Have you been arrested or are you about to be arrested? The process of facing criminal charges and an arrest is upsetting for most people here in Shepherdsville, Mount Washington, Shelbyville, Taylorsville, Radcliff, Elizabethtown, Jeffersontown, or Louisville, Kentucky. What will happen to your marriage or close relationship? Your job? Your home? Your family?
My name is John Schmidt, and after serving Bullitt County and the surrounding Counties in the Louisville area for more than 25 years as a criminal defense attorney, I can tell you it may feel like the hardest thing to do at this moment, but take a breath and try to relax.
The most important 2 things you need to know at this moment are that you have the right to remain silent. Do so! Don’t say a word. Have you been arrested or are you about to be arrested? There is nothing you can say that will help you at this moment. There is a lot that you could say that will come back to hurt you in many ways. Remain silent. Don’t talk to anyone, not law enforcement, not anyone at the station, or anyone in or near your cell or confinement. Remain silent. Anything you say to anyone can and will come back to harm your interests.
Assert your right to an attorney. You have the right to speak with an attorney. Do not answer any questions. Do not engage in polite conversation or answer any questions or requests from the police as you are being transported. Say (over and over if necessary), “I have nothing to say, and I want to speak with my attorney.”
The first stop in the process is usually “booking.” Booking is a multi-step process to take you into physical custody. The police will request that you surrender everything, including your phone, keys, and purse or billfold. You are usually photographed, fingerprinted, searched, and then provided with new clothing to change into. The police will also typically check to see if there are any other outstanding charges or warrants against you.
Once this happens, you should be able to make your phone call. I invite you to call (502) 509-1490 to speak with me personally or to have your loved ones contact me through my website or at my office. Remember, jail phones are always being recorded. Anything you say becomes recorded evidence, even if it’s to your spouse, family member, or clergy. Jail phones are always recorded. Tell your family you love them, and ask them to call me. Immediately.
The next step (though not immediate) is to begin the pretrial process of “risk assessment” and determine whether or not you should be released on bond. Several factors will be considered in this process, including every aspect of your life, such as your past criminal history (if any), your home, work, the seriousness of the charges against you, and the likelihood that you will remain local and appear in Court in the future. You may be offered the opportunity to provide cash, property, or an unsecured bond for your release.
It is essential to note that I have successfully obtained a bond for my client(s) at arraignment when the initial amount is too high or was previously declined.
You should also remember not to talk to anyone about your case on the jail phones. This includes your friends and family. The jail phones are recorded, and prosecutors and police regularly monitor these recordings. Anything that you say about your case can be used against you. Furthermore, even if you are discussing helpful evidence, it may give the prosecutor a leg up in your case.
Have you been arrested or are you about to be arrested? Once a warrant has been issued for your arrest or you are about to be taken into custody, you need to realize the police have already been working on your case and attempting to gather evidence to be used against you. This will continue throughout the arrest and booking process. Time is of the essence here. How much time will you spend in confinement before, during, and/or after your arraignment and trial? As your attorney, I can do a great deal for you from the moment of your arrest through every step of the process. The actions I take have 3 goals:
- Gain your release and get the charges dismissed
- Reduce any charges you may face in the future
- Lower the risk of any associated consequences, including fines, jail time, and other penalties.
Your odds of walking away from all of this are directly tied to your ability to remain silent. Please call me at (502) 509-1490 as soon as possible, remain silent, and refrain from resisting or taking any actions that exacerbate the circumstances you are already facing. The police probably already have evidence; don’t give them more.
We invite you to contact us via e-mail, schedule an appointment or call us today at (502) 509-1490 to get the advice and aggressive criminal defense you need and deserve. At the Law Offices of John Schmidt & Associates we bring more than 25 years of experience to your side of the equation, manage the situation you face and the allegations against you, and work hard to achieve a much better outcome in your case than you can or will accomplish on your own.
