.) Then it’s off to a holding cell or general housing until next steps are determined by either a court commissioner or a judge. There are three possibilities at this point:
- You could be Released on your own Recognizance (ROR);
- You could be released on bail with a commitment to return to court on a future date;
- You could remain in jail until a later date.
Court
Your case will be assigned a court date for the arraignment, where the charges will be read and you will enter a plea. The judge will then decide whether there is enough evidence to support the charges or if the case should be dismissed, in which case you’d be released and the whole thing is over with. Otherwise, a trial date will be set.
The Wheels of Justice
As you await your trial date, it’s possible negotiations on a plea deal will occur between your defense attorney and the district attorney. That could result in bypassing a trial and having you enter a guilty plea on lesser charges. Otherwise, plan on a trial, with witness testimony, evidence presentations, and jury deliberations.
Advocating for You
The well-qualified and ethical Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys at Lobo Law always fight to achieve the best possible outcomes for you. To discuss, schedule a confidential consultation in our Las Vegas office today.
