DC Sex Crimes Arrest Process

When someone is arrested on a charge of committing a sex offense, they are taken to one of the seven Metropolitan Police Department districts to be processed. Their fingerprints and photographs are taken, and a detective may try to interview the individual to get them to confess.

Under no circumstances should one speak with any law enforcement personnel other than to provide their name, address, social security number, date of birth, et cetera. The arrestee should politely decline to be interviewed and ask for an accomplished sex crimes attorney. There is no advantage to speaking to law enforcement. The individual can only do themselves harm by speaking with law enforcement, even if they have done nothing wrong. For help understanding the DC sex crimes arrest process, contact an attorney today.

Initial Court Hearing

After the person is processed, they may go to court that same day or the next, depending on when they were brought into the police station. Once someone is brought into the police district, they are transported to Central Cell Block, a holding facility in the main Metropolitan Police Department building next to the courthouse.

The individual is held there for a period and then taken to court. During their initial hearing in court, a determination is made about their release. If the government requests that the person be held in jail, they could be held for up to three business days. At that point, there is a preliminary hearing and a detention hearing to determine where the person is held while their case is pending.

If someone is released, they may be released on conditions, which might be a stay-away order from the alleged witness, a requirement to be on electronic monitoring with a bracelet on their ankle, or mandatory drug testing.

When to Contact an Attorney

There is no specific time when an individual is allowed to contact a lawyer, and there is no requirement that they are given access to a lawyer. Usually, at some point in the process, the arrestee is given access to a telephone at the police district, but it is not a process that is formalized. If they have the opportunity to make a phone call, they should contact an experienced attorney.

Following the DC sex crimes arrest process, the person might be forced to retain a lawyer if they are deemed to be financially ineligible for a court-appointed lawyer. Alternatively, they might be given a contribution order where they pay a certain amount of money to keep their court-appointed lawyer. Either way, they are guaranteed to have a lawyer with them in court so there is no reason to speak to law enforcement.

Call a DC Attorney for More Information About the Sex Crimes Arrest Process

When someone is charged with a sex crime, the most important thing to know is to not speak to anybody about the case. They should not speak to law enforcement, friends, a significant other, or their children. The only person they should speak to is an attorney. No one else has the same attorney-client privilege that allows whatever they say to remain confidential.

The second thing a person should know after a DC sex crime arrest is that they cannot talk their way out of the charges. If someone is arrested for a sex crime, they cannot take a shot at talking their way out of it like they might if they are stopped for a speeding ticket. They can only hurt themselves by talking.

The third most important thing to understand is that these cases are extremely serious. Anyone arrested for a sex crime in DC needs to retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible. Call to learn more about the DC sex crimes arrest process and how an attorney could fight for you.