How to Find Out if Your Child Was Arrested in Centre County, PA

If your child attends Penn State or was out in State College visiting a friend and you cannot get in touch with them, there are many possibilities as to why.  The stress of not knowing where your child is or whether anything happened to them might cause you to wonder if they’ve been arrested.  Penn State and State College, PA are in Centre County, so if they have been arrested, they are likely in a detention center or police station in Centre County.  They might also need the help of a criminal defense lawyer.  Our criminal defense lawyer for Penn State students, Andrew Shubin, explains what resources are available to help find out if your child was arrested in Centre County.  In addition, Mr. Shubin explains some of the steps you can take to get your child out of jail and fight the case against them.

How Can I Tell if My Child Was Arrested for a Crime in Centre County?

The criminal justice system in Centre County has three major departments that might be relevant to your potential issue.  Most students in Penn State and the surrounding areas would be arrested by either the Penn State Campus Police or the State College Police Department.  If they were arrested by either of these entities, they would likely have a record of it.  This means that you can usually find out if either police department has your child by contacting the PSU Campus Police at the number found on their contact page, or you can call the State College PD at the number on their contact page.

If they have no record of the arrest and cannot find your child in any state or county systems, it is still possible your child has already been sent to the Center County Correctional Facility.  This is the main jailhouse for all of Centre County, so arrests from other police departments in the county or arrests by PA State Troopers will usually see the defendant transferred there, too.  If your child is there, you might be able to find their name in an inmate locator search on this site.  If that system is not updated or does not have your answers, you can also call Centre County’s Central Booking at (814) 355-6794.

If any of these people have your child in custody, they do have permission to tell you that.  Unlike hospitals or healthcare facilities that might not be able to confirm or deny whether they have a certain person as a patient, police and jails can tell you either way.  Arrest records and inmate listings are all public record, so there shouldn’t be any reason they would lie to you or be mistaken about whether or not your child is actually in custody.  However, slow computer systems and other record-keeping errors could always cause mistakes.

How to Get Your Child Out of Jail if They Were Arrested in Centre County

If your child was arrested and you find out where they are being held, you can usually hire an attorney to help them out.  It is important to first verify they are in custody by calling the police departments and jails in the area if you get a call saying your child is in jail.  There are many scams that target parents and grandparents with false claims that their children are in jail, so you should always confirm these kinds of phone calls before sending anyone any money.  If you are determined to help your child out of jail, a lawyer can then guide you through the process.

You can usually pay bail by paying the court directly or by sending the defendant money.  Your lawyer can also help arrange payments to the court so you can pay your child’s bail.  If bail has not been granted in your child’s case, you can hire a lawyer to fight to get bail reduced or granted to help your child be released.  In many cases, defendants are released on their own recognizance (“ROR bail”), so they will not need to make any payments before being released.

Hiring a Lawyer to Help My Child Out of Jail in Centre County, PA

If your child is released on bail, that will not be the end of their case.  An arraignment and a bail hearing are usually only some of the first steps in a criminal case.  Your child will still need to return to court for a preliminary hearing, which is a chance to challenge evidence and charges against them.  At that time, your child’s lawyer can also discuss the charges with the prosecution and potentially work out a plea agreement.  This could have some charges dropped or dismissed in exchange for a guilty plea to other charges.  You may also be able to work out alternative arrangements so that your child’s charges will be dropped after completing ARD or other programs at the county level.

If the case progresses to trial, your child will need a criminal defense attorney to help fight the case in court.  For serious criminal accusations – such as sexual assault charges in Happy Valley – the penalties can be severe.  A lawyer can help fight to reduce unfair charges, lower sentences, and get cases dismissed.  Additionally, your child could face disciplinary actions at their school if they are convicted of a crime, so you will also need help from an experienced college disciplinary hearing lawyer.

Call Our Centre County Criminal Defense Lawyers for College Students for a Free Legal Consultation

If you think that your child may have been arrested in Centre County, these resources might be able to help you get confirmation.  Our criminal defense lawyer for Penn State students can also help in your child’s criminal case, working to protect their liberties.  To schedule a free legal consultation or hire our services to help get your child out of jail, call The Law Office of Andrew Shubin today at (814) 826-3586.