What Happens After You’re Arrested for a Violent Crime? A Step-by-Step Timeline
Being arrested for a violent crime is terrifying. Most people describe the experience as a blur—loud commands, handcuffs, the back of a police cruiser, and a sudden rush of fear about the future. You may worry about your job, your family, your reputation, and whether you’ll lose your freedom.
These emotions are real, and no one should feel they’re facing the system alone. What happens next matters, and the choices you make in the hours and days following an arrest can shape your entire case.
At the Law Offices of Ravert J. (Jay) Clark, located in Cincinnati and serving clients across Ohio, I’ve seen how overwhelming this process can be. My goal as an experienced criminal defense attorney is to help clients understand what lies ahead so they can make informed decisions from the very beginning.
If you or a loved one has been arrested, I want you to know that there are steps we can take right away to protect your rights and start building a strong defense. Reach out to my firm today.
The Arrest and Immediate Aftermath
When someone is arrested for a violent crime, the situation is emotionally charged and often chaotic. However, several predictable events follow almost every arrest.
Here’s what typically happens:
Initial detention: Police will place you in custody, search you, and secure any items in your possession.
Transport to a station or jail: You’ll be taken to a local jail or holding facility for processing.
Booking procedures: This includes photographing, fingerprinting, gathering personal information, and logging property.
Initial questioning: Officers may try to ask you questions, even before you’ve spoken with a lawyer.
While this phase is stressful, it’s also a crucial moment. Anything said during or after an arrest may be used against you later.
That’s why asserting your right to remain silent is so important. After this stage, you’ll move into the next phase of the legal process, where your rights and opportunities begin to expand.
Police Questioning and Your Rights
After being booked, law enforcement may attempt to interview you or pressure you to make a statement. This phase can be intimidating, but you do have constitutional rights that protect you.
Before questioning begins, you should be reminded of your Miranda rights. These rights allow you to stay silent and request an attorney:
The right to remain silent: You don’t have to answer any questions about the alleged incident.
The right to request a lawyer: This right begins immediately after arrest.
Protection from self-incrimination: Staying silent can't legally be held against you.
These rights give you the space to avoid mistakes that could harm your defense later. Once the questioning period ends, either because you decline to participate or because law enforcement stops the interview, you’ll move into your first formal appearance in court.
The Initial Court Appearance and Bail Process
Your first appearance in front of a judge typically happens within 24 to 72 hours after arrest. This hearing is brief but extremely important because it sets the stage for the rest of your case.
During this hearing, the judge will:
Inform you of the charges filed against you
Explain your rights
Decide whether you’ll remain in custody or be released
If you’re facing a violent crime charge, the court pays close attention to the severity of the allegations, your criminal history, and whether the alleged incident involved weapons or serious injuries.
The Bail or Bond Decision
Depending on the circumstances, you may receive one of several outcomes:
Release on your own recognizance: This means you’re allowed to leave without paying money, promising you’ll return for future hearings.
A financial bond: This requires you or someone on your behalf to pay a set amount to secure your release.
A high bond or no bond: In more serious violent crime cases, the court may set a higher bond or deny release entirely.
Once the bond decision is made and the first appearance ends, the next stage of the process focuses on case building, evidence collection, and the preparation for negotiation or trial.
Pretrial Procedures, Motions, and Evidence Review
After the initial appearance, the case moves into pretrial preparation, where most of the legal work happens. Many clients start to feel more grounded during this stage because we’re actively shaping the defense.
Key components include:
Reviewing the prosecution’s evidence: Police reports, videos, witness statements, forensic results, and other materials the state plans to use.
Investigating the incident: Reconstructing events, locating witnesses, gathering records, and identifying information that challenges the accusations.
Filing motions: Requests to suppress statements, contest evidence, obtain disclosures, or address law enforcement errors.
Negotiating with prosecutors: Discussing reduced charges or alternative resolutions when appropriate.
Together, these steps influence the defense strategy and help determine whether the case proceeds to trial, is resolved through negotiation, or is dismissed. Once this phase concludes, the court decides if the case is ready for trial.
Trial, Sentencing, and What Happens After
If negotiations don’t resolve the case, it moves to trial. This stage can feel intimidating, but it’s also the moment when your defense is presented fully and clearly, with every piece of evidence and witness testimony examined.
A criminal trial for a violent crime generally includes the following phases:
Jury selection
Opening statements
Presentation of evidence
Cross-examination of witnesses
Closing arguments
Jury deliberation
Verdict
Throughout this process, I work to highlight weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, present the strongest version of your defense, and protect your rights at every stage.
If You’re Convicted
If the jury returns a guilty verdict, the case moves to sentencing. This is a separate hearing where the judge considers:
The seriousness of the offense
Any aggravating or mitigating factors
Your personal background and history
Recommendations from both sides
Once this final phase is complete, the arrest-to-resolution timeline has fully run its course—but your legal options may not be entirely closed.
Contact a Defense Lawyer After a Violent Crime Arrest
Facing violent crime charges in Ohio can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through this alone. From the moment of arrest to the final phase of your case, your rights, your freedom, and your future should be vigorously protected.
At the Law Offices of Ravert J. (Jay) Clark in Cincinnati, serving clients throughout Ohio, I’m committed to helping people move from fear and uncertainty toward clarity and direction. If you or someone you love is dealing with a recent arrest, the best time to take action is right now. Reach out to my firm today.