arrested in chicago

What Happens If You Are Arrested?

Arrest procedures vary slightly from town to town. Chicago procedure is a good example of what occurs when you’re arrested.

Once arrested, a police officer will handcuff and drive you to a local police station for booking.

In some cases, you may be first taken to the scene of the crime or shown to witnesses depending on what you have

been arrested for.

You have the right to remain silent. Do not discuss the facts with any officer and be respectful.

For traffic tickets and petty offenses, processing can be as simple as the officer entering basic information about you into a squad car database. You are released from the scene on your promise to appear for your court date.

For serious traffic cases, most misdemeanors, and all felonies, bookings also

includes mug shots and finger printing back at the

police station.

For misdemeanor crimes, the arrestees also can be released from the station on their promise to appear for their court date. However, a police supervisor might require on a misdemeanor a

bond of a couple hundred dollars depending on the charge and your criminal history.

Your possessions, your vehicle, and its contents will be inventoried and stored during your processing. You usually must pay impound fees to

release your vehicle.

After the police have completed their investigation and booking, you are normally allowed a telephone call in order to secure a lawyer, arrange bail, or to let someone know you’ve been arrested.

You are then sent to a holding cell to wait the bail bond procedures that apply to your charges.

If there are no warrants out for your arrest and your infraction is minor, you’ll get out within a few hours.

A bond hearing in front of a judge is required for all felonies and for Domestic Battery. Central Bond Court is held 365 days a year.

Bail may be paid by cash, cashiers check or credit card.

The judge sets your bond based on the charges, your criminal history and your personal history. Bail secures your appearance in court

Persons with no criminal history who are facing less serious felonies might be ordered by the bond court judge to be released on electric home monitoring if they can not afford bail.

If you cannot post bond, you will remain in jail until your case is resolved in court.

Whether you post bond or remain in jail, you and your family will want to quickly hire a criminal lawyer so that he or she is ready at your first, and hopefully last, court date to defend you.

Ray Bendig has 25 years of experience in the

Chicago area defending cases including:

Aggravated BatteryAssault & BatteryArmed Robbery / RobberyAttempted Murder / MurderAuto Theft - Grand Theft Auto - PossessionBurglary DUI - Drunk DrivingDomestic Violence - Domestic BatteryDrivers License Charges - Suspended / Revoked License Drugs - Controlled Substance - Cannabis - MarijuanaGang CrimesJuvenile CrimesMisdemeanorsOrders of ProtectionProbation ViolationsProstitutionTheft ChargesWhite Collar Crimes

About Ray Bendig • native Chicagoan• earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law• has a thorough understanding of the Illinois criminal law legal system• been practicing criminal law in the Chicago area since 1988• successfully defended countless cases in Cook, Lake, Will and DuPage

County courtrooms as well as many other counties, several Federal Districts, other states, and state and Federal Appellate Courts

For a free initial case evaluation, contact Ray Bendig:

office phone: 773-594-9541cell: 773-450-2206bendig12@flash.net

www.bendigcriminallaw.com