Good news: you do not have to wait for Monday. Virginia magistrates are on duty 24/7 — including weekends and holidays — so bail is set within hours of booking, and jails process releases around the clock. Someone arrested Friday night can usually be home Saturday morning if the bond is posted quickly.
The myth of "stuck until Monday"
Courts are closed on weekends, but bail doesn't come from a courtroom — it comes from a magistrate, and Virginia's magistrate system never closes. After booking, the arrestee sees a magistrate (often by video) who sets the bond, usually within hours. The only people who genuinely wait for Monday are those held without bond pending a judge's hearing — or those whose families waited to act.
Why weekends are actually the slow lane
Here's the honest part: weekend nights are when jails are busiest. Friday and Saturday bookings surge, and every booking ahead of your loved one's release adds time. Two identical bonds — one posted at 11 PM Friday, one at 9 AM Saturday — can differ by half a day in release time simply because of queue position.
Translation: on weekends, speed matters more, not less. See full timelines in how long jail release takes.
Holiday arrests
DUI checkpoints around July 4th and New Year's, family disputes around the holidays — arrests spike exactly when everyone assumes nothing can be done. Magistrates still set bail on Christmas Day, jails still release, and we still answer. No holiday surcharge, ever — the premium is the same every day of the year.
Your weekend arrest checklist
- Don't wait. Call (757) 751-0964 the moment you learn of the arrest — even at 2 AM
- Gather the basics: name, date of birth, which jail (or let us find them)
- Sign from your phone. Our paperwork is electronic — no office visit, no waiting room
- Stay reachable. We'll update you at each step until they walk out