What to Do After Being Arrested in Los Angeles

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Arrested in Los Angeles? Here Is What You Need to Know Right Now

An arrest is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can go through and the decisions made in the first hours after an arrest have a direct impact on the outcome of the case. Most people make mistakes in those first hours not because they are guilty but because they do not know their rights or what is actually happening to them. At The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi our Los Angeles criminal defense attorney has spent over 20 years helping clients navigate the consequences of an arrest throughout Los Angeles County. Contact our office today at (310) 448-1529 for a free confidential consultation.

Do Not Say Anything to Law Enforcement

The single most important thing to do after an arrest is stop talking. This is not about appearing guilty — it is about protecting yourself from statements that will be taken out of context, mischaracterized, or used against you in ways you cannot anticipate in the moment. You have the right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment and exercising that right cannot be used as evidence of guilt at trial.

Politely tell the arresting officer that you are invoking your right to remain silent and that you want to speak with an attorney before answering any questions. Then stop talking. Do not try to explain what happened. Do not try to clear up misunderstandings. Do not make any statements at the station, in the holding cell, or on any phone call from jail that you believe is private — it is not.

Do Not Consent to Any Search

If law enforcement asks for your consent to search your vehicle, your home, your phone, or any of your belongings the answer is no. You have the right to refuse consent to a search and refusing does not give law enforcement the right to search. When they have a valid warrant they do not need your consent. When they do not have a warrant and you refuse consent any search they conduct without it may be challengeable in court.

Refusing consent is not obstruction and it is not an admission of anything. It is the exercise of a constitutional right that may be the most important decision you make in the entire case.

Contact an Attorney Immediately

The moment you are able to make a phone call contact a criminal defense attorney. Not after arraignment. Not after you have been released and had time to think about it. Immediately. The prefiling window — the period between the arrest and the formal filing of charges by the District Attorney — is the most valuable and most time-limited opportunity in the entire case. An attorney who is involved during that window can contact the filing deputy directly, present mitigating information, and in some cases prevent charges from being filed at all.

Once charges are filed that window closes permanently.

What to Do After Being Arrested — The Steps That Matter

The decisions that protect you most in the period following an arrest are straightforward:

  • Exercise your right to remain silent immediately and maintain it
  • Refuse consent to any search of your person, vehicle, or property
  • Contact a criminal defense attorney before making any other decisions
  • Do not discuss the facts of your case with anyone other than your attorney including family members in person or by phone from custody
  • Do not post anything about the arrest or the circumstances on social media

Every conversation you have that is not with your attorney is potentially discoverable. Every social media post is potentially evidence. The safest position after an arrest is silence until you have spoken with counsel.

Contact a Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Today

If you or someone you care about has been arrested in Los Angeles contact our office immediately. Attorney Arash Hashemi has defended clients against criminal charges throughout Los Angeles County for over 20 years. He will explain your rights, review the circumstances of your arrest, and tell you honestly what the defense looks like from the first consultation. Contact our office today at (310) 448-1529 for a free confidential consultation available 24 hours a day.

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We are conveniently located in the Westside Towers serving clients facing criminal charges across Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, and all surrounding communities. Your defense starts the moment you call.