Columbia County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Columbia County bail and bond: real amounts from the Magnolia schedule and where to pay
Every adult arrested in Columbia County is booked at the Columbia County Detention Center, 82 Columbia Road 300, Magnolia, which has room for 78 men and 12 women. Three phone lines matter: the jail at 870-901-1575, the sheriff's office at 870-235-5655, and the sheriff's switchboard at 870-234-5331. Two things set this county apart. The sheriff posts a bond schedule with dollar figures for most misdemeanors, and the bond and fines clerk, 870-235-3740, takes no cash. The circuit clerk is at 1 Court Square, Suite 3, 870-235-3700. Check Columbia County Inmate Search first.
Does my charge already have a price, or is a judge needed?
For most misdemeanors and traffic charges there is a set figure. The district judge approves a schedule that the sheriff posts online, and the jail applies it at booking, so release can come within hours. The schedule warns that amounts "can change at any time at the discretion of the District Judge," so treat the numbers as a guide. Felonies, and any misdemeanor the judge wants to see in person, wait for a decision. Ask the jail, 870-901-1575, which kind you have.
Which actual numbers are on the sheriff's schedule?
A first-offense DWI is $1,320, a second $2,320, and a third $3,320. Marijuana possession (first or second) is $1,165, paraphernalia $765, theft under $1,000 $640, violating a protection order $640, third-degree domestic battery $465, third-degree battery $440, and resisting arrest $390. Public intoxication and disorderly conduct are $220 each. Driving on a suspended license and no insurance are $245 each. A failure to appear adds $220 to $290 on top of the original amount. A fourth DWI and a third marijuana charge are felonies with no scheduled figure. Confirm the current number at 870-235-3740 before paying.
What does mandatory court beside a charge mean?
Paying gets the person out, but the case stays open. DWI, battery, theft, and drug possession carry that mark, so the person must still appear before the district judge on the date printed on the release papers. Charges without it, mostly traffic tickets, can be settled by paying the scheduled amount to the sheriff's business office, after which no court date remains.
Why is my cash refused?
County policy. The bond and fines clerk's page states "NO CASH ACCEPTED FOR PAYMENT." Bring a money order or cashier's check for the exact amount, plus photo ID. Mail is accepted at the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, P.O. Box 576, Magnolia, AR 71754, attention Bond/Fines Clerk, but mail is slow when someone sits in a cell. Call 870-235-3740 for the payee name and to ask whether the jail's night shift will take a money order after hours.
Is there a way to pay online or by phone?
The sheriff's online system is meant for fines and tickets, not jail release. Misdemeanor fines go through a card vendor at a 5 percent fee online or 9 percent by phone at 877-591-8768, and citations marked mandatory court cannot be paid there. Before you type in a card number hoping to free someone, call 870-235-3740 and ask whether the payment releases the person or only pays a fine.
Who gives me the exact total?
The bond and fines clerk, 870-235-3740, during business hours; the jail, 870-901-1575, at night and on weekends. Read off the person's exact name and birthday, then ask for the combined amount across every charge, any hold, and whether a charge is still waiting on a judge. The jail's bail instructions also say to call before paying.
It is a felony. Who sets the figure?
A judge, at a first appearance that Arkansas Rule 8.1 requires without unnecessary delay, usually inside two days and no later than about three across a weekend. Felony first appearances happen in district court, then the case moves to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, where the circuit clerk, 870-235-3700, keeps the file. The judge weighs the charge, record, local ties, and missed dates under Rule 9.2, and may add conditions under Rule 9.3.
What does a bondsman add up to in Magnolia?
The same as anywhere in Arkansas: a tenth of the bond amount, taken up to the nearest $5 under Arkansas Code 17-19-301, plus a $10 state board fee and a $15 processing fee. On the first-offense DWI figure of $1,320 that is $135 plus $25, about $160, and none comes back. On a small scheduled amount, paying it yourself costs little more and returns at the end. Verify the agent's license with the Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board.
Could we pledge a house in place of payment?
State law lets an Arkansas resident sign as surety if their visible property covers the bond once debts and exempt items are deducted, with a property statement signed by the sheriff. Whether Columbia County judges accept it in a given case, and whether out-of-county land qualifies, is up to them. The route runs through a lawyer's motion and the circuit clerk, with a deed and current tax statement in hand. Count on days.
Magnolia or Waldo police arrested the person. Where is court?
Columbia County District Court hears misdemeanors from the whole county. The Magnolia clerk works from 82 Columbia Road 300, in the jail's complex, 870-234-7312; the judge's office is at 517 North Jackson Street, 870-234-4727. The Waldo clerk answers at 870-693-2198. Magnolia Police, 206 North Jackson Street, 870-234-2323, have no separate jail, so their arrestees go to the county center.
Who can be held without any bond?
The state constitution permits flat denial of bail only where a capital charge rests on solid proof. In practice release is also blocked when a judge jails a person who picked up another felony charge while already free on a felony bond, or when a parole hold, probation hold, other-county warrant, or federal detainer is on the record. The jail can tell you if a hold exists; only the agency that placed it can lift it.
Where does the public defender sit?
In El Dorado. The Thirteenth Judicial District office covers Columbia, Calhoun, Cleveland, Dallas, Ouachita, and Union counties and sends lawyers to Magnolia. Call 870-639-3453. The judge appoints it after the person signs a financial affidavit at the first appearance. Proof of income, housing and Columbia County relatives helps that lawyer argue for release.
What happens to a juvenile here?
A person under 18 is not kept at the adult detention center, and the adult schedule does not apply. Circuit court's juvenile side takes the case, and families reach it through the circuit clerk, 870-235-3700, and a judge decides at a detention hearing whether the child comes home or is held. Without a youth lockup of its own, the county sends any detained youth is taken to a licensed center in another county. Juvenile records are private.
Does the commissary account pay toward a bond?
It can't. Commissary deposits made through the sheriff's card processor post to the account each weekday at 8:00 a.m. and buy food, hygiene items, and phone or tablet time. None of it applies to a bond or fine. Bond money goes to the bond and fines clerk or the jail as a money order.
Is the bond gone if a date is missed?
Not instantly, but soon. The judge issues a warrant, adds a failure-to-appear charge with its own scheduled bond, and sets a forfeiture hearing. If the person is brought back before that hearing, the court may reinstate the bond. Call the district clerk at 870-234-7312 the day the date is missed and ask how to get the person back on the docket.
What comes back to me at the end?
If the charge was not marked mandatory court, the scheduled amount is treated as the fine and nothing returns. If it was marked, and the person appears, the court applies the bond to any fine and costs and refunds the rest to the name on the receipt, or returns all of it on a dismissal. The receipt is the only proof of who paid, so keep it.
How do bond scammers in Magnolia usually operate?
Urgency, secrecy, and gift cards. Columbia County takes bond by money order or cashier's check, in person or by mail, and licensed bondsmen charge a fixed 10 percent. A caller insisting on a wire or app payment for release is running a scam. End it and dial 870-234-5331 yourself.
Which Columbia County court has the case, and what are the addresses?
Felony files are kept at the courthouse on the Magnolia square. District court has a Magnolia department and a Waldo department:
- Columbia County Circuit Court (felonies, juvenile cases, appeals): Columbia County Courthouse, 1 Court Square, Suite 3, Magnolia, AR 71753 · 870-235-3700
- District Court, Magnolia Department clerk (misdemeanors, traffic, first felony appearances): 82 Columbia Road 300, Magnolia · 870-234-7312
- District Court, judge's office: 517 North Jackson Street, Magnolia · 870-234-4727
- District Court, Waldo Department: 870-693-2198, for cases from Waldo
Felony cases start with a first appearance in district court and then move up to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, whose judges ride a six-county loop across south Arkansas.
Who handles a Columbia County arrest made by federal agents?
The Magnolia bond schedule does not apply, and a county bondsman cannot write a federal bond. Columbia County sits in the El Dorado Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, which holds court at the federal courthouse in El Dorado, 101 South Jackson Avenue, El Dorado, AR 71730, 833-853-0345. Most federal cases follow this order:
- An agency like the DEA, FBI, ATF or IRS brings a complaint, or a grand jury indicts.
- A U.S. magistrate judge, often sitting in El Dorado or Texarkana, holds the first hearing.
- A Pretrial Services officer asks about work, home life and record.
- When prosecutors want the person held, the judge sets a detention hearing a few days out.
- A released defendant must obey set conditions, such as reporting to an officer and limits on travel.
The U.S. Marshals decide where a federal defendant is jailed before trial, and it may not be the Columbia County Detention Center. Reach them at U.S. Marshals Service, 30 South 6th Street, Fort Smith, AR 72901, 479-289-7470 or 479-424-5000 (call either).
After Columbia County bail is posted, can ICE still hold the person?
It can happen. A detainer issued under 8 CFR 287.7 asks the Magnolia jail to tell ICE before release and keep the person up to 48 more hours, and weekends and holidays count. Arkansas law does not forbid the jail from honoring that.
The Columbia County charges keep going while ICE holds the person, and a missed date in Magnolia still brings a warrant. Arkansas is covered by the ICE New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360. People ICE picks up around Magnolia are frequently taken south into Louisiana, for instance:
- LaSalle ICE Processing Center: 830 Pinehill Road, Jena, LA 71342 · 318-992-1600
- Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center: 1133 Hampton Dupre Road, Pine Prairie, LA 70576 · 337-599-2400
Look the person up in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) using an A-number and birth country, or the full name and birth country.
How do I find a Columbia County inmate who has been moved?
A person first booked on Columbia Road 300 can end up in another county jail, a state unit or a federal facility. Check these searches:
- Columbia County jail: Columbia County Inmate Search. Try surname and first name, then click the entry to read charges, booking date and bond amount.
- VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/). Choose Arkansas and enter the name. It shows custody status and location, and free text or phone notices can be set up for release.
- Federal Bureau of Prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/). Enter a register number, or try a name together with race, sex and age. Federal defendants still awaiting trial may not show up, so call the Marshals at 479-289-7470 or 479-424-5000 (call either).
- Arkansas Division of Correction: Arkansas Division of Correction Inmate Search (https://apps.ark.org/inmate_info/). Searching an ADC number or surname shows which prison holds the person, plus a photo and parole timing.
Who can confirm the Columbia County bond and court date before I go?
Bond amounts and payment rules in Magnolia get updated, so call before you drive. The jail at 870-901-1575 answers at night and on weekends, and the bond and fines clerk at 870-235-3740 has totals during business hours. The circuit clerk, 870-235-3700, gives felony dates. Misdemeanor dates come from the district court clerk in Magnolia at 870-234-7312 or in Waldo at 870-693-2198.
Columbia County bond contacts
- Jail: Columbia County Detention Center, 82 Columbia Road 300, Magnolia, AR 71753; jail 870-901-1575; switchboard 870-234-5331
- Bond clerk: Bond and fines clerk (business office), 870-235-3740; mail: P.O. Box 576, Magnolia, AR 71754; money orders and cashier's checks only
- Sheriff: Columbia County Sheriff's Office, 870-235-5655
- Circuit clerk: 1 Court Square, Suite 3, Magnolia; 870-235-3700
- District court: Judge's office, 517 North Jackson, 870-234-4727; Magnolia clerk 870-234-7312; Waldo clerk 870-693-2198
- City police: Magnolia Police, 206 North Jackson, 870-234-2323
- Public defender: Thirteenth District defender, El Dorado office; 870-639-3453
- Juveniles: Juvenile division through the circuit clerk, 870-235-3700
Schedule amounts, payment rules, and hours change. Check your particular case with Magnolia staff ahead of any payment. Use this guide as general background, not as legal advice.
Columbia County Detention Center
Address:
82 Columbia Road 300
Magnolia, AR 71753
Phone:
870-234-5331
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Columbia County
Does Columbia County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Columbia County?
Who can set bail in Columbia County?
When is bail set in Columbia County Arkansas?
Does Columbia County have bail?
Yes, Arkansas is a bail state and Columbia County allows bail.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Columbia County?
Columbia County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. The judge in Arkansas considers one of the following bonds:
1. An unsecured bond in an amount set by the judicial officer.
2. An unsecured bond with 10% cash or securities valued at 10% of the bail amount. 90% of the 10% will be returned at the end of the proceedings as long as the conditions have been met.
3. Secured bond by cash or property from the defendant family or a qualified bond agent.
Who can set bail in Columbia County?
A sheriff or police officer is authorized to set bail during the time of the arrest. If held in a city jail, a police officer can accept bail and a sheriff can accept bail in a county jail. In the higher courts, the judge sets bail at the initial appearance.
It is the law in Arkansas that the judicial officer can only set money bail if it is determined that no other conditions will guarantee that the defendant will appear in court.
Who can set bail in Columbia County?
Bail can be sent by the arresting officer at the time of booking and if the offence was a misdemeanor the bail is immediately paid, the date for the initial appearance before a judge will be made.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County Detention Center 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.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
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, Columbia 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.
What are the different types of bonds in Columbia County?
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 can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
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.
(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.)
Does Columbia County have bail?
Yes, Arkansas is a bail state and Columbia County allows bail.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Columbia County?
Columbia County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. The judge in Arkansas considers one of the following bonds:
1. An unsecured bond in an amount set by the judicial officer.
2. An unsecured bond with 10% cash or securities valued at 10% of the bail amount. 90% of the 10% will be returned at the end of the proceedings as long as the conditions have been met.
3. Secured bond by cash or property from the defendant family or a qualified bond agent.
Who can set bail in Columbia County?
A sheriff or police officer is authorized to set bail during the time of the arrest. If held in a city jail, a police officer can accept bail and a sheriff can accept bail in a county jail. In the higher courts, the judge sets bail at the initial appearance.
It is the law in Arkansas that the judicial officer can only set money bail if it is determined that no other conditions will guarantee that the defendant will appear in court.
When is bail set in Arkansas?
Bail can be sent by the arresting officer at the time of booking and if the offence was a misdemeanor the bail is immediately paid, the date for the initial appearance before a judge will be made.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Columbia County Arkansas?
Yes, your attorney can also request a bond reduction if a judge already set the initial bail.
In Columbia County Arkansas, who can pay bail for me?
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 to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Arkansas could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Columbia County Arkansas?
Almost all counties in Arkansas accept online payments or payment by phone with an associated fee. It is important that you pay the correct officer or Columbia County Clerk of Court and not pay a scammer.
What options are there to pay bail in Columbia County Arkansas?
Cash is accepted in some counties and not others and it is dependent on the amount. Most all jails and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted.
Go to the Columbia County Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Columbia County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Arkansas?
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 including an $80 minimal fee imposed by the court.
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.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Columbia County?
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.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Arkansas?
All professional bond companies must collect a 10% fee before the defendant is released from jail and there non-refundable are court fees in addition. The court can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies in Columbia County.
If you have an attorney, it is a good idea to ask which has the best reputation or you can read reviews by others who have used them. It would be advisable to find out exactly how much they would charge, including extra costs.
You can call several bond companies and negotiate the best rate and conditions for you, although not all bond companies are obligated to execute a bond for you.