Criminal Lawyers Open Now
24/7 Legal Assistance for Arrests and Bail
Arrests do not schedule themselves. The 48-hour clock starts at the cell door, and the first lawyer on the file – advising before the statement, preparing the bail – is usually the most valuable one of the case.
Our after-hours criminal line – 072 779 0866 – answers nights, weekends and public holidays for arrests and bail applications across Johannesburg.
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Why Criminal Defence Turns on the Early Days
The State must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The defence’s job is to hold the State to that burden – from the first hour.
Every Johannesburg criminal matter runs through the same machinery:
- arrest and statement rights
- bail within 48 hours
- docket disclosure
- trial preparation
- sentencing and appeal
The Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 and the Constitution set the rules: the right to silence, the right to counsel from arrest, disclosure of the docket, and a fair trial before an independent court. The defence enforces these rights – they are not enforced on your behalf.
Cases are usually decided by weaknesses found early: an unlawful search, an improper statement, a chain-of-custody gap. Defences discovered at trial are gambles; defences built in the docket are strategies.
What a Criminal Defence Attorney Does
From arrest: attendance, advice before any statement, bail preparation. Through trial: docket analysis, cross-examination on the gaps, expert evidence where the State’s forensics need answering.
At sentence: mitigation built on context, character and prospects – the phase where years are won or lost after a conviction.
The State builds its case from your silence. Build yours from its docket.
The Process, Step by Step
The pathway, stage by stage.
Arrest and first advice
The attorney attends, advises on silence and statement rights, and begins the defence file.
Bail
Police, prosecutor or court bail – prepared, opposed where needed, decided within the 48-hour framework.
First appearance and docket
The charge is put; the defence requests disclosure and identifies the gaps.
Pre-trial conferences
Issues are narrowed and expert evidence disclosed; weaknesses surface here first.
Trial
The State proves its case; the defence tests every link of it.
Sentence and appeal
On conviction: mitigation. On error: appeal within the court’s time limits.
Magistrates’ Court vs High Court Defence
Magistrates’ and Regional Courts
The overwhelming majority of matters – DUI, assault, theft, fraud – are tried in the district and regional courts.
Rolls move fast; preparation must move faster. Early docket disclosure resolves most matters before trial.
High Court
The gravest charges and appeals are heard in the Gauteng Division.
These trials are campaigns: indictments, expert reports, and sentencing that engages minimum sentences.
| Issue | Magistrates’ / Regional | High Court |
|---|---|---|
| Offence level | Less serious to serious | Most serious; appeals |
| Pace | Fast rolls, frequent dates | Longer indictments, scheduled trials |
| Sentencing range | Fines to substantial imprisonment | Up to life; minimum sentences |
| Defence focus | Docket gaps, early resolution | Full trial and expert defence |
| Appeal route | To the High Court | To the Supreme Court of Appeal |
Which Courts Serve Johannesburg Clients
The city’s family and civil machinery:
- Regional and Family Courts – Johannesburg’s family courts run divorce and children’s rolls.
- Children’s and Maintenance Courts – at magistrates’ courts across the city.
- High Court, Gauteng Division – complex estates, urgent applications and appeals.
Jurisdiction follows domicile or ordinary residence; counsel files where the matter moves best.
How to Choose a Criminal Attorney in Johannesburg
Your liberty is the retainer. Choose on evidence.
- Answers after hours.Arrests keep no office hours; a defence line that answers is the first credential.
- Docket-driven practice.Ask how early they obtain and analyse disclosure.
- Trial experience at your charge level.A fraud trial and a DUI trial are different crafts.
- Honest probability talk.No ethical attorney promises outcomes.
- Verifiable standing.Confirm good standing through the Legal Practice Council.
What Criminal Defence Costs
As a market guide, bail applications commonly run R5,000–R15,000; district-court trials from R15,000–R40,000; serious matters higher with counsel briefed, on hourly rates of R1,500–R4,400.
Otrebski Attorneys scopes each phase in writing. Clients come before billable hours. No hidden costs.
The Clocks an Arrest Sets Running
From arrest to appeal: the time limits
| Clock | Window | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Bail | 48 hours from arrest | Whether the accused is released or held in custody pending trial |
| Schedule 1 release | Hours, where the paperwork is done properly | Police or prosecutor bail can free the accused the same night |
| First advice | Before any statement | Statements made without advice become the State’s evidence |
| Docket disclosure | At the first appearance | The defence requests disclosure and identifies the gaps |
| Leave to appeal | Strict time limits after conviction | Hesitation forfeits the remedy |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The expensive mistakes are avoidable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you really open now?
The after-hours bail line on 072 779 0866 runs nights, weekends and public holidays – staffed for arrests and urgent bail, not switchboards.
What happens in the first hour after arrest?
The client is advised to say nothing beyond identification; counsel attends, assesses the charge schedule, and starts bail preparation before the first appearance.
Can bail be secured overnight?
For schedule 1 offences, police or prosecutor bail can release an accused within hours – the same night where the paperwork is done properly.
What does the after-hours call cost?
The call is the engagement’s start – the urgent attendance is scoped and quoted immediately, before work runs.
Do you cover the whole of Johannesburg?
Yes – the CBD, Sandton, Randburg, Soweto and the East Rand, at the station and in the night courts.
What if it is not bail – just advice tonight?
Urgent criminal consultations run on the same line – often the difference between a statement made and a statement declined.
Can family call on behalf of the arrested person?
Yes – families regularly instruct counsel from outside; the attorney attends the client at the station.
The number that answers is the defence that starts.
Otrebski Attorneys practises from Office 9th Floor, The Spaces, 5th Street, Sandhurst, Sandton – with transparent billing and no hidden costs.
Call 060 500 3098 · after hours 072 779 0866 (bail applications)
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 08h00 – 17h00 · send a message
Image credits: Johannesburg skyline – Khaanya96 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; Mandela Bridge, Braamfontein – South African Tourism via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; Eternal Flame, Constitution Hill – Mihi tr via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.