If you are arrested in Jacksonville, you will be taken to the John E.Goode Pre-Trial Detention Facility, otherwise known as the Jail. The jail is a multi-story beige complex located at 500 East Adams Street, between Bay and Adams in downtown Jacksonville. Our office is located about a block north of the jail at 215 North Washington Street. You will most likely arrive in the back of a police cruiser driven into the sally port of the jail. From there, in handcuffs, you will be walked into the jail to begin the booking process. You will be searched, finger printed, your mug shot will be taken, your clothes and property will be confiscated, you will change into a jail jumpsuit, and you will be put into a jail cell with other individuals who have been arrested.
Within 24 hours, you will be presented before a judge at “first appearance.” The judge will determine if there is probable cause to hold for the crime for which you are accused and to set your bail. If you are arrested, you should immediately call us. We are experienced in bond hearings and will fight to secure the lowest possible bond for you. We are available on weekends and holidays to handle first appearance court. Your first appearance will take place at either 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. in front of a judge in “J-1,” a small court room located inside the jail.
However, even before “J-1,” it is important to keep a few things in mind while you spend time in jail. First, all telephone calls made to and from the jail are recorded and monitored by law enforcement. Therefore, it is extremely important that you do not discuss the facts of your case on the jail telephones. Recordings of jail calls, including incriminating statements by defendants, are routinely used as evidence against a defendant at trial. The evidence is often damning. Advise your family members that while you may discuss that you have been arrested, discussing the details of your arrest or any acts surrounding your arrest is often incriminating and against your best interest. Further, law enforcement monitors any letters to and from the jail. Accordingly, you should also not detail the facts of your case in any written letters. Finally, other inmates in the jail often serve as witnesses in criminal trials. Thus, it is also important not to discuss the facts of your case with anyone in the jail. Immediately upon arrest, it is important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to have the best shot in defending against your charges.