How to Handle the Arrest of a Family Member

ByMaggie Bloom

An arrest is a time of confusion and can be anxiety-inducing for many. Although it is easier as a family member to put your head in the sand until the ordeal is over, that won’t resolve the situation, nor is it realistic. Instead, the six tips below explain how you should handle the arrest of a family member. These tips serve as a guide as you help them through the process.

 

1. Stay Calm

Whether you are there when your family member got arrested or hear the grueling details later, an arrest is a traumatizing time. Being polite to law enforcement goes a long way if you are there during the arrest. Unless your family member gets mistreated, you must remain calm during the arrest.

 

Staying calm has several benefits. Some of those include:

  • Makes you a better listener – hearing the what, when, and why’s to what is happening.

  • Staying calm keeps you from incriminating your family member.

  • Staying calm helps keep police from arresting you as well.

2. Assure Your Family That You Are On The Outside Working

When things don’t happen fast enough, your family member will assume it’s because you aren’t working. Assure your family member that you are working to help them in this situation.

 

Keeping a list of what you are doing to help your arrested family member is essential. It can be slight gestures such as feeding a pet or more significant gestures such as paying to keep utilities turned on.

 

3. Gather Information

When a person gets arrested, a lot happens behind the scenes. One of the first the arrested person gets an arrest or inmate number. Get that number since it follows them through the system and makes it easier to track them. Other information that you should gather includes:

  • The arresting officer’s names

  • The precinct or jail where your family member is being held

  • The date when they will get arraigned

4. Start Making Plans

Unless you have a bank account with many zeros in the balance, you may need financial help retaining an attorney, paying bail, or any other fees involved with the arrest. Therefore, start making plans with other family members as soon as possible.

 

Bail is a big issue when someone gets arrested. While some states have complicated and tricky bail rules, others make them easier to understand. For instance, you will want to contact a San Diego bail bonds office to help you start the process of bailing your loved one out if that is an option in their case. They will link you with licensed and experienced bail professionals, offer easy payment plans, and no collateral is needed.

 

5. Find An Attorney

Unless you have a family lawyer or get a referral for a great lawyer, you may get overwhelmed when looking for a lawyer. Some tips for finding an attorney include:

  • Determine what kind of attorney you need

  • Contact your local bar association for referrals

  • Make a list of potential attorney

  • Start making appointments

  • Go to consultations and get opinions

  • Narrow down and hire an attorney

  • Negotiate fee/payment arrangements

  • Sign retainer agreements

6. Attend Arraignment And Hearings

After the arrest, arraignment is the first process in a criminal case. It comes after the arrest and booking and is when the judge determines bail. The arraignment is an excellent time for the arrested person to see a friendly face. While you won’t have a role at the arraignment, being there to support your family is essential.

 

Being in court for the arraignment is also crucial if you haven’t gotten many details about the arrest. That is because, during the arraignment, the judge reads the formal charges and makes sure the defendant understands the charges. The defendant also pleads at the arraignment.

 

Also, there will be many more hearings as the case moves through the court system. It is important for a family member to be at as many as possible. Some of those include:

  • Show cause hearing

  • Pretrial status hearing

  • Trial

Conclusion

As you have read, an arrest is a time of confusion and can be anxiety-inducing. Instead of spinning your heels, the six tips above explain how you should handle the arrest of a family member. These tips will guide you as you help them through the process.