An arraignment is the first formal court appearance after an arrest. In California, the law requires an arraignment to occur within 48 to 72 hours of arrest, not counting weekends or court holidays. At the arraignment, three things happen:
The arraignment is held at the San Joaquin County Superior Court at 180 E Weber Ave, Stockton, CA 95202.
The clock starts. From the moment of arrest, the 48 to 72 hour arraignment window begins. Call a bail bondsman immediately , do not wait for booking to finish.
Processing at the San Joaquin County Main Jail is complete. Bail is set per the county schedule for most charges. A bondsman can post bail immediately for bail schedule charges.
Retain a defense attorney as soon as possible. They must appear at arraignment. A public defender is available if the defendant cannot afford private counsel.
First court appearance at San Joaquin County Superior Court. Charges are read, plea entered, bail reviewed. If bail was posted before arraignment, the defendant may attend from home.
In most cases, yes. For charges where bail is set at booking per the county schedule, it is almost always in your best interest to post bail before the arraignment rather than waiting.
If you wait for the arraignment, your loved one spends 48 to 72 hours in custody unnecessarily. During arraignment, the judge can also increase bail if the prosecutor argues for it based on the defendant's record or flight risk factors. Posting bail at the schedule amount before arraignment locks in that amount.
The exception is for charges where no bail is set at booking and a judge must set it at arraignment , in those cases, waiting is required.
If your loved one is bailed out before arraignment, they attend the hearing as a free person and can sit with their attorney. This matters enormously for the outcome of the hearing.
Our agents post bail at the San Joaquin County Main Jail around the clock. Getting them home before arraignment is almost always the right move.
