Henry County Jail

A judge or magistrate sets the bond, and the charge matters most. With many arrests, a judge has filled in the bond on the warrant before deputies ever drive the person to Abbeville. Jail staff only follow the order on file. They cannot bargain over the number or lower it at the front desk.

A number heard from a friend could be stale. Have jail staff check the latest order and tell you what it says. Alabama Rule 4.3 also lets some people with minor charges leave without a full hearing, either by signing a written promise to appear or by taking a ticket that lists a court date. The jail is at 166 East Williams Street, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-3293.

Phone 334-585-3293 with the name and birth date ready. One arrest can bring several charges, and each one may carry its own bond, so have staff go through them one by one. Write down the booking number while you are on the phone. You will use it for bond papers, deposits and letters.

Once the case is in court, the circuit clerk can also read the bond order to you: 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-2753. The clerk's office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Ask whether the amount must be paid in cash or whether a bonding company or property is allowed.

Under Alabama's Rule 7.2 chart, every class of crime comes with a suggested low and high bond. A judge in Abbeville can go higher or lower for good reason, so use these numbers only as a rough guide:

• Violation: $300 to $500
• Class C misdemeanor: $300 to $1,000
• Class B misdemeanor: $300 to $3,000
• Class A misdemeanor: $300 to $6,000
• DUI: $1,000 to $7,500
• Class D felony: $1,000 to $10,000
• Class C felony: $2,500 to $15,000
• Class B felony: $5,000 to $30,000
• Class A felony: $10,000 to $60,000
• Making or trafficking drugs: $5,000 to $1,500,000

You can read the whole chart in the Rule 7.2 bail schedule. For background on the statewide system, see our Alabama bail laws page.

Call the jail first at 334-585-3293 and ask which office takes payment for this case. On Court Square, the circuit clerk's office processes most court bonds, 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-2753, on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Sheriff's Office is down the hall at 101 Court Square, Suite G, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-3131. Its office hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After hours, ask jail staff how a bond can be posted that night. Bring a photo ID and the exact name the person was booked under. Keep every receipt you are handed until the case is over.

The Abbeville windows take cash, money orders, and cashier's checks or certified checks. A personal check will not be accepted. Cards are hit or miss; some courts take them for some amounts, so call ahead.

Never hand bond money to a deputy, an officer or someone who offers to meet you outside. Use only an official window. Your receipt should list the case number and the released person's name. With a bonding company, the company pays the court and you pay the company. Questions about what the clerk takes go to 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-2753.

With a bondsman, a licensed company stands behind the whole bond, and in exchange you pay the company a fee, often near 10 percent. That money is spent for good, even when the person makes it to every hearing. Many agents also want something of value held as collateral, like a truck title, and a relative or friend who promises to pay up should the person flee.

Posting the full amount in cash costs more today, but that money can come back when the case ends. Before you sign anything, ask the agent to write down the fee, the collateral and every rule you must follow. Go over every page. A no-show in court can leave the signer owing the full bond amount.

Sometimes. A judge has to approve a property bond, and the court decides whether the land must be in this county or can be anywhere in Alabama. Call the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 before you start gathering papers.

Usually the clerk wants to see the deed and the current tax value, and each owner on the deed must come sign. If the land has a loan on it, ask how the clerk counts the value. Property bonds move slower than cash or a bondsman, so expect the person to wait a bit longer. The clerk's office is at 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310.

The jail's phone and video services use online accounts, but money placed there pays for calls, messages and visits. It does not post bond. Before paying any website that says it handles bail, call the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 or the jail at 334-585-3293 and ask which payment routes are real for this case.

If a site or caller wants a gift card, a wire or a payment app, stop. Our pages on sending money and phone accounts explain the jail's deposit services. Those deposits stay separate from any bond paid to the court.

Abbeville and Headland police sometimes book a person at the police station first and bring them over to Williams Street later. For a city charge, that town's municipal court handles the case and may have its own bond steps:

• Abbeville Municipal Court, Abbeville City Hall, 101 East Washington Street, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-6444
• Headland Municipal Court, Judicial Building, 9 Park Street, Headland, AL 36345, 334-693-2037
• Headland police dispatch, 334-693-2222

Arrests in Newville, Haleburg and along the county roads are usually state cases. If you are not sure which court holds the charge, ask the jail when you call. Staff there can name the department behind the arrest, and that department decides which court and which bond apply.

Alabama starts from the idea that people get bail, though a handful of charges are carved out. Capital charges can be held without bond. Aniah's Law gives the district attorney a way to seek a no-bail hearing in murder, first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and other listed violent cases.

An amendment that took effect on May 19, 2026, added two more charges: attempted murder, and shooting at a house or vehicle while someone is in it. At the hearing, the judge hears both sides before ruling. If bail is denied, the person stays in the Williams Street jail while the case goes on. The defense can later ask the judge to revisit it.

Yes, a judge can change a bond. The defense attorney files a written request, called a motion, that points to the person's job, family, health and finances. Under Alabama Rule 7.4, the court may change release terms for good cause after both sides get a chance to answer.

Gather proof of income and a stable home in case the judge asks. Jail staff and deputies cannot shrink a bond on their own. No lawyer yet? Bring up both the lawyer and the bond at the first hearing. The circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 knows the hearing date.

With no public defender office in Abbeville, a judge picks a private attorney to represent people who cannot pay. Your loved one should request this at the very first hearing and will swear to a form covering wages, bills and dependents.

Under Rule 6.3, the court can look at that form again if money matters change. Getting bail money from relatives does not, on its own, rule someone out for a free lawyer. The appointed attorney can also ask for a lower bond. For questions about the state program, contact the Office of Indigent Defense Services, 100 North Union Street, Suite 680, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-242-7059.

Even after you pay, any of these can keep the person on Williams Street:

• A second charge with its own bond
• A probation officer or parole officer has put a hold on them
• An open warrant from some other county or state
• An immigration detainer
• A court order denying bail

Before you pay, ask the jail at 334-585-3293 to list every hold on file. Release paperwork can still take a few hours once all bonds post. Bring the person's ID and a phone charger when you pick them up at 166 East Williams Street, Abbeville, AL 36310.

With no warrant behind the arrest, the clock is 48 hours for a judge or magistrate to say there was probable cause. Miss it, and the jail must release the person on the lowest scheduled bond or a signature bond. Charges that allow bail to be denied are the exception.

Arrests on a warrant run on a 72-hour clock when the person cannot pay the bond printed there. That first time in front of a judge covers the charge, the release terms and a court-paid lawyer. Domestic violence cases add a short pause: no bail until a judge sets conditions, and no more than 24 hours of waiting.

Skipping a date can cost the bond and trigger a fresh warrant, unless the judge decides otherwise. Call the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 right away to check the date and ask how to fix it.

Rule 7.6 requires notice and a chance to answer before the court keeps bond money, so a lawyer needs to hear about it quickly. When a bondsman is involved, call that company as well; it may come looking for the person. Walking into the Abbeville jail with an attorney beats a surprise arrest. The clerk's office is at 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310.

The refund comes after the case wraps up, and only if the person showed up every time. Fines, court costs and restitution come out first, so the refund may be smaller than what you paid. Rule 7.6(e) lets the judge free up that money once the bond has done its job.

Alabama also adds a court charge of 3.5 percent of the bond's face value, at least $100 for a misdemeanor and $150 for a felony, plus a $35 filing fee. A bondsman's fee never comes back. Keep your receipt and call the clerk at 334-585-2753 to ask when and how the refund will be sent.

Forget the state chart for a federal charge. Federal cases from Abbeville, Headland and the farm towns nearby are heard in Dothan, 100 West Troy Street, Dothan, AL 36303. Clerk work happens in Montgomery at One Church Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-954-3600. The usual order:

• Shortly after the arrest, a magistrate judge in federal court sees the person for the first time.
• An officer from pretrial services asks about the person's job, home and record.
• The government can push for detention until trial.
• The judge rules under the Bail Reform Act and sets written conditions.

Up to sentencing, the U.S. Marshals choose the jail where each federal prisoner stays: 1 Church Street, Suite A-100, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-922-6960.

Sadly, no. Immigration officers can send form I-247A, which asks the Abbeville jail to keep a person for a further 48 hours after local release. Families still pay the state or city bond first, and the ICE hold simply remains. Should ICE fail to show by then, the jail ought to release them.

After immigration officers pick someone up, try the ICE detainee locator. It searches by A-number, paired with the nation of birth, or by name and birthday. Alabama falls under the New Orleans field office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360. Talk with an immigration lawyer before paying any bond.

Most youth cases skip the adult bond system, and their records stay private. Juvenile probation decides whether a child can go home with family or must be held. To reach juvenile probation, call the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753.

Children who cannot go home are normally placed away from Abbeville, frequently at the Montgomery County Youth Facility, 1111 Air Base Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36108, 334-261-4100. A judge must review that placement no later than 72 hours after it starts. A 16- or 17-year-old whose serious charge sends the case to adult court can post bond just like a grown-up, and may stay in the county jail in a separate area.

Scammers sometimes call families pretending to be deputies, lawyers or bondsmen. The story is always urgent: pay this minute with a gift card, a wire or a phone app, or your relative stays in jail. Real bonding agents meet with the jailed person and sign papers. The sheriff's office does not collect bail over the phone.

End the call, look up the number yourself and phone the jail at 334-585-3293. Pay only at the clerk's window, through the jail's official deposit service or with a bonding company you found on your own. If you already sent money to a stranger, report it to the Sheriff's Office at 334-585-3131.

The answer turns on two things: the agency behind the arrest, and the weight of the charge.

• District Court: misdemeanors, traffic tickets and the early part of every felony
• Circuit Court: indicted felonies and appeals
• Municipal courts in Abbeville and Headland: city charges filed by town officers
• Juvenile court handles anyone under 18.

Arrests by deputies or state troopers on U.S. 431 and the county roads go to District Court in Abbeville. For Newville and Haleburg charges, ask the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 which court has the case.

Circuit Court and District Court share the courthouse on Court Square. One office, the circuit clerk, keeps the paperwork for both of them: 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-2753. Its doors are open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.

The clerk can give hearing dates, copies of public files, bond papers and the case number. Clerk staff are not lawyers; questions about defending the charge belong with an attorney. Down the same hall you will find the Sheriff's Office, 101 Court Square, Suite G, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-3131. Jot the case number on a scrap of paper before walking away from the clerk's window; every later call goes faster with it.

Tickets and misdemeanor arrests by city police usually stay in that city's own court:

• Abbeville Municipal Court, Abbeville City Hall, 101 East Washington Street, Abbeville, AL 36310, 334-585-6444
• Headland Municipal Court, Judicial Building, 9 Park Street, Headland, AL 36345, 334-693-2037. Headland holds court on the first Thursday of the month, unless the city posts a different day.

Headland also lets people pay tickets online through a link on the city's website. Anyone convicted in one of these town courts gets 14 days to appeal. That appeal starts the case over in Circuit Court, and a jury trial is possible there. Phone the town court to make sure the date has not changed before you drive over.

Lawyers call this step the initial appearance. A judge or magistrate explains the charges, sets or checks release terms and finds out if the person needs a state-paid attorney.

Someone picked up with no warrant gets a probable cause review inside 48 hours. A person sitting in jail on a warrant, unable to make its bond, gets a judge inside 72 hours. Domestic violence cases add one step: no one leaves until a judge sets conditions, and that is done inside 24 hours. Ask the clerk at 334-585-2753 for the time and courtroom, and bring the paperwork the person was given at the jail.

Common misdemeanors here include DUI, public intoxication, fourth-degree theft and second-degree criminal mischief. The usual steps are:

• Arraignment in District Court or a city court, where the person can ask for appointed counsel
• Talks with the prosecutor, a deferred prosecution program or a bench trial with no jury
• Two weeks, 14 days, to file an appeal that starts the case over in Circuit Court

A first DUI, fourth-degree theft and second-degree criminal mischief all count as Class A misdemeanors. Each one can mean up to 12 months locked up and as much as $6,000 in fines. DUI fines run from $600 to $2,100. Public intoxication is Class C, with up to three months and $500.

Felonies such as cocaine possession, breaking into a vehicle, third-degree theft and second-degree forgery follow these steps:

• Initial appearance, where the judge rules on a lawyer and release terms
• A preliminary hearing in District Court, if one is demanded within 30 days of arrest
• Review by a county grand jury, then arraignment in Circuit Court after indictment
• A plea deal or a jury trial

Class D crimes carry 366 days to 5 years, and Class C crimes up to 10 years. Plenty of Class C and D cases with no violence end in probation, drug court or community corrections under Alabama's presumptive sentencing standards, while past felonies push the time up. Was the person younger than 21 when it happened? Then they can apply to be treated as a youthful offender. That keeps the file sealed and limits the sentence to three years at most.

A person charged with a violent felony may stay in the Williams Street jail for the whole case. Aniah's Law lets the district attorney request a hearing where a judge may keep the accused jailed without bail on charges like murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree rape and certain other violent crimes. Since May 19, 2026, the list adds attempted murder and shots fired into a home or car someone was in.

• Class A felonies, murder among them: the sentence runs from a decade to 99 years, or life. When a gun or another deadly weapon is part of the crime, the minimum climbs to 20 years.
• Second-degree assault, a Class C felony: 366 days to 10 years, with a 10-year floor when a weapon was used
• Capital murder: either life with no chance of parole or a death sentence. Ten jurors out of twelve must vote for death.

Cases like these can take a year or more to finish.

The District Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit handles state cases from both Henry and Houston counties. Its mailing address is Post Office Box 1632, Dothan, AL 36302, and its phone is 334-677-4894.

On the defense side, appointed counsel fills the role a public defender office would in a bigger county. If the accused cannot pay, a judge names a lawyer: either a private attorney or one who takes cases under a state indigent defense contract. First the accused signs, under oath, a form showing earnings and debts. For questions about that state program, contact the Office of Indigent Defense Services, 100 North Union Street, Suite 680, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-242-7059.

Ring the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753. The legal name and birthday will do; the case number is quicker still. The clerk can read out the next date and make copies of public files at the counter, 101 Court Square, Suite J, Abbeville, AL 36310.

The county's circuit clerk website lists the office's phone and hours. Statewide case records are also on Alacourt Access, which charges $9.99 for a name search covering one case. Dates can move, so confirm by phone the day before. City cases are kept by the Abbeville or Headland court instead.

Deputies at the Sheriff's Office serve the county's warrants. A dispatcher can check a name at 334-585-3131, and the front desk is at 101 Court Square, Suite G, Abbeville, AL 36310. The sheriff's jail page has more about the office. A missed court date often leads to a warrant, so the circuit clerk at 334-585-2753 can tell you whether one was issued in a case. Records on Alacourt Access may show the case behind it. Through a lawyer, many people schedule a time to walk in and surrender, with the bond already worked out. That beats being handcuffed at home or on the job. Left alone, an open warrant just sits there waiting, so take care of it soon.

Federal charges born in Abbeville, Headland or the farm country between them are filed in the Middle District's Southern Division. Its Dothan courtroom is at 100 West Troy Street, Dothan, AL 36303, while the clerk's office works out of One Church Street, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-954-3600.

First comes a hearing before a federal magistrate judge, then a detention hearing run under the Bail Reform Act, and cash bail is rare. Indictment usually comes within 30 days and trial within 70, though delays are often allowed. Sentences follow federal guidelines with no parole. People serve about 85 percent, then supervised release. Any appeal heads to Atlanta, home of the Eleventh Circuit.

No. The Abbeville prosecution rolls on after immigration gets involved. Immigration agents may file form I-247A, which asks deputies to keep the person in Abbeville as long as 48 hours after the state would free them. The criminal case keeps moving, and the person still has to go to court.

Pleading guilty can affect whether a person may stay in the country. Before any plea deal, the defense attorney ought to check with an immigration lawyer. The ICE detainee locator can find a person after immigration officers pick them up. ICE manages Alabama from its New Orleans field office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360.

A sentence of more than a year usually means time in an Alabama Department of Corrections prison. Until a bed opens up in the state system, the person keeps waiting in the Abbeville jail. The first stop after that is an ADOC reception center for medical and mental health checks, a custody level and a review of gang ties. After that, ADOC chooses a prison.

Look them up with an AIS number or name in the ADOC inmate search, or call ADOC at 855-937-2362. Our Alabama state prison pages explain each prison, including its mail and visiting rules.

Youth cases go before the juvenile judge at the Abbeville courthouse and stay private. Families can reach juvenile probation intake by calling the circuit clerk's office, 334-585-2753. Many first-time cases are settled informally, with conditions instead of a formal finding.

A child who cannot go home usually goes to a youth center outside Henry, for example the Montgomery County Youth Facility, 1111 Air Base Blvd., Montgomery, AL 36108, 334-261-4100. Inside 72 hours, a judge reviews whether that detention should continue. Outcomes can include probation, community service, counseling, or an order placing the child with the Alabama Department of Youth Services. Some teens go to adult court from day one. That applies to teens aged 16 or 17 accused of trafficking, a capital offense or a Class A felony, plus a felony where someone died, was badly hurt or a deadly weapon was used. For younger teens, at least 14, a judge may hold a hearing and then move other cases to adult court.

One missed court date can cost the bond money and bring a fresh warrant. A few habits help:

• Write every date on a calendar and set phone reminders.
• Call the clerk at 334-585-2753 the day before to confirm.
• Keep a current address and phone number on file with the court and any bondsman.
• Arrive early with photo ID and any papers the lawyer asked for.

If something goes wrong, such as an illness or a car that will not start, call the lawyer and the clerk before the hearing begins. Telling the court ahead of time is far better than simply not showing up.