What Does Being Arrested Mean?
When a police officer or a private citizen takes you into custody, physically restrains or verbally insists you not leave in order to have you answer for an offense or a crime, you have been arrested. This may mean you will actually be taken into custody or you may be issued an appearance ticket, which requires you to appear before a judge at a specified time. (This is similar to receiving a traffic ticket, though it may involve a more serious offense than a traffic violation). When a police officer makes an arrest without an arrest warrant, the officer must give you a reason for arresting you (unless you were arrested while in the act of committing a crime or were being chased by the police). If I am Arrested What Rights do I Have? If you are arrested (with or without an arrest warrant), you have a number of rights that the police must respect: • -You have a right to refuse to answer any questions the police ask you. • -You have a right to consult a lawyer before you agree to answer a
