Bubbleebit
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Texas
I'm a 36 year old wife and mother. I was recently arrested for driving with a suspended liscence. My license had been suspended for having recieved 2 tickets for driving with no insurance within a 3 year period of time. Okay, so I'm a hardened crimminal...
Anyway, I was extremely shocked when the officer who pulled me over cuffed me and put me in his car. Its a first for me, so I had no idea what to expect. But I think Dogs being thrown into a pound get better treatment than I did that evening. It was around 8pm when I was pulled over. I was taken into the jail, asked to turn over all my cash out of my purse, and made to change into their torn and tattered orange uniform. They then took me into what the other 4 prisoners told me was a holding cell. It had a metal toilet and sink in the corner, a cement floor with 2 drains, and a folded "blanket" (the thickness of a disposable cloth made from recycled wool) laying on the floor - which the girls told me was mine for the duration. I cried for hours at the idea of being in jail. I agonized over not having been allowed to call my husband to let him and our kids know where I was and that I was alive. The girls told me I didn't get to use the phone until I was processed. So I used the intercom to politely ask when that would be. I was scolded and told they were busy and it might be another 8 hours. I began to hyperventilate at the idea of my husband and kids driving the roads looking for me... It was around 2:30 am before they finally booked and processed me, and allowed me to call my family (I called my husband and then my Mother, who lives in a nearby town and would be the only person able to help me). That was also the first time I was able to take the opportunity to ask some questions to find out what the "process" I was going through would entail. The jailor told me I'd see the judge sometime between 10 and 2 the next day, and would then be allowed another phone call to contact a bail bondsman.
After a night with no sleep, around 11am they herded us all into a room across from our cell to see the judge. One by one he read us our rights and went through our charges. It wasn't until that point that it occured to me that the officer who arrested me never read me my rights. I didn't realize they didn't have to tell you all that stuff until you saw the judge... When we were done with him, we were herded back to our cell. I thought we'd get to make our calls soon, but I was wrong. Around 2pm the jailor came and called me from the cell and took me back into a bathroom to redress in my clothes and told me I was leaving. My Mother (thank God) had been there since 10am that morning. She finally asked again at 2 when I was going to see the judge and they told her I already had. She had already contacted a bail bondsman so they got me out. After signing all their paperwork they sent me to the front of the building to get my money they'd taken. I took my reciept up and the lady wrote me a check for the amount of cash I had instead of returning it to me! (What's a person with no vehicle supposed to do in another town with a check?!?)
I feel like my rights were violated. I mean, I know I technically broke the law - but I'm hardly a "crimminal" derserving the treatment I recieved. Shouldn't the officer have Marandized me when I was arrested? I mean, no one tried to question me or anything, but I thought you were supposed to hear those rights anyway, before seeing the judge...??? Did I have a right to know what the process I was facing was going to be? Did I have a right to make a phone call to my family without having to wait over 6 hours to do so in the middle of the night??? Did I have the right to make my phone call after seeing the judge sooner (I never did make the call, but had still been waiting 3 hours)??? Did I have the right to receive my cash back instead of a check???
I don't know, but I'd sure appreciate any help and/or opinions on the matter.
Thanx!
I'm a 36 year old wife and mother. I was recently arrested for driving with a suspended liscence. My license had been suspended for having recieved 2 tickets for driving with no insurance within a 3 year period of time. Okay, so I'm a hardened crimminal...
Anyway, I was extremely shocked when the officer who pulled me over cuffed me and put me in his car. Its a first for me, so I had no idea what to expect. But I think Dogs being thrown into a pound get better treatment than I did that evening. It was around 8pm when I was pulled over. I was taken into the jail, asked to turn over all my cash out of my purse, and made to change into their torn and tattered orange uniform. They then took me into what the other 4 prisoners told me was a holding cell. It had a metal toilet and sink in the corner, a cement floor with 2 drains, and a folded "blanket" (the thickness of a disposable cloth made from recycled wool) laying on the floor - which the girls told me was mine for the duration. I cried for hours at the idea of being in jail. I agonized over not having been allowed to call my husband to let him and our kids know where I was and that I was alive. The girls told me I didn't get to use the phone until I was processed. So I used the intercom to politely ask when that would be. I was scolded and told they were busy and it might be another 8 hours. I began to hyperventilate at the idea of my husband and kids driving the roads looking for me... It was around 2:30 am before they finally booked and processed me, and allowed me to call my family (I called my husband and then my Mother, who lives in a nearby town and would be the only person able to help me). That was also the first time I was able to take the opportunity to ask some questions to find out what the "process" I was going through would entail. The jailor told me I'd see the judge sometime between 10 and 2 the next day, and would then be allowed another phone call to contact a bail bondsman.
After a night with no sleep, around 11am they herded us all into a room across from our cell to see the judge. One by one he read us our rights and went through our charges. It wasn't until that point that it occured to me that the officer who arrested me never read me my rights. I didn't realize they didn't have to tell you all that stuff until you saw the judge... When we were done with him, we were herded back to our cell. I thought we'd get to make our calls soon, but I was wrong. Around 2pm the jailor came and called me from the cell and took me back into a bathroom to redress in my clothes and told me I was leaving. My Mother (thank God) had been there since 10am that morning. She finally asked again at 2 when I was going to see the judge and they told her I already had. She had already contacted a bail bondsman so they got me out. After signing all their paperwork they sent me to the front of the building to get my money they'd taken. I took my reciept up and the lady wrote me a check for the amount of cash I had instead of returning it to me! (What's a person with no vehicle supposed to do in another town with a check?!?)
I feel like my rights were violated. I mean, I know I technically broke the law - but I'm hardly a "crimminal" derserving the treatment I recieved. Shouldn't the officer have Marandized me when I was arrested? I mean, no one tried to question me or anything, but I thought you were supposed to hear those rights anyway, before seeing the judge...??? Did I have a right to know what the process I was facing was going to be? Did I have a right to make a phone call to my family without having to wait over 6 hours to do so in the middle of the night??? Did I have the right to make my phone call after seeing the judge sooner (I never did make the call, but had still been waiting 3 hours)??? Did I have the right to receive my cash back instead of a check???
I don't know, but I'd sure appreciate any help and/or opinions on the matter.
Thanx!
