This guide is the statewide rule, not a second walkthrough of booking. For the stages of an arrest, start with what happens after an arrest. For the Miami-Dade checklist, read what happens after an arrest in Miami.
The Deadline That Applies in Every County
Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130 requires that an arrested person be brought before a judicial officer without unnecessary delay. In practice that is usually within 24 hours. An arrest on a weekend or holiday can move the hearing to the next business day. That deadline is statewide. The jail, the bond schedule, and the courtroom are not.
What Changes from County to County
Booking happens at a county jail or a police facility. Fingerprints, a photograph, and an inventory of property are routine, but the facility and the wait depend on that county. Some charges have a preset bond that can be posted before first appearance. Whether a preset amount exists is a local schedule, not a single Florida number. Miami-Dade hears criminal first appearances at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building. Another county uses a different courthouse.
Who Files the Charge
After the arrest, the State Attorney for that circuit decides whether to file. Most felonies go forward by an information. A capital charge must be brought by grand jury indictment. Until that document is filed, the arrest paperwork is not the formal charge. Conditions of release can still be in force while you wait.
Holds That Are Not the New Charge
A new arrest can sit on top of something else. An out-of-county warrant, a probation hold, a juvenile pickup, or an immigration detainer can keep someone in custody after a bond is set on the new case. Those holds follow their own process. A lawyer has to identify which one is actually blocking release.
If the arrest was in Miami-Dade, a Miami criminal defense lawyer can read the paperwork against these rules. Contact our office for a free consultation.