Believe it or not, quite a few people are arrested on any given day. This is especially true in larger cities like Houston or Dallas. When a person that’s been arrested turns out to be a friend of yours though, then the situation can be far more personal. If you care about the person, or if they contact you asking for help, then you’re likely going to be stuck wondering what you can do about the problem, and how you’re going to handle the complicated process of securing their release from jail.
It’s important to understand that your friend will have little to no contact with the world outside their jail cell once they’ve gone through the booking process, and ultimately, they’re not going to get very far without support. One of the most effective things you can do for your friend is helping them secure the funds needed to cover bail, but in most cases, there may be a better way to handle it than simply appearing at the jail yourself and slogging through the paperwork alone.
Start with Research and Gather Information
The first thing you’ll need to do is collect as much information as possible related to their arrest. If you happen to be with your friend when they’re handcuffed and put in the back of a cruiser, then you can try talking with officers at the scene, but it’s important to remember to be courteous and patient. While most officers will be willing to provide you basic information, they may be less accommodating if you ask too many questions about the case itself.
The most important pieces of information you want to collect are the details on where your friend will be once they are arrested and booked, along with the possibility of whether or not bail could be posted. Most officers will likely have some familiarity with the bail schedule for common offenses, and as long as you civilly approach them, they’re likely to give you at least basic information about the situation.
Be aware that whether you are speaking with an officer, or contacting the jail directly at a later time, anything you say could be used as part of a case against your friend. Be sure to keep your conversations brief, and focused solely on the topic of securing their release. Providing any additional information could have a direct consequence on your friend’s court proceedings down the road.
Reach out to a Bail Bondsman
Once you’ve gathered all the information you can about your friend, your next step should be to contact a reputable bail bondsman, like our team here at ABC Bail Bonds. The reality is that bail is often far more expensive than most people could ever afford. While it is true that the money is returned in full after any court proceedings in most cases, the money is still inaccessible during this time, and many people simply do not have thousands of dollars laying around.
By working with a professional bail bonds agency, you can help your friend secure their release for a much smaller fee, gain the professional experience and knowledge of the bail bond agent while addressing any paperwork, and also prevent your name from becoming part of the public record. While you will be required to fill out paperwork indicating that you accept responsibility for making sure your friend attends their upcoming court dates, the possibility of quickly securing a release is much higher when working with a licensed bail bond agent.
Don’t Forget About an Attorney
Aside from a professional bail bond agent, it can also be extremely helpful to reach out to an attorney and ask them to get in contact with your friend. Doing this is an important part of making sure that any questions they are being asked while in jail are answered by an experienced attorney so that they will not have an even harder time during their court case down the road.
The sooner your friend can answer questions in the presence of an attorney, the better their situation will be both personally and in the eyes of the court. Learning that your friend has been arrested can be a stressful, frustrating situation, but by acting quickly to secure help from a professional bail bondsman and an experienced attorney, you can feel confident knowing that you’ve done as much as possible to make your friend’s situation better during their time in jail.
