What Happens When Arrested for a Sex Crime?

When a person is arrested for criminal sexual conduct, they are taken to jail to be fingerprinted, booked, and in most jurisdictions, held until arraignment. The person may, depending on whether the jail officers feel like it, be given a phone call. Next, that person will be taken in front of a judge to be arraigned. At the arraignment, that person will have an opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty and the judge will order bond conditions.

Bond conditions typically include an amount of money the person must pay to be released, no contact with the accuser, and no travel outside the state. The amount of cash bond someone must pay is a significant issue. The bond amount for the most serious sex crimes can be in the tens and thousands of dollars. It can be the difference between never spending more than a few hours in jail versus spending months in jail waiting for a trial because their client or client’s family could not pay the bond.

If a good sex crimes lawyer is at the arraignment the lawyer will try to convince the judge that a minimal bond amount is appropriate and therefore give their client a better chance of being released.

Whether an individual can contact a lawyer depends on whether they are in jail. If someone has not been arrested yet but learns that they may be investigated for criminal sexual conduct, that person should contact a qualified attorney immediately and before speaking with police. If someone is in jail, the jail may allow that person to make a call. Now, most people don’t know the phone number for a sex crimes lawyer right of the top of their head and they’d rather call family with the one call that they get. Therefore, it would be important in that situation to have a family member call a sex crimes lawyer immediately.

It’s important to talk to a lawyer before talking to authorities because a lawyer can advise in communications with the police so the person doesn’t inadvertently incriminate themselves. The lawyer can also proactively try to prevent charges and begin to formulate a strategy to get the case, once filed, dismissed. Call right away to speak to a qualified attorney.