Your Loved One Was Arrested. Here’s How to Help.
An Orange County criminal defense attorney can be at the courthouse for them today. Call or text Jimmy Cha now — free, confidential, available 24/7.
Free · Confidential · Direct Attorney Response · 24/7
What to Do Right Now
Five things you can do in the next hour that will actually help.
When someone you love is arrested, the instinct is to do everything at once — call the jail, call family, look up lawyers, figure out bail. It’s overwhelming. Here’s what matters most, in order.
-
1
Find out where they’re being held.
Orange County has multiple booking facilities depending on where the arrest occurred. The OC Sheriff’s Department inmate locator can tell you where they are being held, their booking number, and their current status. You will need their full legal name and date of birth.
-
2
Do not discuss the case on jail phone lines.
This is urgent. Every call made from a county jail is recorded — with the exception of calls to an attorney. If your loved one calls from jail, keep the conversation personal. Do not ask what happened, do not discuss the facts of the arrest, and do not let them explain the situation over that line. Prosecutors have used jail call recordings as evidence. The conversation that feels like a relief in the moment can become a problem in court.
-
3
Contact a defense attorney before anyone signs anything or makes statements.
Bail bondsmen, investigators, and prosecutors may make contact early. Nothing should be signed and no statements should be made — by your family member or on their behalf — before an attorney has been consulted. Decisions made in the first hours of an arrest are very difficult to undo.
-
4
Gather the information an attorney will need.
When you call Jimmy, having this ready saves time:
- Your family member’s full legal name and date of birth
- Where the arrest occurred and which agency made the arrest
- The charge, if you know it — or a description of what happened
- Where they are currently being held
- Whether bail has been set and at what amount
-
5
Call Jimmy directly.
Jimmy takes these calls personally. He can explain what the charge means, what the next steps are, what bail options exist, and what to expect at arraignment. The call is free, takes 15 to 30 minutes, and gives you a clear picture of what you are actually dealing with — instead of the worst-case scenario your mind is building right now.
What Jimmy Does for Families
When Jimmy takes the call, your family member isn’t alone anymore.
Most people who call a criminal defense attorney are not the person who was arrested. They are the spouse who just got the call at midnight. The parent sitting in a parking lot outside a jail. The partner who doesn’t know what a preliminary hearing is or how long this is going to take.
Jimmy understands that. These are the calls he takes — directly, personally, at any hour. Here is what happens when you call:
Jimmy takes the call.
Not a receptionist. Not an intake assistant. The attorney who would handle the case is the one on the phone. That matters because the first conversation shapes everything that follows — the bail strategy, the arraignment approach, the information your family member needs before they say another word to anyone.
He can be at the North Justice Center quickly.
For North Orange County arrests — Fullerton, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park — cases move through the North Justice Center in Fullerton. Jimmy’s office is one mile away. If there is a bail hearing, an arraignment, or an emergency motion, he can be there.
He explains the process in plain language.
What does the charge mean. What is the realistic range of outcomes. What happens at arraignment and when it is scheduled. What your family member should and should not do before then. These are the questions families need answered, and Jimmy answers them directly — not with a brochure or a follow-up email.
He communicates with the family throughout.
You hired him. You deserve to know what is happening. Jimmy keeps families informed at every stage — not just the person who was arrested, but the people who are holding everything together on the outside.
Get Jimmy on the Phone Today
Free, confidential — for you and your family member.
You don’t have to have all the answers before you call. You don’t have to know the charge, understand the process, or know what to ask. That’s what the call is for. Jimmy is available right now. The case evaluation is free, takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and will leave you with a clear understanding of what you are facing and what the next steps are.
Free Case Evaluation · Confidential · Direct Attorney Response · 24/7