This is the first of a series of information blogs on the facilities and processes of the justice system at work in Orange County, California as the workings apply to arrested parties. All states and all counties within California have an obligation to act in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and ensure fair policies to promote that for all parties seeking legal decisions. The procedures have been improved by technology and social sensitivities in dealing with child welfare, substance abuse, and mental illness, but remain clogged by steady increases in civil litigation, crime (and the widening definitions of crimes), and the general burden of enlarged population.
There are five justice centers in Orange County, four serving each of the county regions for adult persons awaiting trial, the initial disposition of their charges or revisiting their charges if re-arrested on a warrant for failure to appear. The fifth is for juveniles in all of Orange County and its services are specifically tuned to juvenile programs and issues.
For an arrested person, free on bond or bail or incarcerated, your Justice Center will be your point of contact with the legal and judicial system, the penalties, sentencing options, and your records. The following are the justice centers in Orange County serving cases, all types, determined by your city of residence:
- Central Justice Center
Serving Residents of Orange, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Villa Park
700 Civic Center Dr. West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 834-2801
- Harbor Justice Center
Serving Residents of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
4601 Jamboree Blvd
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 476-4822
- North Justice Center
Serving Residents of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia, Yorba Linda
1275 N. Berkeley Street
Fullerton, CA 92835
(714) 773-4523
- West Justice Center
Serving Residents of Huntington Beach, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Seal Beach, Stanton, Westminster
8141 13th Street
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 896-7310
The fifth justice center is dedicated to juveniles who have either been arrested on misdemeanor charges or felony charges and in some cases waiting for court disposition on whether or not they will be tried as an adult; rules differ in this specific Justice Center to protect the interest of persons under the age of 18. Arrested juveniles are sent to the Lamoureaux Justice Center from all cities or localities in Orange County.
Lamoureaux Justice Center
341 The City Drive South
Orange, CA 92868
(714) 935-7858
What happens after being arrested in Orange County without posting bail?
If you have been arrested for any criminal charge or warrant in Orange County you will be held for an arraignment where you enter a plea of guilty or not guilty or “no contest” –aka- “no lo contender.” This process can take up to 48 hours, not including weekend days or holidays. If you factor in a three-day holiday weekend, the worst possible day to be arrested is Wednesday, after 4pm (the courts closing time.) Thursday and Friday are tied for second under any condition without someone to provide bail. Without having or using a bail option for these three situations, you are held until the Justice Courts reopen at 8am on their next standard business day that makes your business days waiting less than or equal to 48 hours.
Release from the Orange County main jail or a city jail like Santa Ana prior to that arraignment can be achieved by posting bail (if offered for your charges) in the form of cash or bail bond, or the dismissal of charges in the event the prosecution immediately sees a weak case OR the police found the real perpetrator of the crime for which you were charged and arrested.
Every one of the Justice Centers can accommodate people in their own holding areas while you wait (if you remain incarcerated). Your arraignment will be scheduled later than the 48 hours when you post bail or bail bond but YOU MUST APPEAR or risk forfeiture of your bail, the bond, and the addition of a brand new arrest warrant.
CONSIDER YOUR PLEA OPTIONS
Guilty means that you know you were part and party to the charges presented, such as a DUI where blood alcohol content (BAC) is registered at 0.11; it’s difficult to argue a bad read of the test when there is no room for the possible blurriness between a 0 and a 1, or a 5 or 6 and an 8. The arresting officer is focused on the “1” to the right of the decimal point and probably has considerable experience in reading the panel. Asking for a blood test to dispute or challenge the reading can compound your problems if there’s anything else in your system and in some cities, the cost of the additional test is added to your fines.
Trivia notes: The highest BAC on an upright breathing person who could speak was 0.91 in Europe; the questioning officers reportedly summoned other officers to test the man because they thought their test device was broken. Another European involved in a multi-injury crash was determined to be 1.480, but he was unable to demonstrate consciousness at the time. There is no metric conversion for the readings. In California the legal limit is 0.079 BAC and for the non-professional drinker, a reading of 0.4 is considered a lethal level.
Not Guilty means that you didn’t do it. You are willing to let a jury decide based on the argument(s) of the prosecution. You should take this plea if you are absolutely certain that you are not guilty and can convince a private attorney or public defender of the same.
Consent to take a polygraph (lie-detector) test is by no means definitive and cannot prove or disprove your innocence. Both the defense and prosecution must agree to a polygraph test to be used as evidence. There is no 100% proof that stepping on a tack in your shoe while taking a polygraph makes all the answers “indistinguishable,” but it does make a great movie element. Many states do not accept results of polygraphs at all, but California will allow them to be submitted as evidence.
No Contest means that you are not disagreeing with the charges (almost the same as Guilty) but your conviction cannot be used against you in a civil lawsuit.
A very simple example would be using Silver BrandX Spray Paint to write a selective message on the garage door of your ex-best-friend’s property. You are caught with the paint can (complete with the residue on your index finger), and were identified on security monitors. If you plead no contest, you will have to make restitution for the removal of your editorial message, accept the charge of vandalism, pay a fine, perhaps spend some time in jail or participating in public service, be placed on probation, and be prohibited from having any form of spray paint in your possession, regardless of your trade. A year later, the owners of the property you vandalized cannot sue you for repairs when the message bleeds through the erasing coat of paint.
REMEMBER THERE’S MORE TO THIS PROCESS
The bail bond Orange County process permits you to leave the confinement of jail for home but it doesn’t free you from the obligation of participating in the arraignment and the hearing. These are two events that you cannot avoid without repercussions (new arrest warrant, forfeiture of bail or bond, additional penalties). The next segment of this series will discuss your options for the arraignment and hearing.
An attorney will provide you with advice and great help through the arraignment and hearing processes, regardless of your plea intentions, as they are capable of negotiating the best options for your situation. They are looking out for your record, and will let you know the best way to proceed to provide long term closure for the event. For serious crime investigations, where you sought for questioning by detectives, a lawyer can prevent you from becoming intimidated or interjected into a case.
Disclaimer:
The materials available on this web site are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. Any opinions expressed at, on or through this site are the opinions of the author and may not be of the opinions reflected by Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, Inc.
