Arraignment timelines vary based on the charges and how busy the courts are, but in most jurisdictions, including New Mexico, the law requires an initial appearance before a judge within 48 hours of arrest. That initial appearance, sometimes called a first appearance or preliminary hearing, is where bail is addressed and the charges are formally presented. The full arraignment, where a defendant enters a plea, can follow quickly or be scheduled for a separate date depending on the case. For misdemeanor...

This is not an odd question at all. The desire to hear directly from someone who caused your family irreparable harm is a deeply human response, and what you are describing is something that exists within the justice system as a formal process. Before pursuing a standard visitation application, it is worth knowing about victim-offender dialogue programs. Many state departments of corrections have structured programs specifically designed for situations like yours, where a victim or surviving family member wants to meet...

Mail distribution schedules vary by facility and are set by each institution's internal operations rather than a statewide standard. At most Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities including Pam Lychner, mail is typically distributed on weekdays when it arrives rather than held for a single weekly distribution day. That means your inmate generally receives mail within a day or two of it arriving at the facility mailroom, Monday through Friday. The mailroom processing step is what adds time between when mail...