My son was just arrested — what do I do right now?

Take these in order.

Locate him. County jail websites publish inmate rosters, generally within a few hours of booking. You'll want the booking number and the listed charges.

Understand the hold. The roster will show a bond amount, "no bond," or a hold. Those mean different things, and what you can do next depends on which one it is.

Tell him not to talk about the case. Not to officers, not to other people in the jail, and not on the phone — jail calls are recorded and routinely used by prosecutors. This is the single most important thing you can convey, and it's the thing most families don't think to say.

Get counsel involved before first appearance. That hearing usually happens within a day, and it's where bond and conditions get set. Having someone there who has looked at the case changes what's possible.

What can wait: bond arrangements, the car, his job. What can't: the phone calls he's making right now.