Whether on vacation, visiting family, or doing work out-of-state, things can feel very different from home and if for any reason you end up in a situation where you have a run-in with law enforcement, being from out-of-state can actually lead to a lot more challenges that could potentially keep you away from home for a while. Here is what you need to know.
Misdemeanors could potentially save you a lot of time and money compared to felonies.
When anyone gets arrested, a misdemeanor will always be preferable to a felony because it usually means a less severe sentence but when it comes to arrests when being from out-of-town it can make a significant difference in how the defendant is treated. This is because when it comes to misdemeanors, you may have the option to avoid having to travel back to the state where the arrest occurred by hiring a local lawyer to act as the defendant’s proxy. This however is not an option for someone who is dealing with a felony in which case the defendant’s attendance will be mandatory and they will have to spend the money for travel and accommodations during the hearings and potential trial.
Understanding jurisdictions
When traveling to new places there will always be different rules and laws that come with it. What could be perfectly legal in someone’s hometown may be strictly prohibited in a neighboring area. This can sometimes cause problems when it comes to arrests because some judges or court systems may be less lenient about bond costs or holding with people from different jurisdictions if they feel that there is a higher risk of fleeing.
Jurisdictions are different but they still work together
Some defendants have the idea that if they were arrested in one place, they could simply go home and avoid being prosecuted in another state. This is completely untrue. If someone faces charges in Arizona and flees to Florida, it will not free them from those charges. In fact, since the jurisdictions will typically cooperate with others around the country, the law enforcement in Arizona can get the jurisdiction in Florida to put a warrant out for the defendant and then eventually have them sent back to Arizona to face those charges. If this is to happen then the defendant will most likely not only face additional charges but also added fines for the resources used and have a far lesser chance to be offered release again until the actual arraignment.
To sum up, things can be more complicated when dealing with an arrest in another state but most of the time, it can be dealt with in a way that won’t derail one’s life in the process.
