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Bail and Fine Procedure

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Bail and Fine Procedure

Bail and fines for an inmate currently incarcerated and the Jefferson County Correctional Facility may be posted at anytime - twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

Bail and fines must be paid in cash or postal money order made payable to: The Sheriff of Jefferson County. (NO PERSONAL CHECKS WILL BE ACCEPTED)

Credit Card Bail

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This facility now accepts bail paid by VISA, Mastercard, Discover or American Express. This service is provided through a third party company named GovPayEXP and fees apply to post bail in this manner.

To post bail from a remote location the payee will need to contact the Correctional Facility to get the information from our fact sheet including our PLC number, amount of bail, and the court name. Payee will then visit the web site at the following link https://www.govpaynow.com/gps/user/?plc=6322 to pay the bail. GPS will verify the credit card information and that there are sufficient funds on the credit card. Once this verification has been made, GPS will give the payee a six (6) digit reference number which you will be required to give to the Correctional Facility to allow the facility to verify the transaction.

Be advised all paperwork will be filled out in the defendants name and the card holder will relinquish any claim to the funds and understands and agrees that the funds will become property of the individual being bailed; and that the cardholder understands that upon disposition of the case/charges against the defendant, any funds ordered returned by the court will be returned to the defendant and NOT the cardholder.

How to pay bail by credit/debit card in person at the facility:
1. Cardholder must be present at the jail to pay
2. Cardholder must have a credit/debit card and photo ID
3. Cardholder must have a FACT SHEET (see jail/facility staff)
4. Payment is made over the phone, so the cardholder must have access to a phone

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CASH BAIL OR FINE PAYMENT

To post bail or to pay a fine for a currently incarcerated inmate in this facility, inform the receptionist at the front lobby window in the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building between the hours of 8 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday. After normal business hours, the bailor may enter the lobby and use the phone to contact the dispatch center. Inform them of who you are here to bail out and they will connect you with the booking officer.

ALL CASH MUST BE IN U.S. CURRENCY ONLY

BAIL BONDS

How does the bail process work?
Posting of a bail bond. This process involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by a bail agent and the individual posting bail. The bail agent guarantees to the court that the defendant will appear in court each and every time the judge requires them to.

For this service, the defendant is charged a percentage of the bail amount. Before being released the defendant or a relative or friend of the defendant, typically contacts a bail bondsman to arrange for the posting of bail. Prior to the posting of a bail bond, the defendant or a co-signer must guarantee that they will pay the full amount of bail if the defendant does not appear in court.

Typically, a family member or a close friend of the defendant will post bail and cosign. Collateral is not always required for a person to be bailed from jail. Often a person can be bailed from jail on the signature of a friend or family member. Cosigners typically need to be working and either own or rent a home in the same area for some time.

After an agreement is reached, the bail agent posts a bond for the amount of the bail, to guarantee the defendant’s return to court.

If the defendant "skips", the cosigner is immediately responsible for the full amount of the bail. If the defendant is located and arrested by the bail agent the cosigner is responsible for all expenses the bail enforcement agent incurs while looking for the defendant.

There are numerous bail bondsman in the Syracuse and Utica area. Consult your phone listings for bondsman in your area.

ELECTRONIC WIRE TRANSFER

Bail may also be posted by the electronic transfer of funds from a lending institution directly to the Sheriff's Civil Office. A small fee is charged to post bail in this manner. Contact the Sheriff's Civil Office at (315) 786-2714 for further information.