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5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE SURRENDERING FOR ARREST

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If the police have contacted you and informed you that you are going to be arrested, there are two ways you can react.  You can get upset or you can consider yourself fortunate.  The truth is, most people don’t leave their homes thinking they will be arrested at some point during the day.  Having that information beforehand can be very helpful.  While getting arrested sucks, knowing you are going to get arrested is better than not knowing.  You can plan in ways that most people who are arrested can not.  Below are five tips that can be helpful given the cards that you have been dealt.

 

1) GET YOUR AFFAIRS IN ORDER PRIOR TO YOUR ARREST!

One of the worst parts of being put in jail is the fact that you will go MIA.  Many people will not know where you are.  If you are arrested without warning, you can spend at least a day or two in jail without warning.  If you know beforehand, you can work on getting your affairs in order.  Call your job and let them know you will be out or away.  Arrange for child care.  Arrange for your car to be put somewhere safe.  Pay any bills or other items that may be due during that time.  Basically, you should schedule your affairs in advance as if you are going on a short vacation.  Often, when people are arrested, they will be released pending trial or on bail.  If you will need to get bailed out, start calling people and making arrangements for bail.  In many jurisdictions, making bail arrangements prior to an arraignment can lead to your being released quicker.  Also try to get your inmate booking number and give it to your family and friends so that they can find out when you will be going to court.  It is also helpful to get the telephone number to the court, police department, and/or booking facility to your family and/or friends.  This will save time that will otherwise be spent on inmate search engines and looking for central booking sites for the number to a central booking facility.

 

2) EAT SOME FOOD BEFORE SURRENDERING…

If you have been charged with a crime and a Police Officer informs you that you have to surrender yourself, the last thing you are going to be worried about is eating.  In fact, most people will lose their appetites.  This is a serious mistake.  Just like the people that push the propaganda about how breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the meal you eat prior to getting arrested will often be quite important.  In some cases, you may not have access to food after being arrested for quite some time.  In other situations, you may get access to something that others are calling food, but that you would rather not eat.  Either way, what you eat before arrest will have a great impact on your jail experience for the first couple of hours or even the first day or two.  Avoid spicy foods and/or foods that do not agree with you.  If you are getting arrested, it is not the time to go eat spicy Indian food or Mexican food, especially if those items do not agree with you.  You know what is worse than having your stomach turning in knots?  Having to sit on the toilet with 10 or 20 strangers in an open room while they become increasingly angry about your inability to stop your meal from revisiting you in a holding cell.



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3) ARRANGE TO BE ABLE TO USE A PHONE

You can not assume you will have access to a phone.  While you may wish to avoid people, sometimes, when you have been arrested, there is a pay phone in a cell.  In such cases, it is helpful to have a phone card that allows you to call a 1800 number instead of using coins.  Do not assume that there will be a phone.  Do not assume that if there is a phone, you will be able to use quarters or other change.  Often, the phone is full or broken.  Your best way of possibly being able to make calls is to bring some change like a roll of quarters (which may be taken from you) and a prepaid phone card.  Also be aware that you may be put under duress because you have a phone card and people may ask you to use it.  This can be very uncomfortable and in some cases dangerous.  Getting a couple in small denominations is helpful.

 

4) WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHING

This is where knowing you are getting arrested before it happens can really be useful.  You may have to sit in your clothing for several days.  You also don’t know what you are going to encounter as far as temperature and conditions.  You may find yourself in a freezing room in the summer or in a hot room in the winter.  You may have to sleep on a floor or hard bench, or spending long periods of time sitting or laying on either.  You may want to dress in layers.  A top shirt or layer may double as a pillow or ground cloth.  Make sure your shoes are comfortable.  Also make sure that you look as nice as you can.  After all, at some point you will see a Judge who does not know you and will be making serious decisions about your life and freedom.  You may want to look the best you can.  You will also want to balance that with the fact that you may not see that Judge for a day or two and you will be in the same clothes.

5) SECURE YOUR VALUABLES

Jail is not the time to wear your fancy watch or to show off.  Often, the police will take your stuff for safe keeping.  If you do have a situation where they take items from you, try to make sure they are vouchered and that you get a receipt.  However, the best advice is, leave your valuables at home.

 

5) FIND AN ATTORNEY

If it is possible and you can afford one, you should hire an attorney before speaking to the police.  You have the right to remain silent.  It is not just a right, it is a really good idea.  Despite your inner voice telling you that you have nothing to hide, you should not speak to anyone unless you have an attorney present.  Speak to friends and family and ask for referrals for an attorney.  Attorneys who work on other types of matters for you are also a great source of referrals for a criminal attorney.  Just because your lawyer is a family lawyer, divorce attorney, immigration lawyer or personal injury lawyer does not mean that he or she does not know a good criminal lawyer!  Call people you trust and have them help you find an attorney.



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COURT CLOSING UPDATE:

NEW YORK COURTS WILL BE CLOSED ON CERTAIN HOLIDAYS in 2015

For More Information go to the Unified Court System Site: CLICK HERE

Are you looking for information relating to when your next court date is? Are you asking how you find your next court date in a New York City or New York State Court?

If so, the answer depends on what court your case is in. There is a way to search court cases.  The New York State Court System has free court records and Court Date Look Up/Court Date Search Sites for various Courts Including

  • Criminal Court
  • Family Court
  • Housing Court
  • Supreme Court
  • Civil Court

 

CRIMINAL COURT DATE LOOK UP – FIND NEXT COURT DATE IN CRIMINAL COURT

If your case is in Criminal Court (New York Criminal Court, New York District Court, New York Supreme Court), then you need to use the Court’s WEBCRIMS to find your next Court date.   You can also use WEBCRIMS to find free criminal records. By logging into WEBCRIMS as a public user, anyone, whether you are a defendant or an attorney/lawyer, can find someone’s next court date.  You can find information and the next court date for both misdemeanor and felony cases.  The system also gives you information about what court the case is in, the judge on the case, the charges, the defendant’s name and date of birth, the amount of bail that was set in the case, when the case was on last, all dates the case has been on the calendar, and whether or not a plea offer was made by the district attorney.  WEBCRIMS is run by the Unified Court System and is the OFFICIAL Court Date Look Up website!  Please note that often people who are arrested and given a Desk Appearance Ticket (DAT) will often not find their next court date in the WEBCRIMS system.  This is because the DAT is issued by the Police Department and not the Court system directly.

FIND SOMEONE’S BAIL IN A CRIMINAL CASE

If you trying to find out if someone who was arrested has a bail, you can use the Unified Court System WEBCRIMS site to find a bail amount in a particular case.  You can log into WEBCRIMS and look up someone who was arrested (defendant’s) information and find out if the Judge/Court set a bail at the arraignment and often, it will tell you how much that bail is (bail amount).  You can also find out if someone was released on their own recognizance (ROR).

HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT A PERSON WAS ARRESTED FOR

WHO ARRESTED?

If you are wondering how to find out what a person was arrested for, you can possibly find information on a person’s criminal case or find out why someone was arrested by using WEBCRIMSWEBCRIMS is a site on which one can conduct a free arrest search and find out if someone has an open criminal case and as far as open case, get free criminal records information.


CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE WEBCRIMS CRIMINAL COURT DATE LOOK UP SYSTEM

CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR NEXT COURT DATE IN YOUR NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT IF SOMEONE HAS BAIL IN A NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE

HOW CAN I FIND A LAWYER – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

FAMILY COURT DATE LOOK UP – FIND NEXT COURT DATE IN FAMILY COURT

If you are looking for your next court date in a New York City or New York State Family Court, the Unified Court System’s WEBFAMILY system may help you to look up your next court date in Family Court.  Whether you are the Petitioner, the Defendant, or a Lawyer/Attorney, you can find information regarding family court cases and the next court date on the WEBFAMILY system.  Family Court cases include Child Support and Child Custody cases.  So WEBFAMILY can help if you are looking for your next court date in a custody case and/or if you are looking for your next court date in a child support matter.




CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE WEBFAMILY COURT DATE LOOK UP SYSTEM

HOUSING COURT DATE LOOK UP – FIND NEXT COURT DATE IN HOUSING COURT

If you are looking for your next court date in a New York City or New York State Housing Court, the Unified Court System’s WEBHOUSING system may help you to look up your next court date in Family Court.  Whether you are the Petitioner, the Defendant, or a Lawyer/Attorney, you can find information regarding family court cases and the next court date on the WEBHOUSING system.  Housing Court cases include Landlord Tenant Cases, Commercial Landlord Tenant Cases, Eviction Cases, Non-payment Eviction Cases, and holdover eviction cases.  So WEBHOUSING can help if you are looking for your next court date in an eviction case and/or if you are looking for your next court date in a nonpayment or holdover  matter.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE WEBHOUSING COURT DATE LOOK UP SYSTEM

CLICK HERE TO FIND THE NEXT COURT DATE IN YOUR EVICTION CASE

COURT CLOSING INFORMATION:

Are you trying to figure out whether courts are open? Looking for Court closing information?  You can call 1-800-COURTNY (1-800-268-7869) to find out more information about whether New York Courts will be closed due to a weather or other emergency.  If you are  Juror wondering if you have to report to Jury duty, Jurors can call: 1-800-NY-JUROR (1-800-695-8767) to find out if Court will be open.  If you are looking for the Courts holidays see below.

CLICK HERE for the New York State Courts Holiday Calendar/Schedule

Related Pages:

Arraignment Clerk Information

How to Locate An Inmate In New York

Find Someone Arrested In New York City NYC

WHERE IS THE CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE?

How To Find An Inmate In New York

How Do I Find My Next Court Date?

FREE DOWNLOAD – NEW YORK CITY ARRAIGNMENT/ARREST INFORMATION SHEET

WHAT IS AN ARRAIGNMENT???

FIND OUT A PERSON’S BAIL IN A NEW YORK CRIMINAL CASE

New York Arraignment Process
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