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You’re Under Arrest! – Now What?

October 15, 2008 By 3 Comments

By Andrew Sarski

Although you may be confused, scared or angry at first, if you have been placed under arrest or have been asked to go to the police station for questioning in a crime, you should contact a criminal defense lawyer immediately. Criminal defense lawyers know what your rights are and how you should handle your arrest.

A qualified defense attorney will advise you on your rights so you don’t get caught off guard by police interrogation tactics. This legal advice alone could protect your freedom. After arrest and bail, you will be arraigned and assigned a court date. The US Court System is a very complicated justice system and you will need an attorney that is well versed in your state laws to argue your case. The following topics may help you understand the criminal justice process if you have been charged with a crime.

Severity of Criminal Charges

You could be charged with an infraction. An example of an infraction could be a noise violation. The punishment of an infraction can not be jail time, only fines, the loss of your license or other personal liberty restrictions, excluding jail. You can not go to jail for an infraction. There are times in negotiations between your criminal defense attorney and the prosecutor of your case will reduce a greater charge (felony or misdemeanor) to an infraction with an admittance of guilt. If you are charged with a Misdemeanor, the punishment is more severe. A misdemeanor can carry a jail sentence (up to a year in jail) and large fines. If it is your first offense and you are convicted, the best case scenario is you are offered probation and a hefty fine. Being charged with a felony is the most serious criminal charge that can be brought against you. If you are convicted of a felony you may be sentenced to jail time in State Prison.

How to Handle the Police looking for you

If the police are looking for you or have called you directly in relation to a crime, it is in your best interest to talk to a lawyer before you speak with the police. Although you have not been placed under arrest, anything you say to the police detectives over the telephone or casually in person can be used against you. Whatever you do, do not lie or tell mis truths to the police thinking that it can not be used against you. Everything can be used against you in the court of law if you have not been placed under arrest.

Miranda Rights

If you are in Police custody, it is most likely that the Police will read you your Miranda rights. If you are read the Miranda rights, everything you say can and most likely will be used against you in a court of law. At this point, it is most likely in your best interest to give the police officers your name and address and request to speak with a lawyer. After this, do not say anything until you speak with a lawyer.

This article should shed some light on what to expect if you are detained by the police or placed under arrest. Getting arrested is a horrible experience than can only get worse if you do not have an advocate fighting for you. If you have been arrested, contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. It is in your best interest as your very personal freedom is in jeopardy.

If you have been charged with a crime, contact an Oklahoma City Defense Attorney at the Law Firm of Atkins & Markoff. If you have been charged with a [http://www.oklahomasexcrimeslawcenter.com/]Sex Offense, [http://www.oklahomaduicenter.com/]Oklahoma City DUI or an [http://www.oklahomacriminallawcenter.com/oklahoma_drugoffenses.html]Oklahoma City Drug Charge, you need a qualified Defense Lawyer: Contact Atkins & Markoff today!

This article, which is not meant to be legal advice, may be republished providing all of the resource links remain intact.

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Filed Under: Getting Arrested, Going to Jail, What to Do in Jail Tagged With: , , ,

The Bill of Rights – The Speedy Trial

October 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Aazdak Alisimo

As you’ve probably seen on television and the movies, you have the right to a speedy trial as an American citizen. So, what exactly exactly is this speedy trial stuff about?

As citizens of the United States, you have certain inalienable rights. These include things such as the right to the freedom of speech, the right to bear arms and other civil liberties. The pillars of these rights are found in the Constitution. The sixth amendment of the constitution provides us with the right to a speedy and public trial.

So, who cares if you have the right to a speedy trial? What’s the big rush? Well, we have to look at other countries to get a better idea. Many authoritative regimes have touted themselves as democratic in nature. To one extent or another, they hold up the fact that they guarantee a right to trial to their citizens.

The problem, however, is in the details. They don’t offer a speedy trial. Instead, they arrest citizens and then let them sit in jail for years while waiting to go on trial. In some countries, they might wait up to ten years before getting their day in court. In a vast majority of these cases, the defendants are in jail because they object to actions being taken by the government.

The constitutional right to a speedy trial keeps the U.S. government from putting citizens in jail for a prolonged period. Following 9-11, the Bush administration has been roundly criticized for violating this notion via the Guantanamo Bay facility where prisoners have been held without any trials for years. The US Supreme Court has rejected the position of the Bush Administration and trials have begun.

So, how long can you sit in jail before the right to a speedy trial becomes an issue? It depends on the situation, but six months is generally a cut off period. Murder cases can be much longer. Ironically, most defendants do not invoke the right to a speedy trial as they want their attorneys to have time to mount a defence. In such cases, a defendant can waive his or her right to the speedy trial.

Aazdak Alisimo writes [http://www.criminaldefenselawyernet.com/criminal-law-articles]criminal law articles for CriminalDefenseLawyerNet.com where you can find a [http://www.criminaldefenselawyernet.com]criminal defense lawyer near you.

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Filed Under: Getting Arrested, Going to Court, Going to Jail Tagged With: , ,

Bail Bonds – Just Like Real Cash

October 14, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Michael Russell

Life can be special, especially if you’re living the life you dreamed of.  Everyone wants to have a long and fulfilling life.  Everyday you would like to experience something new.  Something that makes today better then yesterday and tomorrow better then today, but, life isn’t perfect and you shouldn’t expect it to be.  You grew up in this world, by the time you reach adulthood, you should know that there will be bad days.  Hopefully you have enough maturity and it helps you overcome the trials and tribulations of life, but for some people, life can become a nightmare.

There are so many things you can do in your life, but you need to be smart.  There are rules you must live by and if you chose to break those rules, then you may have to pay the consequences.  The biggest consequence you could pay, is to be arrested.  If your actions aren’t considered major, then you’ll probably get to go home, but if you committed, or you’re arrested on the suspicion of committing a serious crime, then you’re going to jail.

How long will you stay in jail?  Well, that depends on what you did.  If your crime was so heinous, then the court may decide to keep you in jail until your trial.  But if the court decides your crime doesn’t require you to stay in jail, the court will give you bail.  What is bail?  Bail is a fee the court charges you, to make sure you will appear in court.  You only have to pay a percentage of the bail amount.  If you appear in court, then your bail money will be returned, but if you don’t, then the money will be forfeited over to the court.

If you have a lot of money, then making bail won’t be a problem, but most people don’t have that amount of money easily available to them.  If you don’t have the money and you can’t find a relative who has, then your best chance of making bail, is with a bond.  The bail bond, just like cash, is issued as a guarantee that you will appear in court.  You can get a bail bond from a bail agent.  The agent will usually charge around 10% of the bond amount.  The bail bond is a contract and you will need someone to co-sign the contract.  The bail bond, just like cash, will be forfeited if you don’t appear in court.  But the major difference is, if you forfeit your bond, the person who co-signed for your bond will still be liable for paying off your bond.

Bail bonds are a good tool within the court system.  It allows people with low incomes, to be able to acquire some of the same rights, as people with high incomes.  But bail bonds are also a business and the fees can get steep, depending on the length of the bond.  Of course, the best thing for people to do, would be to live their lives within the law and never have to worry about whether they can or can’t make bail.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to [http://bailbond-guide.com/]Bail Bonds

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Filed Under: bail bonds, Getting Arrested Tagged With: , ,

The New World of Drunk Driving Today

October 13, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Lawrence Taylor

Driving under the influence of alcohol, or “DUI” as it is usually called, is the most commonly committed crime in the United States. Yet it is almost always committed by a noncriminal – that is, by an otherwise respectable citizen who has never been in trouble with the law. Consequently, representation of the DUI defendant often is attempted by attorneys not versed in drunk driving laws. Typically, the defendant’s business or family lawyer will undertake to represent him “as a favor”. Drunk driving, the lawyer tells himself, is merely a glorified traffic offense. Certainly it is not as serious or complex as a “real” crime, and therefore cannot call for any particular expertise.

This is invariably a tragic mistake. Any lawyer representing a client charged with DUI should be aware of certain preliminary facts.

Though the most common of all offenses, DUI is one of the most complex to understand and defend properly. And the stakes in a DUI case are high – higher in the long run than for most other crimes.

A unique system of legal standards and procedures exists in DUI cases, a system geared to facilitate a conviction. Once the DUI defense attorney is fully aware of these facts, he can proceed to competently represent his client.

Common though DUI is in our courts, it represents one of the most difficult criminal offenses to understand and to litigate. Consider first the nature of other crimes: If the client is charged with petty theft, for example, the issue is usually simply a question of whether he was really seen taking something; if burglary is the charge, perhaps fingerprints represent the most esoteric area involved (if even that); and, in a rape charge, semen analysis may be the only subject requiring any special expertise. In fact, in the majority of crimes, the trial hinges solely on one issue: Did the eyewitnesses see what they testified they saw? Even in circumstantial evidence cases, rarely is anything more exotic than DNA, handwriting analysis or ballistics evidence involved.

Now, consider only superficially what the primary issues are in a DUI case: What was the blood alcohol level in the defendant an hour or so prior to the analysis of a breath sample? To what extent was alcohol chemically affecting the brain tissue of the defendant in such away as to “appreciably” impair his “judgment,” his motor reactions, and his coordination?

In other words, the basic issue is to define chemically what was going on in the client’s brain and body at the time of arrest. Even brain surgeons do not yet fully understand how the human brain functions. Yet, in an attempt to determine the biochemical conditions within his client’s body at a remote moment, the DUI lawyer must be knowledgeable in chemistry, physiology, photochemical and infrared analysis, gas chromatography, etc. And what is meant by “appreciably” impaired? How does one define “judgment”? How is individual tolerance to alcohol measured? What effects do various drugs and medical conditions have on the metabolism of alcohol? Is there any inherent error in breathalyzers? These issues can continue seemingly without end.

Make no mistake: DUI is one of the most complex of all criminal charges, and undertaking to defend a client on such a charge without extensive preparation constitutes nothing short of malpractice.

The second misconception commonly held by both clients and attorneys is that the penalties for drunk driving are only minor. After all, DUI is only a step removed from a traffic citation.

Again, consider the probable consequences if the client were arrested for, say, petty theft, solicitation, or assault. Since it would probably be his first offense, and since he has probably led a sterling life, he will probably not receive jail time. Instead he will be fined perhaps $300 and placed on informal probation for approximately two years. In many jurisdictions, he can come back into court after a probationary period and have the conviction expunged – that is, erased from his record. End result: a few hundred dollars, inconvenience, and attorney’s fees. In fact, statistics indicate that the majority of defendants convicted of felonies end up serving no time in custody; the majority are placed on probation, often without even having to pay a fine.

What does the citizen arrested for DUI face? Depending on the jurisdiction, of course, the first offender may be fined $1,500 and also placed on probation, as a beginning. In addition, the court and/or DMV may take his driver’s license, a license that may be critical to operating his business or performing his job. His car maybe impounded or he may be required to have ignition “interlocks” placed in it. He will have to attend special DUI schools, occasionally for a “fee” of hundreds of dollars. According to one somewhat dated study, a convicted first offender’s average cost for bail, a DUI defense attorney, treatment programs, and fines exceeds $5,000 assuming no accident. Auto Club News (Southern California), October-November 1989. That figure is much higher today. And he may well serve time in jail; many jurisdictions now impose jail sentences for first offenders. On his second conviction he will almost certainly spend time in custody. This is not time served by a hardened con but by a terrified citizen totally unfamiliar with the callous penal system.

Already the person charged with DUI has suffered more punishment than the majority of convicted felons do. But there is more: A convicted defendant will end up paying thousands of dollars over the next few years in increased auto insurance premiums. He is required by law to carry automobile insurance, but he is now a convicted drunk driver who falls into a high risk category; his premiums will be far higher than those of a bank robber or murderer. Further, the client may be suffering from alcoholism. In effect, he may be criminally prosecuted and punished for having what is now recognized to be a medical (and possibly genetic) condition.

Lawrence Taylor is a former prosecutor, Fulbright professor of law, and author of the standard legal textbook, “Drunk Driving Defense, 6th Edition”. He is the senior member of an AV-rated law firm of [http://www.duicenter.com]California DUI attorneys practicing DUI defense exclusively since 1979.

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Filed Under: DUI, Getting Arrested Tagged With: , ,

Jail House Fitness Secrets

October 10, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Matt Marshall

I’m constantly searching and experimenting with new and unusual bodyweight exercises.

I often comb through used book stores searching for out-of-print fitness books. (Perhaps you’ve heard the expression: “If you want a new idea, check inside an old book.”)

Recently, I stumbled upon a fitness guide written by a man locked up in solitary confinement. This convict has achieved a high level of fitness even though he has no equipment, no weights, no machines and very little space to with.

Charles Bronson is a British convict. He was initially put in prison in the ’70′s and has been in prison ever since except for three months on the outside.

He is known for being incredibly strong and has many prison records including most push-ups done in one minute (118), most sit-ups done in one hour (1790) and most push-ups done in one hour (1727).

When I saw that he had written a book about his prison fitness plan, I was intrigued.

The book is called, “Solitary Fitness.” But before you rush out and buy it, there are a few things you should know.

There are many bad features about the book. And there a few good ones. I will try to sum up the pros and cons of the book so you can make an educated decision.

Negative Point #1: Conflicting advice regarding steroids.

Bronson tells his readers to stay away from steroids. This is good advice and I agree. But here’s a funny quirk about the book. Bronson himself could obviously not pose for pictures to demonstrate the exercises.

So they used a female bodybuilder. And the female bodybuilder they used for all the pictures is OBVIOUSLY on steroids. She’s bigger than most NFL linebackers and her face is incredibly masculine. Telltales signs of steroid abuse.

Negative Point #2: Lot’s of Hype And In-effective Exercises

Many of the exercises are boring and completely in-effective. One of the exercises he recommend is simply holding something in your hands and keeping your arms extended in front of you. (Think about how you’d hold a baby with a poopy diaper.)

Obviously, this exercise isn’t going to do too much for you other than give your front shoulders a bit of a workout. But Bronson claims this will pack 2 inches onto your chest in one month. I wish it were that easy.

The other exercises he recommends are pretty basic. Push-ups, sit-ups, step-ups, etc. He also seems to be hung-up on the concept of isometric tension.

For those of you who don’t know, isometric tension is flexing your muscles against an immovable object, such as pushing against a wall. This type of exercise has already been dismissed as completely in-effective but Bronson still seems to think it works.

Negative Point #3: Some downright W-E-I-R-D stuff.

Bronson devotes a whole chapter to the idea of punching a cow in the face. Mind you, not a cow that’s attacking you or anything. Just a normal cow that’s standing there minding it’s own business. Apparently knocking out an unsuspecting cow is considered a feat of strength.

He also talks about how he gives himself enema’s. I’ll spare you the details. And as if that weren’t enough there’s even a section on workouts for — how should I put this — workouts for your “love muscle.”

Were There Any Good Points About The Book?

Although I wouldn’t recommend that anyone actually waste money on this book, there were a couple good points.

Interesting Point #1: Bronson does not eat anything at all on Sundays and explains many of the healthy benefits of this practice.

I talk about this in my book, Maximum Muscle Minimum Time but I haven’t seen too many other people talking about it.

Interesting Point #2: Despite the shortcomings of the book, it is inspirational. Bronson accepts no excuses and knocks out 2500 push-ups per day. He really believes in respecting your own body and taking care of yourself.

Overall, the book wasn’t great. But you might want to check it out if you are curious. I believe it’s only available in the U.K. so check it out and read the reviews online.

Matt Marshall is not a personal trainer or a professional bodybuilder. He’s just a former skinny guy who figured out how average guys (with average genetics) can build muscle and develop outstanding physiques. To learn more about a fitness program that requires no equipment and no wide-open spaces, check out http://www.TheHomeWorkoutPlan.com

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Filed Under: Exercise, What to Do in Jail Tagged With: , ,

How to Go to Jail

October 10, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Solla Striker

PROCESSING: This is by far the very worst part about the jail experience. It is meant to be humiliating, crowded, not knowing what will happen because of what you did, lots of people in tears, maybe drunk or high, maybe just plain mean. Best thing to do is keep to yourself. Be considerate but don’t look for someone to trust to pour your heart out to or tell your story to. Be nice, be brief and keep to yourself. Then you learn – or don’t learn – depending on how difficult you want to make it on yourself – how to WAIT. You wait for just about everything. Answers mostly. It’s incredible how everyone all of a sudden doesn’t know much of anything. You wait to be moved from the first holding cell to the next one where there may be 20 or 30 others, 1 toilet for all of you. It might be clogged with whatever, have vomit all over it, or it may just work.

Forget about privacy- the toilet has a small wall but can be seen by everyone. Find a spot on the bench in the corner if you can. Chances are you’ll be in this room, shoulder to shoulder, maybe on the floor, people everywhere for 2-4 hours or more. You will wait – for your clothes, to use the pay phone, for the doctor, for your food, then your shower sometimes warm usually cold. Then you’re ordered to bend over, grab your cheeks and cough. You got your ‘roll-up’ consisting of a cotton pullover shirt, pullover pants, socks, bra, underwear, rubber open-toe sandal like shoes (maybe they’ll fit) or canvas slip-ons. You got this ‘roll-up’ before the shower so now after you’ve been ‘inspected’ and coughed, you get dressed – one piece at a time. The deputies give explicit instructions. If you have medicines or medical conditions, you’ll wait in another holding cell for perhaps 8 or 10 hours more, again, shoulder to shoulder, on the bench, against the wall, on the floor, you try to sleep if you can. When being moved from holding cell to holding cell, you must keep you hands in your pockets, walk on the colored line and do exactly as told to do by the deputy.

Be nice, smile, listen but keep to your self. When everyone in your group has seen the doctor, you are put into smaller groups and guided to your “pod” where, if you’re lucky you’ll have a cell and you can sleep. Congratulations. You made it through PROCESSING, and it only took from 6 to 20 hours (it took 22 hours I remember once when women were housed at Twin Towers in Los Angeles), to get through it. Remember: the Deputies care nothing about efficiency or about being polite. Mostly they’re mean, cordial but mean. And they’ll make you feel stupid and worthless when ever they get a chance. After all, you are only a “fish”.

DAILY ROUTINE: After waiting for however long it takes for every one to see the doctor or when they find out where they’re going to house you, you’ll be assigned a permanent place. You’ll get a thin mat and a blanket. The mat is to placed on a steel bunk attached to the wall in your cell. There are 6 or 7 2 person cells on the bottom floor with an equal number of cells on the top floor connected by steel stairs on both sides. There are 5 or 6 steel tables and connecting steel seats where everyone has their collective meals. This is a “pod” and there are 6 to 8 pods to that side of the floor. The deputy has a control booth between the isles having 6 or 8 pods on one side, same on the other. This booth is where everything is controlled – doors are electronically opened and shut, announcements are made, etc. You will share your cell in the pod with one other behind an electronically controlled door in a room that measures about 6′ x 10′. You will have a steel sink and a toilet It’s mostly cold every where but there isn’t a lot you can do about it. If the jail is crowded, you won’t get a cell but will be out in the public area – where the eating tables are on a bunk tiered for 3 people and there could be as many as 50 out there with you in addition to each cell having 2 people in it.

At some point before entering the pod, you are handed a packet containing a black hair comb, a toothbrush, small bar of soap, a razor, a small bottle of shampoo, and a small pencil. You’ll get your money that you had on you or get some sent so you can put money on your ‘books’ where you can buy tons of junk food, candy, maybe an eraser or pencil, tampons or other “luxuries” they will have in the highly over-priced list of commodities known as the jail Commissary. You’ll not mind so much that everything is about 4x more expensive than on the outside. Just so you can buy something to make yourself feel a little better. Phone calls to your loved ones (this is when you find out about love…parents are usually the ones to bear the brunt of jail expenses between accepting collect phone calls and providing $10 or $20 to their daughter so she’ll have money on her books). These ‘collect’ calls are much higher than those made from the outside and can only be made to a home-based phone, no calls can be made to a cell phone. Calls can be made when the phones are ‘turned on’ and only at certain times. So many that believe their situation is more important than yours and will talk to their mom, dad, sister, brother, boyfriend, anyone to prove it. You wait in line for the phone and for each meal. Depending on where you are or how you are classified you may or may not have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner but breakfast is at 6AM. If you go to court, you must be awake and ready to leave by 3AM. Mostly though, you wait and wait and wait ….for just about everything. Try to be patient. Know that if someone does something they should not do (like start a fight or some disturbance) all of you will pay, usually with a ‘Lock Down.’ Know that the deputies can come into your cell at any given moment, tear apart your room and belongings and lock you down if an extra bra or pair of socks are found. Best thing to do – and it’s much easier said than done – is to just keep cool about it all. Find someone with a good sense of humor and laugh it off. Laugh a lot if you can. Believe me, there is a whole lot of stuff to laugh about if you look at it from a certain angle.

Be honest. Exercise. Do not eat a lot as weight gain is almost a sure bet. Keep a positive outlook. Give up your need for privacy. Laugh a lot and when ever you can. Say nothing that you wouldn’t mind hearing about in a public courtroom. Improve your relationships with your family and trust ONLY your family to take care of your domestic affairs. Do not leave financial matters to a boyfriend, a girlfriend or a neighbor. Cry a lot if you have to but do it privately. Know you will get through this and most importantly LEARN what mistakes you made that got you there and what you need to change or do to not ever have to go back. There is so much more that could be said but these are the basics. Hope this short “Guidebook to Jail” helps someone to cope. Just know this too shall change, hopefully for the better.

Personal Experience over a 10 year bout

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Filed Under: Going to Jail, Jail Ettiquette Tagged With: , ,

How To Search Public Criminal Records Online

October 9, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Ben Jen

There are millions of criminals and ex-criminals in the country, and that’s just counting those who got nabbed. Based on historical data, a good portion of them would not have learnt their lesson. The recidivism rate within 3 years of release reportedly averages around 3% and greater than 15% for those who relapse while still on parole or probation. How can we spot them when we cross path?

We can indeed quite readily find out the truth about people on many things, past and present, not least their criminal history or current standing from their Public Criminal Records. There are several other related supportive-type record categories such as Arrest, Inmates, Jail, Sex Offender and Police Records but Public Criminal Records is the most widely used as far as Criminal Violation Checks are concerned.

Criminal Records can be quite confidential in content but they are public records nevertheless. That means anyone can access anybody’s Public Criminal Records as long as it’s done through the proper channels. They can be requested from the local police department if the exact residential location of the subject is known. Alternatively, they are obtainable from the appointed state agencies in charge of the function. The standard methods of retrieval are by mail, walk in, telephone, fax and more recently online over the internet. They can also be purchased from commercial record providers.

The standard information found in Public Criminal Records are the personal particulars of the subject, the details of the crime like date and place where it’s committed, the case type and number, photographs, conviction or sentence, arresting agency and so forth. If there were multiple criminal violations, they will all be shown except for those which were committed outside of the state.

Public Criminal Records come under the jurisdiction of the state government. Being so, they are subject to variations between the state laws from state to state. Differences in the laws governing the access of the records and the treatment and use of the information derived from them are commonplace from one state to another. On top of this, they are not linked between the states. This means that each state would have to be searched individually if there’s more than one to cover.

Public Criminal Records are widely retrieved these days. They are done so for a variety of reasons, most common of which are employment screening, social volunteer assessment, police work, legal proceeding support and background checks on neighbors, colleagues, tenants, friends and even relatives. It must be noted though that restriction concerning privacy and discrimination applies so it’s best to check with the authorities or professionals on their proper access and use.

There are two versions of Public Criminal Records namely the free-of-charge (FOC) and paid ones. The majority of FOC records are from government agencies. The procedures to obtain them are usually tedious and require waiting time. Paid records from commercial information brokers are the no-fuss answer for those who are not game to the challenge of red tapes. A financial cost is incurred but they are generally worth the money.

Checking out   Public Criminal Records?  We can provide assistance. Visit us at http://www.states-arrest-records.com/public-criminal-records/ and learn all about Criminal and other related Records.

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Filed Under: Criminal Records, Getting Arrested Tagged With: ,

What is Jail Really Like? Interviewing Ex-inmates Reveals a New Level of Insight

October 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Lewis Gunter

As a recent venture, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to people who have had experiences of being incarcerated. I personally have never had time behind bars and have no close acquaintances who’ve been through the experience, either. As such, my only exposure to the jail experience is from what I’ve seen from TV and movies. I never really knew what the actual experience was like.

My phone interviews were educational in several ways. For one, as background research, I found out that one out of 142 Americans (slightly outdated data – likely a higher percentage now) is currently in jail. It’s over 2 million people right now. I also learned things about some jail terminology and concepts I had not previously grasped. For example, in some counties, you will only serve one half of your sentenced time as a result of time off for good behavior. I learned about work release programs that give relatively privileged inmates a level of freedom even when they’re not fully free.

I also learned about the dark side of jail. Now, as I mentioned, I’ve seen movies and TV that have shown me a lot of dirty things going on in jail, but I have a hard time believing them because, hey, it’s the movies. It turns out that a lot of the stuff about the gangs requiring payment for protection, watching out who you talk to, shiv making and so forth really does happen, at least in the big jails. It was pretty scary to find out the amount of reality in the fiction I’d seen.

After my interaction with these ex-inmates, I was given a new level of respect for the freedoms I take for granted. In a lot of ways, hearing about how bad things are there opened my eyes to how good I have it. I don’t know if I’d necessarily recommend it as a pastime for people who want to see the positive in their lives, but I do think that if you know someone who’s been to jail, talking to them can provide a very enlightening look into just how good your life really is.

Lewis is a media manager for Jail Media, which currently has informational sites for the [http://theocjail.com]Orange County Jail, the [http://utah-county-jail.com]Utah County Jail, and [http://cookcojail.com]Cook County Jail.

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Filed Under: Jail Ettiquette Tagged With: , ,

Jail Records

October 6, 2008 By 1 Comment

By Jeff Bender

Jail records are among the most important and the most sensitive data gathered by public institutions. The limits of access to court and jail records is one of the more battled issues concerning the freedom of information. For many people the ability to check if the strangely-acting neighbor is a known sex-offender, or if their new potential business partner has ever been sentenced for a financial fraud is an important mean of self-protection. On the other hand, there are hundreds of thousands people across the united States who at one time or another had problems with the law. Many of them after receiving the punishment started a new life. Revealing their past might cost them their jobs or families. A public and unlimited access to jail records would put them in constant danger even though they have already paid for their wrongdoings. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Getting Out of Jail Tagged With: ,

Arrested For Public Intoxication – What Next?

September 24, 2008 By Leave a Comment

By Joseph Devine

When you are arrested for something such as public intoxication, there are a number of things that you need to do in the process. One of the first things that you should do is understand what all the terms that you will hear actually mean.

Public intoxication is defined when a person has ingested a product whether its drugs or alcohol that is affecting their judgment. This also means that you aren’t able to make rational decisions by yourself which is why the police will arrest you. When they arrest you, they will keep you in jail for at least 6 hours to ensure that the substance that you used is now completely out of your system. The police want to make sure that you are completely sober so that you won’t get hurt when you leave jail. The reason that they arrest you in the first place is because they don’t want you to cause harm to either yourself or others while you are intoxicated.

When they originally arrest you, you will be required to go through what is called a booking process. This is the time when they will take your mug shots and fingerprinting. From this point forward, you will be in the system because you were arrested. After a 6 hour period, they will have bail hearing to determine what your status will be. Depending on what type of past criminal history you have had will determine what your bail amount will be.

Once you have seen a judge and set your bail, you will then have to call someone to help you pull the money together. If you don’t have enough money, you have the option to visit a bail bondsman in order to have them loan you the money. Remember that none of this process can happen until after the 6 hour wait. This is the very minimum that they will make you wait in a jail cell to sober up. There is always a chance that they will force you to wait longer because they feel that you are still not capable of making decisions for yourself.

After you have gotten out of jail, you will be assigned a court date that will be mandatory attendance. You will be required to stay in the city until your court date when they will hear your case. If this was your first PI then you will probably be required to do community service with no jail time requirement.

If you are in need of a jail release or PI criminal defense lawyer, contact Attorneys and Lawyers for You at http://www.attorneysandlawyers4you.com to find a lawyer near you.

Joseph Devine

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine http://EzineArticles.com/?Arrested-For-Public-Intoxication—What-Next?&id=1404544

Filed Under: bail bonds, Getting Arrested Tagged With: , ,
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