I was arrested, What is going to happen?

As a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer most of my clients call me after they have been arrested in Jacksonville, Clay County, Nassau County, or the surrounding area. An arrest in Jacksonville, Clay, St. Augustine, or Nassau County can happen in one of two ways. The first way is the traditional arrest, that we all know of or have seen, that involves being placed in handcuffs and take to the local Florida Police Station. However, as an alternative, the officer can just issue a Notice to Appear and let you go on your way. A Notice to Appear is a piece of paper that acts as an arrest, but you are not actually taken into custody by the Jacksonville, Clay, or Nassau Police. You will have to make a court date to address the criminal charge in Jacksonville. A notice to appear is normally issued to people who have never been in trouble before and is up to the police discretion.

If you have been arrested in Jacksonville, Clay, or Nassau County you will be taken to a pretrial detention center. Once at the pretrial detention center, you will be searched, fingerprinted and seen by a jail nurse. Once your medical evaluation is over, you will be told to change into the jail clothes and put on one of six floors at the jail.

While in detention, before your first appearance before the judge, the police may try to interrogate you and try to gain valuable information in proving their case. However, you have the right to remain silent and as a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer I strongly advise you to exercise that right. As a Jacksonville, Clay, or Nassau Criminal Defendant, you must remember that the police are not there to help you, they are there to justify their arrest. When approached by the police at the pretrial detention center, ask to speak to a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer and don’t say anything else to the police. It could prove to be the difference between a conviction and having the charges dropped.

Therefore, if you have been arrested in Duval, Clay, Nassau, or the surrounding Counties, contact a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer to represent you during these legal proceedings. It could just prove to be invaluable in your Florida Criminal Case.