I understand that Michael Jackson has not been charged with any crime.
However he was recently "booked" on suspicion of child molestation and
was required to post 3 million dollars bail. What exactly does it mean
legally to say that someone has been booked on suspicion of a crime?

Hi! Thanks for the question.

In legal terms, the booking process during an arrest consists of
gathering basic information and of capturing a photo of the
individual. The photo is what we usually call as a mug shot.

According to findlaw.com here is a description of the booking process.

?Once you are arrested, you will be booked. During the booking
procedure the police will ask you for basic information about yourself
(such as your address and birthdate), and fingerprint and photograph
you. You may also be asked to participate in a line-up, give a
handwriting sample or do similar things.?

?If you are detained but not booked within a reasonable period of time
(usually several hours, or overnight) your attorney may go to a judge
and obtain a writ of habeas corpus. A writ of habeas corpus is an
order issued by the court instructing the police to bring you before
the court so that a judge may decide if you are being lawfully held.?

?Chronology: The Arrest Process?
http://public.findlaw.com/dui/life_events/le5_2chronology.html 


-------------------
?BOOKING - The process of photographing, fingerprinting, and recording
identifying data of a suspect. This process follows the arrest.?
http://www6.indygov.org/courts/glossary.htm 

 

--------------------
The CNN report shows that this process has been followed properly.

?The entire booking process during which he was photographed and
fingerprinted took about 30-40 minutes, a Santa Barbara County
Sheriff's Department spokesman said. Jackson also handed over his
passport.?

?Jackson booked on suspicion of molestation?
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/20/jackson/ 


In the official booking form I got from Santa Barbara County Sheriff?s
Department website, it shows that the form contains only basic
identification information and his mug shot.

Michael Jackson's official booking form and photo
http://www.sbsheriff.org/jpg/pio/11200301.jpg  


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Easterangel-ga                         
Google Answers Researcher

Thank you for the tip! :)

Here are some concise definitions of the terms "booking" and "arraignment":

"Booking: means the stage in the law enforcement custody process
following arrest and when the individual is clearly processed for
formal admission to jail.

Arraignment: means the stage in the court process where the person is
formally charged and enters a plea of guilty or not guilty."

http://www.kazoocmh.org/ProviderManual/section3/iiif3.html