Seeing the police car lights behind you might be one of the worst things you can imagine if you are behind the wheel of your car intoxicated. If this is the case, you can expect the officer to test you for alcohol and bring you to jail if you are over the legal limit. Once you are there, you can get bailed out within a few hours, but you will first have to go through the booking process, and here are some of the main parts of this process.
They Will Search You, Take Your Things, and Give You Clothes to Put On
The first step that may happen when you arrive at the jail is a body search. During this time, the police will confiscate everything that you have on you, including your clothing, and you will have to change into a jail outfit. This will include pants, underwear, a shirt, and shoes.
They Will Take Your Photo
After you change into the clothing they provide to you, the police will take pictures of you. These pictures are called mug shots and generally include a photo from the front and from the side. This photo will become part of public knowledge and may be posted on websites.
They Will Take Your Fingerprints
The police also generally fingerprint every person they book into jail. The fingerprints will be stored on a computer system database and may be used in the future to prove your identity or tie you to other crimes.
They Will Fill Out Paperwork
Next, the jail will have a lot of paperwork to fill out. This paperwork will include a police report that explains when, where, and why you were arrested. It may also list the charges they have against you, and it will include all of your personal information.
They Will Tell You the Bail Information
Finally, the jail will talk to you about the bail information. The bail information will explain to you how much your bail is, and they may also give you options for paying it. If you want to be released from jail right away, you would need to find a way to pay the amount that they tell you your bail is.
These are the main steps you will go through during the booking process. Once they are complete, you can make a phone call to a friend or bail bonds service to find a way to get out of jail.
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