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Steps to Take Immediately Following an Arrest in GA

If you get arrested in Georgia, your goal is to avoid escalating the situation and contact the people you need to prepare to fight your charges or negotiate a plea deal.

If there is ever a time you wish you could rewind and do things differently, it is when you get arrested. It is not possible to rewind time, but you can mentally hit the pause button and give yourself time to think about what to do next. You cannot get around an arrest, but you can get through it, often without getting a criminal conviction. As frightening and stressful as it is to get arrested, especially when you have not done anything wrong, your only choice is to let the arrest run its course. You will get to a time when you can meet privately with a lawyer to discuss your case, and unless you are being charged with one of the most serious crimes, you will probably be allowed to leave jail within a few hours, with or without posting bail. The best way to prevent your arrest from leading to a criminal conviction or prison sentence is to contact an Atlanta criminal defense lawyer.

Do Not Escalate

When an officer arrests you, pulls you over for a traffic stop, or otherwise tries to engage with you, your first instinct may be to try to clear things up immediately or get out of the situation as quickly as possible, but this is a mistake. Do not try to walk or drive away before the officer tells you that you are free to go; you could be charged with eluding an officer. Do not argue with the officer or try to physically resist being handcuffed; this could result in charges for resisting arrest or assault on a law enforcement officer. Instead, imagine the moment in the near future when you can call a family member or a lawyer and begin the process of avoiding a criminal conviction.

Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent

Law enforcement officers must recite the Miranda warnings before they begin questioning you in custody, but you should start to exercise your rights before then. You must tell an officer your name if asked, but you can respond to almost any other questions with, “I wish to remain silent until I can talk to my lawyer,” or some variation thereof. If a police officer asks to search your property, you should not consent; it is not possible to withdraw consent for a search once you have given it.

Contact the People You Need to Contact

As soon as an officer gives you permission to do so, contact a criminal defense lawyer and, if you must post bail, a bail bond company, or call a family member to do so for you.

Call an Atlanta Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

A criminal defense lawyer can help you resolve your case as quickly as possible after getting arrested. Contact the defense lawyers at Ghanayem & Rayasam in Atlanta, Georgia, about criminal defense cases.