Few phone calls are harder than the one telling you someone you love has been arrested. Your mind races, you don’t know who to call, and everything seems to be happening behind closed doors. Take a breath. An arrest is not a conviction, and there is a clear path forward. Here’s what to do first.
1. Find out where they’re being held
Most people arrested in and around Modesto are booked into the Stanislaus County jail at the Sheriff’s Public Safety Center on Hackett Road. Someone arrested in another county is usually held in that county’s jail.
The Sheriff’s Office can confirm whether a person is in custody, along with their booking number and, once it’s set, their bail amount. If you’d rather not navigate that alone, call us. Finding out where your loved one is and what their bail is set at is part of what we do, at any hour.
2. Gather a few basic details
You don’t need much to get started. If you can, have these ready:
- Their full legal name and date of birth
- The jail or facility where they’re being held
- Their booking number, if you have it
- The charges and bail amount, if you know them
Don’t worry if you’re missing some of this. The person’s full name and the jail are usually enough for a bail agent to begin.
3. Expect booking to take some time
After an arrest, a person has to be booked: photographed, fingerprinted and entered into the system. This can take several hours, and the bail amount may not be available until it’s done.
Bail usually starts from the county’s bail schedule, which lists standard amounts for different charges. At the first court appearance, a judge can raise or lower bail, add conditions, or release someone on their own recognizance (a written promise to return to court).
4. Be careful what you say on jail calls
Calls from jail are generally recorded. Comfort your loved one, but don’t discuss the details of what happened. Save that conversation for their attorney. The same goes for texts and social media.
5. Decide how to post bail
There are two main ways to post bail:
- Cash bail. You pay the full bail amount to the court or jail. It’s generally returned when the case ends, as long as every court date is kept, but the money can be tied up for months.
- A bail bond. A licensed bail agent posts a bond for the full amount, and you pay the agent a premium, which is a percentage of the bail. For most families, this is what makes release possible.
When you call, we explain exactly what your situation involves and walk you through the payment options, clearly and up front, before you sign anything. Learn more about how bail bonds work.
6. Plan for what comes after release
Once the bond is posted, release timing is up to the jail’s processing, which can take a few hours. When your loved one is home, the most important thing is making every court date. Write the dates down, set reminders, and call us if anything is unclear.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Joanna’s Bail Bonds has been helping Modesto families through this exact moment for over 34 years. A real, experienced agent answers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English or Spanish. Call (209) 527-0911 and we’ll take it from there.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, so for advice about a specific case, talk with a licensed attorney.
