Arrested in Düsseldorf: trade fairs, the old town and business
Düsseldorf combines a business and trade fair economy with the densest concentration of bars in Germany, and hosts one of the largest Japanese communities in Europe. Its caseload divides between corporate matters and what happens in the old town at night.
What actually happens here
- The Altstadt. Hundreds of venues in a few streets: fights, drugs at the low end, and complaints filed by both parties.
- Trade fairs, which bring a transient international business population, and with it counterfeit goods, contract disputes and customs matters.
- Corporate and financial proceedings, with the entity prosecuted alongside individuals.
- Counterfeit goods at fairs and in transit, where selling or importing quantities beyond personal use is criminal.
- The airport: customs, luggage and arrests on international alerts.
- Fare evasion and public order, both prosecuted more readily than visitors expect.
For business visitors the trade fair cases have a specific trap: goods brought to display can engage the provisions on marks and designations, and a matter that looks commercial becomes criminal without anyone intending it.
The German clock, in short
In Düsseldorf nobody is held by the police beyond the end of the day following the arrest without a judge having examined the case. Germany has no bail as a standalone route: a deposit is one of the conditions a court can attach when suspending a detention order. The full framework is in the guide for Germany.
Frequently asked questions
I was arrested in the Altstadt.
Night-time cases there are the ordinary caseload. Both parties usually file complaints, and what each did first decides it.
Goods at my trade fair stand were seized.
Provisions on false marks and designations apply, and selling or importing beyond personal use is criminal rather than administrative.
How long before I see a judge?
By the end of the day following the arrest, and the judge then decides on detention.
Is insulting an officer an offence?
Yes. Beleidigung is a criminal offence in Germany and it is charged for words said to police officers.
If this is happening now
The address and the documents that answer flight risk have to exist before the judge sees the case in Düsseldorf. First contact is free and covered by professional privilege, at any hour.