If you are arrested in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach; you may have to post a bond in order to be released from custody.
Assuming the Judge imposes a monetary bond - that means, no conditions such as House Arrest or needing to first satisfy a Nebbia requirement (the money used to pay the bond premium must be properly sourced and approved to show the legitimacy of the funds) - your release from custody can take anywhere from a few hours, to up to 24 hours.
In Miami-Dade County, new arrestees are taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, also known as TGK. Once a bond is posted, the jail will process you to see if you have any holds or warrants from any jurisdictions, and then they will execute your release.
Release from TGK after posting the bond takes anywhere from 8 hours (on a good day) to over 15 hours. For instance, if your bond hearing is at 9:00 a.m., and the bail bondsman posts the bond at 11 am. You will likely be released in the early evening that same day, under optimal circumstances; but more than likely, you will be released in the late evening, even into the early morning hours of the next day.
Release from a Broward County Jail takes anywhere from 6 hours to 12 hours. Same for Palm Beach County.
Again, these are just estimates. Release processing times can vary depending on how busy the jail is; whether Records has all the proper paperwork so that you can be processed for release; and whether the jail is undergoing a shift change (the big shift changes at most jails occur between 2 pm and 5 pm).
Release from any jail facility after posting a bond takes time. There is nothing that can be done to speed up the release process.
The best thing you can do is contact a bail bondsman or post the cash bond as quickly as possible. When I appear at a first appearance for a client, I contact the client's family immediately (I am dialing before I even step out of the courtroom). I tell them, "call the bondsman" and the release process begins.
If your loved one has a charge that does not require a first appearance, such as a non-domestic misdemeanor or low-level non-violent felony; post the bond as soon as your loved's one case information appears on the county jail's website.
Inmate information for South Florida jails can be found here:
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney representing clients in Miami-Dade County; Broward County; and Palm Beach County. Attorney Eric Matheny is ready and available to represent your loved one immediately upon arrest, including representation at first appearance (bond hearing).