Address:
45 Court Street
Chatom, AL 36518
Phone:
251-847-2202
Bail can either be paid in cash at the Washington County courthouse OR through one of these licensed Bond companys:
All bonds have a $35 filing fee that must be paid as a money order made out to: Washington County Circuit Clerk. Cash is not accepted for this fee.
Does Washington County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Washington County?
Who can set bail in Washington County?
When is bail set in Washington County Alabama?
Yes, Alabama is a bail state, and Washington County allows bail.
There are four types of bonds accepted in Washington County:
1. Judicial public bail/bond is the release of a defendant without any money but must have some kind of supervision while out on bail.
2. Cash bail is payment by the defendant or another person in part or in full of the total bail. The Washington County Clerk of Court supervises this bond.
3. Property bail is when one or more people put up property owned in the state of Alabama to cover the bond.
4. Professional surety bail is when the defendant is released on bail by having a professional bond company execute the bond.
In Alabama, for violations of motor vehicle laws, a state trooper, sheriff’s office, police officers and constables can arrest and set bail for those violations not to exceed $300.
For non-motor vehicle violations, a bond hearing officer sets bail in Alabama. This officer must be an attorney and can set bail for any court in the state and is available on weekends and holidays via audio-visual technology that allows the public to view the hearing.
Bail is set at the time of arrest for lesser offenses and within 48 hours at what is called the initial appearance for more serious offenses.
Bail is what the arrested in Washington County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Alabama Washington County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Washington County Jail until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different.
The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions.
Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Washington County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid. Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid. Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
Yes, Alabama is a bail state, and Washington County allows bail.
There four types of bonds accepted in Washington County:
1. Judicial public bail/bond is the release of a defendant without any money but must have some kind of supervision while out on bail.
2. Cash bail is payment by the defendant or another person in part or in full of the total bail. The Washington County Clerk of Court supervises this bond.
3. Property bail is when one or more people put up property owned in the state of Alabama to cover the bond.
4. Professional surety bail is when the defendant is released on bail by having a professional bond company execute the bond.
In Alabama, for violations of motor vehicle laws, a state trooper, sheriff’s office, police officers and constables can arrest and set bail for those violations not to exceed $300.
For non-motor vehicle violations, a bond hearing officer sets bail in Alabama. This officer must be an attorney and can set bail for any court in the state and is available on weekends and holidays via audio-visual technology that allows the public to view the hearing.
Bail is set at the time of arrest for lesser offenses and within 48 hours at what is called the initial appearance for more serious offenses.
It is best to ask your attorney to reduce the bail amount, also called bond reduction. There is a formal motion that must be filed with your judge who will approach the Deputy District Attorney. If the bail was set within the guidelines or if there are not extenuating circumstances, the bond reduction would likely be declined. These are the bail guidelines for Alabama.
The courts require that the person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court in order to get their money back. In Alabama, a surety is not responsible for court fees. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Alabama can pay bail, although it could be costly. Your attorney is not permitted to post bail.
Yes, Alabama counties allow payment of bail on-line. The Washington County Clerk of Court can be paid on-line.
Cash payments may not be paid to the arresting officer but can be paid to the clerk of court. Personal checks are not accepted but a certified check, money order or cashier’s check are accepted. Payment of bail by credit cards are dependent on the court and the amount.
If you have attended all of the court appearances and met all of the conditions, the person who posted the bail will get the money back. In Alabama, the court fees are not taken out of the bail money for sureties (the person who signed on the bond for the arrested). You will lose the 10% that you paid the bond company.
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back.
Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
The Washington County Jail or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.
Because bail bond procedures in Washington County and Alabama may change, it is recommended to call Washington County Jail at 251-847-2202 or contact the court where the defendant was charged, such as Municipal or District Court, right after an arrest has occurred to confirm current guidelines.
When calling Washington County Jail or the Washington County Court Clerk, ask the following questions:
If you think the bail amount is too high, reach out to a lawyer or the defendant's public defender to explore options for a bail reduction. Acting quickly can speed up the release process.
Working with a criminal attorney or bail agent can make the entire process smoother and faster.
Option 1 - How to Post Cash Bail at Washington County Jail
A cash bond involves paying the full bail amount using cash, a cashier’s check, or a money order. Personal checks are not accepted.
Bail amounts can vary depending on the charge and range from $100 to $75,000 or more.
To post the bond, go directly to Washington County Jail or the court where the bail hearing took place. Going to the jail will help expedite the process, as paperwork from the court needs to be transferred to the jail.
Cashier’s checks and money orders should be made payable to Washington County Jail, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, or the Washington County Court.
Money orders can be purchased from Western Union, Moneygram, or any Post Office.
Option 2 - How to Post a Surety Bond for a Defendant at Washington County Jail
If the full bail amount is not available, a surety bond is another option. A bail agent posts the bond in exchange for a premium, typically 10-15% of the total bail amount.
For instance, if bail is set at $5,000, the premium will cost between $500 and $750.
The bail agent may require collateral, such as property or valuables, to secure the bond in case the defendant does not appear in court.
By signing with a bail agent, you agree to take responsibility for the full bail amount if the defendant fails to appear in court.
Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Washington County Jail
If you own property in Washington County, you may be able to post a property bond. All property owners must be present to sign the bond agreement.
For properties located outside of Washington County, contact a local bail agent or attorney for more information.
For further details, click here to learn how to post bail at Washington County Jail.
Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.
In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.
Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a Alabama state licensed Bail Bond firm.
Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.
