Walk It Through: A Night in Custody
Handcuffs on a Friday, three phone calls, an interview room with a camera, and no cash bail.
At the station after an arrest, the person asks for a phone.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
An arrest for an offense where the State does not seek to deny release. A detention hearing, a statement a minor makes, and the speedy trial clock are left to the pages.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Order of protectionA court order against abuse, which lasts 14 to 21 days as an emergency order, up to 30 days as an interim order, and up to two years as a plenary order.
- Pretrial releaseRelease before trial, which every person charged is eligible for. Cash bail was abolished on January 1, 2023, and release on personal recognizance is presumed.