Being arrested is a frightening situation, especially when you have to go through the booking process. A typical booking goes through multiple steps, including getting your mug shot, your finger prints taken, and even a difficult full-body search.
What is the Booking Process and What Does it Entail?
Booking is the process of checking your identity, getting you into the jail system, and inputting the nature of the crime. It involves a number of steps spread out over anywhere from an hour at its quickest to multiple hours at its slowest. The police are likely to follow this process when booking you:
- Taking down your name and the nature of your crime on a computer blotter
- Posing you for a mug shot, which will be paired with your booking record
- Noting evidence of physical altercations with the police
- Removing your clothing and your personal items and replacing your clothes with jail-appropriate ones
- Using a computer or ink-based fingerprinting system and running them through a crime database
- Conducting a full-body search
- Checking state and national records for warrants pending against you
- Health screening (including x-rays and blood tests) to make sure you don’t have a dangerous disease
- Asking about any gang affiliations or outside relationships that may affect your time in jail
- Taking a sample of your DNA
How You Can Get Out of Jail
Thankfully, you don’t have to sit in jail while you wait to go on trial. There are multiple ways that you can be let out, including paying bail or being released on your own recognizance. The latter point is rarer than bail and is the most desired outcome because it doesn’t require paying any money.
In simple language, being released on your Own Recognizance or O.R. is bail without money. You will provide the court with a written promise to appear in court. The judge is likely to place certain conditions on O.R., including checking with a probation officer regularly. This is typically likely if your alleged crime was not major, if you’ve lived in the community a long time, or if you are supported by family members or your place of employment.
While being released O.R. is nice, getting released on bail is likely your biggest chance of getting out of jail. Judges set a bail using an algorithm that takes into account your age, criminal history, and the severity of your alleged crime. It’s basically a deposit that ensures you show up to your trial. It will be paid back to whoever paid it if you do show up to your trial. Various conditions are typically set on your bail, such as staying in town and not doing drugs.
Getting Bail In Tight Situations
When a friend or a loved one goes to jail, you may not know where to turn next. Chuck Telle Bail Bonds will bring 30 years of bail bonds’ experience to your issue to help you attain your bond quickly. We’re available 24/7 for your convenience and our family-operated team can answer all of your questions. So when you need expert bail bonding, trust Chuck Telle Bail Bonds to deliver the efficient and affordable service you need. We are proud to serve all of Missouri.
Click here to request bail, or call (636) 789-3522 to speak with one of our bondsmen.