“An arrest may affect a defendant’s life for years to come; here is what you should know and why getting bailed out and fighting the charges are just as important”
After an arrest, defendants and their loved ones will be focused on the situation at hand; hopefully getting the defendant released from jail and figuring out the legal process in court. Failing to do so, this arrest may affect a defendant’s life in the future. Because of the frantic state at hand, many don’t consider the potential long-term effects that being incarcerated can bring for the person arrested and their family.
There are many ways in which a person, who may only have been arrested for a misdemeanor, could be affected in some way in their lives going forward through job opportunities, legal battles, and educational options. It is important to know how an arrest may affect someone’s life in the long run. Finding the right resources may allow defendants and their loved ones to prepare to work around the obstacles they may face. It is also crucial to learn about the chances that defendants have to be expunged for their past offenses, and how local organizations in Connecticut can help.
Why an Arrest May Affect a Defendant’s Life Even When Found Not Guilty
Posting Bail is Essential After an Arrest
Getting out of jail in a timely manner is essential to fight a criminal case. Posting bail can save anyone from further self-incrimination and consequently a possible conviction. Bail allows for a person arrested to gain their freedom back through the legal services of a bail bondsman or bail bonds agency. Not only that agencies like 3-D Bail Bonds guarantee the appearance of defendants in court, they also make the bail posting affordable in Connecticut. Individuals held on bail only require a small fee to process their fast release, often someone can be released within the hour after the arrest.
What Arrests Can Mean for Local Residents
An arrest may affect a defendant’s life in the long-term even more when convicted. One of the biggest disadvantages of getting arrested involve potential employment and educational opportunities. If a person was arrested, they must state this on job applications and school records.
Employment: Many employers and administrators at higher-level universities are also required to conduct a background check on applicants. If someone hides their past arrests on an application and the background check proves otherwise, applicants can be denied acceptance to school or get hired to a job and will be disqualified.
Employers and school administrators are also very selective in their acceptance of applicants, since the job market and school fields are both very competitive. That doesn’t mean that past incarcerated persons cannot be accepted into jobs or universities, past offenses may make this journey harder. Similar to this, if an applicant is accepted into school, and they have a past arrest on their records, schools can deny one’s eligibility to receive financial aid.
Past school and job opportunities, there are a few other ways that an arrest can affect a person’s life in the long run, and a big aspect of this comes from having a criminal case in a court of law. In Court matters, involving child custody, the opposite party can use a past arrest against someone showing that they are unfit to have custody over the child in question.
Since the judge has to consider the best interest of a child, a past arrest can put a person’s character into question when talking about the best option for them. It is also difficult for convicted individuals to be approved by landlords for homes or to use a loan. Many landlords and lenders will conduct background checks as well on those looking for housing or to borrow loans. Applicants can be denied because of past arrests, as a normal policy from renting companies.
Opportunities for Formerly Incarcerated People
While the consequences of experiencing an arrest can be frightening, and it may seem that one arrest may affect a defendant’s life forever, however, getting released quickly and finding good legal defense may turn things around for your loved one.
There are numerous organizations with the goal to provide the necessary tools for individuals to thrive after they are released from incarceration, even if they were convicted. Many organizations in Connecticut work to employ past defendants and aid their rehabilitation into society, so they can be successful in the future.
Most importantly, in some cases, former incarcerated individuals can have their records expunged depending on the charges. Connecticut’s legislation recently enacted the Clean-Slate Bill that will go into effect on January 1st, 2023. The new bill will help formerly incarcerated people find new opportunities in employment by clearing their records of misdemeanors and Class D or F crimes. Based on the date the misdemeanor occurred, some felonies will be automatically erased, while others will be erased through a filed petition to the court.
While an arrest may affect a defendant’s life in some aspect, there are many opportunities for formerly incarcerated people to be successful after an arrest, but it is important to take note of the challenges that they may face because of having to be arrested in the first place.
