Getting a phone call from someone who has been arrested and in jail can be quite alarming, especially if the person calling is your spouse. Depending on the charges, an arrest can be just the beginning of months of court dates and legal proceedings. If you have learned that your spouse has been arrested and is being held in jail, use the following tips:
Keep the Phone Call Brief
When you get a call from your spouse and he or she is being held in jail, do your best to keep the conversation short and brief. It is normal to be curious about what happened, but the last thing you want is for your spouse to accidentally incriminate him or herself since most phone calls from jail are recorded. Ask what jail your spouse is at and what he or she has been arrested for. The rest of your questions can be answered answered after your spouse is released.
Hire a Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer who specializes in criminal defense is essential, and the earlier you do it, the better. When you hire a lawyer right away, your spouse will most likely be able to recount all of the details of the arrest while it is still fresh in his or her mind. Important information can be lost if your spouse waits several days or more than a week to speak to a lawyer. Waiting to hire a lawyer will also decrease the amount of time that the attorney has to prepare your spouse's case.
Get Your Spouse Released from Jail
When your spouse is arrested and held in jail, he or she will have to appear before a judge and the judge will set a bond amount. This is the amount of money that must be paid in order for your spouse to be released. You are welcome to pay in cash or with a check, but depending on the charges the bond amount can be very high-- many people find that they do not have the funds available to post bond themselves.
If you can't afford to post bond but don't want you spouse to sit in jail until his or her next court appearance, you can contact a bail bonds company like All Star Bail Bonds. You will be required to pay a non-refundable fee, and the bail bonds company will put up the rest of the bond amount on your behalf. Make sure that your spouse does not miss any court appearances, because if he or she does the court will keep the entire bond amount and you will be responsible for repaying the bail bonds company.
