Arrested in Pinellas County? What happens next

What to say to police if you're arrested in Pinellas County

Very little. Officers are trained to keep you talking, and anything you say can end up in the arrest report. Be polite, give your name and identification, and then use the rights you have:

• Say "I'm going to remain silent" out loud, then actually stop talking. Staying quiet without saying so isn't always enough.
• Say "I want a lawyer." Once you ask, questioning about the case is supposed to stop.
• Don't consent to a search of your car, your phone or your home. Say "I don't consent to searches," but don't physically resist if officers search anyway. We can contest an unlawful search in court later.
• Don't talk about your case on the jail phones or in jail video visits. Those calls are recorded, and prosecutors listen to them.

Don't try to explain your side of the story to the officer. People talk themselves into charges far more often than they talk their way out of them.

What happens at booking in the Pinellas County Jail

Most adults arrested anywhere in the county, whether by the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Clearwater Police Department or the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, are taken to the Pinellas County Jail at 14400 49th Street North in Clearwater. Booking includes fingerprints, a photo, a records check for other warrants, and inventory of your property. It can take several hours.

For many lower-level charges, the bond amount is already set by the bond schedule, and you can post it during or right after booking without waiting to see a judge. For more serious arrests, including first- and second-degree felonies and listed violent offenses, Florida law requires you to stay in custody until a judge reviews your case at first appearance.

Pinellas County jail first appearance hearing

Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130, anyone still in custody must see a judge within 24 hours of arrest. In Pinellas, you appear by video from the jail. The judge tells you the charges, decides whether the arrest report shows probable cause, and sets the terms of your release. A public defender is there to handle the hearing if you don't have a lawyer yet.

This hearing is short, and it's not the time to argue about what happened. Anything you say on the record can be used later. If your family calls us before the hearing, we can be there to speak about your ties to the area and ask for a reasonable bond.

Bond and pretrial release

At first appearance the judge can release you on your own recognizance, set a monetary bond, or add conditions such as pretrial supervision, GPS monitoring or a no-contact order. For some serious charges the State can ask the judge to hold you without bond. If the bond is more than you can pay, we can file a motion to reduce it before the judge assigned to your case. Our page on bond hearings in Pinellas County explains how that works.

The Pinellas County arrest process, step by step

Once you're out of jail, the case moves from the arrest to the courtroom. The timeline below shows each stage. The details follow.

The State Attorney's filing decision

The arresting officer's charges are only a starting point. The Office of the State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit reviews the reports and decides whether to file formal charges, called an information, and which charges to file. It can file the same charges, different ones, or none at all. If you're still in jail, the State generally has 30 days to file. If it doesn't, the court must act, and no one can be held past 40 days without formal charges. This review period is when a defense lawyer can often do the most good, by sending the prosecutor information that cuts against the police version. Doug Greenberg started his career as a state prosecutor, so he knows what a prosecutor weighs at this stage.

Arraignment

The arraignment is where you formally answer the charges. In most cases we file a written plea of not guilty ahead of time, so you don't have to miss work to stand up in court for a hearing where nothing gets decided.

Discovery and motions

After we file a notice of discovery, the State has 15 days to disclose its evidence, from police reports and witness lists to video and lab results. We go through all of it with you. If the evidence came from an illegal stop or search, or the facts don't make out a crime, we file motions to suppress evidence or dismiss charges.

Pretrial conferences

Pretrial conferences are check-in hearings where the judge asks whether the case is resolving or heading to trial. This is often when offers get negotiated. Depending on the charge and your record, that may include a diversion program such as Pre-Trial Intervention, Adult Pre-Arrest Diversion, or a treatment court like Pinellas County Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Court or Veterans Treatment Court.

Plea or trial

Most cases are resolved by a plea agreement, a diversion program or a dismissal. If the State won't make a fair offer, you have the right to a jury trial at the Pinellas County Justice Center. The decision to go to trial is always yours.

Sentencing

A misdemeanor in Florida carries up to 60 days in jail for a second-degree charge or up to a year for a first-degree charge. Felony sentences are calculated on a Criminal Punishment Code scoresheet. Whether the judge withholds adjudication can affect your ability to seal the record later, which is covered on our record sealing page.

How to find someone in the Pinellas County Jail and post bond

If a family member has been arrested, start with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office inmate search, called Who's In Jail, on the Sheriff's website. It shows whether the person was booked, their booking number, the charges and the bond amounts.

Bond can generally be posted in two ways: paying the full amount as a cash bond at the jail, or hiring a registered bail bond agent, who usually charges a nonrefundable premium. The Sheriff's Office also accepts card payments through a third-party service, up to a set amount per charge. Check the Sheriff's website for current payment rules and bring a valid photo ID. When you talk to your family member on the jail phone, keep the conversation off the facts of the case.

Free consultation with a Pinellas County criminal defense lawyer

Greenberg Law has defended people in Pinellas County since 1989. The first consultation is free, and we accept credit cards. Call 727-384-2111, Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or send us a message. Our office is at 7601 38th Avenue North in St. Petersburg.