How long can you be in jail before seeing a judge?

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asked Nov 15, 2019 in Law Enforcement/Police by MGamberBDG (300 points)
How long can you be in jail before seeing a judge?

1 Answer

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answered Nov 15, 2019 by Lilly21 (57,780 points)
When you get booked into jail and cannot make your bail to get out of jail then you can legally be held for up to 72 hours in jail before seeing a judge.

The judge must charge you with a crime to be able to hold you in jail longer than 72 hours and that doesn't include weekends.

So for example if you're arrested on a Friday night then the 72 hours doesn't really start until Monday so you could be held in jail for up to 7 days but usually the judge will charge you with something before those 72 hours are up.

If the Judge charges you with a crime then they can then order you held in jail without any bail while the trial goes on.

If you're facing serious charges such as charges of Indecent Liberties with a child then you could have a trial that takes 1 to 4 years to complete.

You could then have to stay in jail for that 1 year to 4 years and then be sent off to prison for 20 to 25 years and sometimes as long as life.

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