The holidays, a time for festive light displays, family gatherings, and run-ins with the police? That’s right. This time of year tends to be an especially busy one for law enforcement which can lead to delays and longer wait times for hearings. Here is what there is to know about arrests during the holidays and what you can do to avoid getting caught up.
Most common reasons for arrests during the holidays
Given that the holidays are a time of lots of parties and financial stress, it can be easy to imagine that drinking and driving-related arrests, as well as thefts, tend to have the most notable rise during December. In addition to this, unfortunately, domestic disputes also tend to be a more prominent issue that police will get many calls on.
Plan on delays
If you or a loved one do get arrested during the holiday season, the biggest difference to any other time of year will be wait times. Due to the increase in arrests as well as holiday hours in some departments, you could be detained for longer. It is important to note that by law, a defendant has to have a hearing within a certain time period (which is around 48-72 hours) but holidays don’t count towards those hours. Even if you are able to make bail, you will still be stuck in jail until the bond hearing can happen first.
How to avoid arrests
Just like any other celebratory time, you can avoid issues by planning accordingly. If you know that you will be going to a party or dinner where you will be drinking, maybe take an Uber over driving so you won’t have to worry about chancing it by driving or leaving your car overnight. Also, give yourself enough time to drive to your destination with traffic and delays in mind so you won’t feel the pressure to speed. It’s completely understandable the stress that gift-giving and the holidays, in general, can cause so it’s vital to practice some kindness towards yourself and do some self-care. Things like this keep tempers down and thinking clearer.
Find a bail bondsman who is open 24/7 365
No matter how much we try, at times things happen and if you do find yourself in a place where you need to be bailed out, then make sure to find a local bail bonds agent that is both close to the facility where you or a loved one is being detained and one that is open at all hours and every day, including holidays. While you may need to still wait out any delays that come with getting to the bond hearing, having a bond agent who can already get started on the paperwork will overall get you released quicker on the back end.
To conclude, the holidays can be an easy time to make a mistake due to everything that is going on but with a little more preparation, patience, and time, you can make sure that it is a great season full of happy memories and no jail time.
