Oh No! Your Brother Is Getting Arrested – What's Next?
He's loud. He had too much too drink. It was all a misunderstanding. Whatever your brother's reasons are for the why, you need to find out the what's next.
During the Arrest:
Be polite. You may have a lot of emotions running through your mind, but now is neither the time, nor the place. Police appreciate calm, not hysterical siblings. Plus, if you overreact, they might put you in cuffs, too. Take a deep breath and find out where they are taking him next. Get a name and, if possible, an address. Some city jails may be full or there may be a county facility that they are taking him to due to overcrowding. Listen carefully to the answer and write it down, if you need to.
No one can be bailed out of jail until they are arraigned in front of a judge. Ask the arresting officer if he has any information on an arraignment. He may not, but he will know who you can call for that information.
Bailing Him Out:
Once the police leave with your brother in the back seat, you need to get to work. Start by calling a bail bondsman.
The average person needs the assistance of a bail bondsman because they do not – understandable – have enough cash on hand to bail anyone out of jail. Talk to the bail bondsman about his or her company policies and procedures. In most cases, once bail is set at the arraignment, you are required to come up with ten percent while the bail bondsman provides the remaining 90 percent. If bail ends up being set at $10,000, then you would pay $1,000 and they would cover the remaining $9,000. Consider your portion a non-refundable deposit because you will not get it back. It is your cost for using the bail bondsman's money.
After the Arrest:
Once your brother is arraigned, bailed out and home, you need to talk strategy. Guilty or not, a good defense attorney to take charge from here on out is a good idea. Expert legal advice is worth the investment.
Lastly, make sure your brother shows up for ever court date. He may be busy or even embarrassed about going. Don't let him skip or he could have a warrant issued for his arrest, which would result in even more legal trouble.
Staying calm is the best help you can offer when a sibling is arrested. While no one wants to go to jail, this could have been a whole lot worse. Let your brother know that you can get through this together.
