Apache County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Start with Apache County Inmate Search, then phone the jail at 928-337-4321. The toll-free number is 800-352-1850. The sheriff says the jail takes prisoners from county courts, three town police departments, and, as needed, other counties and tribal agencies. So a person picked up on the reservation may be listed somewhere else. Ask the desk whether another agency has a hold.

Back to questions ↑

The sheriff's office lists Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The jail runs around the clock, so use the same number, 928-337-4321, at night. A daily lockdown, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., is posted for visits. Ask whether a release can be processed during those two hours before you plan a pickup.

Back to questions ↑

Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 4.1 gives the jail 24 hours to bring the person in front of a judge, or else let them go. That hearing settles whether bail is possible and which rules come with it (Rule 7.4). Someone held on a misdemeanor bond gets a second look: within 10 days, the court must decide whether to change the terms. The St. Johns Justice Court is at 928-337-7558.

Back to questions ↑

Under A.R.S. 13-3967, the judge can free someone on a signed pledge to come back, or set a dollar amount. Extra rules can be stacked on top: staying with a named adult, travel limits, regular check-ins, or no alcohol or weapons. The judge weighs the charge, the evidence, past court record, jobs, family, and the victim's views. For felonies the judge must also require good behavior.

Back to questions ↑

Call the jail at 928-337-4321 before you leave home and get three answers. Is the payment taken at the jail or at the court? Which forms of money work for this bond: bills, a bank check, a money order, plastic? Is there a time of day when releases are slow? Written rules differ from site to site, and the desk can give the answer for your case.

Back to questions ↑

Annell Hounshell's office, at 70 West 3rd South in St. Johns, keeps felony files and collects fees, fines, and bonds. The listed hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays except government holidays. The number is 928-337-7550. The county says online payments for fines are possible through its e-services page. The clerk can say if this bond qualifies for that route.

Back to questions ↑

The county has four justice courts. St. Johns Justice Court is at 70 West 3rd South, 928-337-7558, open Monday through Thursday. Round Valley Justice Court, Springerville, is at 130 South Mountain Avenue, 928-333-4613. Northstar Justice Court, Sanders, is 928-688-2729. Chinle Justice Court is at 928-674-5922. The towns of St. Johns, Eagar, and Springerville also run municipal courts, and the state's hearing directory gives them the same numbers as the St. Johns and Round Valley justice courts (928-337-7558 and 928-333-4613). Felony hearings are at the Apache Superior Court, 928-337-7555. If you are unsure of the right court, the county switchboard, 928-337-4364, can route you.

Back to questions ↑

Navajo Nation officers can arrest and hold their own people under tribal law, and those cases go to Navajo courts. Start with Navajo Police at 928-357-6677 or the Chinle district dispatch at 928-674-2111. The Navajo Nation jail in Chinle takes calls at 928-674-2230, and the Window Rock jail at 928-384-0891. Ask each place who holds the person and what court date is set.

Back to questions ↑

Only agents licensed by Arizona may write bail bonds, and you can check a license with the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. An agent may only charge the rate it filed with the state insurance office, so ask to see that rate sheet. Pledged property must sit apart from the agent's business money, and it is returned when the case wraps up. Get a receipt for everything you hand over.

Back to questions ↑

Some courts accept real estate in place of cash. The clerk's pages do not spell out a rule, so ask 928-337-7550 three things. Does the property have to sit in Apache County? How much equity must it carry? Do all owners sign? Expect a slow process with recorded paperwork.

Back to questions ↑

The Arizona Constitution (art. 2, sec. 22) lists the cases. They include capital crimes, sexual assault, certain sex crimes against children under 15, a fresh felony while already free on bond, and felonies where the person is a substantial danger. Each requires strong proof. A.R.S. 13-3961 repeats the list and lets the state ask for a hearing on danger. A judge decides the question at the first appearance.

Back to questions ↑

The court can change release terms after hearing from both sides (Rule 7.4(c)), so a lawyer files a request. Families short on money for counsel can raise it with the St. Johns judge at that first hearing. Call the clerk at 928-337-7550 to learn which attorney the court uses for appointed cases. The county attorney, 928-337-7560, is the prosecutor, not your lawyer.

Back to questions ↑

Apache County Juvenile Probation sits at 50 West Cleveland, St. Johns, 928-245-6885. A 2024 list kept by Disability Rights Arizona shows Apache County sending detained youth to Pinal County's facility in Florence, and Pinal's juvenile department answers at 520-866-4000. Call Apache probation first and ask where your child is tonight and when the detention hearing is. Juveniles do not post adult bail.

Back to questions ↑

Apache County judges usually answer a no-show with an arrest warrant. State law tells the court to notify the bail agent by email, or by mail if no email was given (A.R.S. 13-3973). A bail agent can also return the person to jail to close out the bond (A.R.S. 13-3974). Phone the court with the case that very day, then a lawyer.

Back to questions ↑

An account deposit frees nobody. Funds for phone calls, commissary, and similar services go to the person's account and have nothing to do with a bond. A real court never asks for bond in gift cards or a phone app. Look up 928-337-4321 yourself and call it.

Back to questions ↑

The St. Johns jail can't take money for a federal case. Charges from the FBI, Border Patrol, DEA or tribal-land cases handled by federal prosecutors go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and Apache County's bail rules never come into play. Here is what happens:

• The person is usually driven to Flagstaff federal courthouse, 123 North San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928-774-2566) for a first hearing before a magistrate judge.
• A federal pretrial officer asks about family, work and history, then writes a report for the judge.
• The judge either sets release conditions or schedules a detention hearing a few days out.
• Any bond is signed in federal court. Bondsmen from St. Johns have no role.

While the case is open, the Marshals choose the jail. Ask them at U.S. Marshals Service, 123 North San Francisco Street, Suite 101, Flagstaff, 928-213-0135.

Back to questions ↑

Paying bail settles only the county charge. An ICE detainer (federal rule 8 CFR 287.7) asks the jail to keep the person up to 48 hours past the normal release time, counting weekends and holidays. Arizona law, A.R.S. 11-1051, bars counties from limiting immigration enforcement, but it does not force any jail to hold people, and Apache County has no public 287(g) agreement. Ask the jail desk how it handles a detainer before you post money.

If ICE picks the person up, the county case stays open and court dates still count. Missing one can cost the bond. Immigration cases from this county are run by ICE Phoenix Field Office, 2035 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602-257-5900, and people are often moved to:

• Eloy Detention Center: 1705 East Hanna Road, Eloy, AZ 85131 · 520-464-3000
• Florence Service Processing Center: 3250 North Pinal Parkway, Florence, AZ 85132 · 520-868-5862
• Central Arizona Florence Correctional Center: Florence, AZ · 520-868-9095

Back to questions ↑

Run these searches in order. Each one covers a different kind of custody:

• County jail: Apache County Inmate Search. Type the last name, then the first. Look for the booking number and any bond amount.
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Arizona and enter the name. VINE shows custody status for anyone in a county jail or state prison here, and you can also sign up for a release alert.
• Federal prison: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Search by name or register number. Someone not yet sentenced might be missing, so phone the Marshals at 928-213-0135.
• State prison: ADCRR Inmate Data Search (https://inmatedatasearch.azcorrections.gov/). Enter an ADCRR number or the last name to see the prison unit.
• Immigration: ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/). Type the A-number with the birth country, or a full name with it. If nothing appears after two days, call 602-257-5900.

Back to questions ↑

The Superior Court clerk in St. Johns can check the case and say where bond goes. Call before you drive, since roads here are long:

• Apache County courthouse (Superior Court and clerk): 70 West 3rd Street South, St. Johns, AZ 85936 · 928-337-7550

Back to questions ↑