If a loved one, friend, or family member has been arrested for drunk driving – more accurately referred to as driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated – bailing them out of jail will be priority number one. At Fred Frank Bail Bonds, we have decades of experience working with Baltimore’s Central Booking and other jails throughout Maryland to help you out.
The DUI Process
You can learn more about Maryland law’s and how a DUI will affect your driving privileges at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration website. As for what happens after a suspect has been arrested and taken into custody, a police officer “books” the suspect by performing a variety of tasks:
- Search suspect
- Confiscate and record personal possessions (to be returned upon release)
- Note personal details of suspect
- Create notes about alleged crime
- Take suspect’s fingerprints
- Take a photograph of the suspect, or a “mugshot”
This whole process usually takes about an hour, but it can be longer than that in some instances, and especially during times that are busy.
Bail for a DWI
Many who are arrested for DWI must post bail. This is to be paid in the form of cash (money/cash bail), but if the suspect or their family don’t have the money to make such a payment, they may use the services of a bail bondsman. The bondsman will pay the bail and the suspect will, in turn pay a down payment and agree to pay the remainder at the time of their hearing. They are also required to pay (typically) a 10% fee for the bondsman’s services.
Driving After a DUI / DWI
After being arrested and charged with drunk driving, the suspect will typically be allowed to drive with a temporary driving permit. The police confiscate the license itself, pending the hearing for the DUI or DWI.