If you watch a lot of true-crime or legal TV shows, you hear many technical terms. You don’t know what they mean, but you’ve heard them so often you don’t even think about them. Brush up on your legal knowledge with this quick guide to arrest-related terms.
Bail
Bail refers to an amount of money that suspects must pay to be released from jail prior to their trials. This money assures the legal system that people will actually attend their court proceedings. Depending on the severity of the alleged offense, bail can be very expensive, so people frequently take out bail bonds. For example, if someone has purchased Perry County bail bonds, an insurance company has agreed to pay the court the posted bail cost if a suspect does not attend the trial. In return, the suspect or a family member pays the insurance company a premium.
Miranda Rights
The term Miranda Rights comes from the Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona. In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that people have the right to remain silent when they are questioned, and the police must inform them of this right. The police must also tell them that they have the right to a lawyer, even if they cannot afford one. Contrary to popular belief, people only need to receive a Miranda warning if they are going to be questioned about their alleged crimes.
Charges
Charges are the ways in which people are suspected of breaking the law. If law enforcement personnel do not officially declare the charges after they have held someone for 48 hours, they must release him or her from custody. Usually, suspects are charged within this 48-hour period and then again at the arraignment for their trials. The second time, the prosecuting attorney declares the charges, and they may differ from the original ones due to plea bargaining or another legal agreement.
Custody
When people are in custody, they are being detained by the law enforcement system. This occurs prior to a hearing or trial and ensures that suspects do not flee before their court cases are heard.
Although you understand enough of the dialogue in your courtroom TV shows to get the gist of the action, you don’t follow every word. Brush up on these legal terms so that you don’t miss anything. As a bonus, you become more educated about your rights at the same time.