First 48 hours: what to do
- Confirm facility name, booking number, arresting agency, and earliest time for counsel to speak with them.
- Treat non-legal calls as recorded: share logistics only (who/when/where), not case facts.
- Choose one family point person to relay updates and reduce confusion.
- Create a short timeline while details are fresh; store with documents.
Bail/bond: Ask counsel whether to post immediately or wait for a hearing. Keep every receipt and release-condition paperwork.
Common terms (plain English)
- Probable cause
- Facts that support an arrest.
- Detention
- You’re not free to leave while officers investigate.
- Consent
- Permission to search—declining keeps protections in place.
- Booking
- Identification, property inventory, and initial paperwork at a jail.
- Arraignment
- First court appearance; scheduling and initial decisions happen here.