Lake County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Lake County Jail

Address:
505 Harrison Ave.
Leadville, CO 80461

Phone:

719-486-4127

How do Bail Bonds work at Lake County Jail

Bail is the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial on condition that a sum of cash money be lodged to guarantee their appearance in Lake County Court in Leadville, Colorado.
Once the defendant is booked and filed for arrest, a custody and bail hearing will be scheduled, usually within 48 hours.
At the hearing the judge may issue a bail or bond amount. This bail or bond is a refundable sum of cash money paid to the court to provide incentive for the defendant to attend all scheduled court hearings.
There are several ways to pay a bond to free an inmate from jail pending court business. These include:
Payment at the jail — You can bring cash to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office located at 505 Harrison Avenue, Leadville, CO 80461. No personal checks are accepted.
Money order/Cashier’s check – You can bring it to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office or mail it, made payable to Lake County Combined Courts (or other court jurisdiction, if applicable). The mailing address is:     
Lake County Sheriff's Office
Inmates Name                                                                                                                                            
P.O. Box 255                                                                                                                                                  
Leadville, Co 80461  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
Bail bondsman — A state-licensed bondsman can help you make bail if you do not have the cash available. A fee will be charged for this service, usually 10-15% of the bond amount. The Sheriff’s office can provide referrals for a bonding agency, or you can use a print or online directory to locate a local bail bondsman.

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 719-486-4127 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Lake County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Bail Bond Laws of Colorado

Effective January 1, 2022

1. Bond fees, booking fees, and other fees or debts never need to be paid to secure a person’s release on money bond. A payor need only pay the bond amount in order to secure release.

2. While never a basis to hold a defendant in jail, the following fees are chargeable as a debt to the defendant after release if the payor chooses not to pay the fees at the time of bonding: a $10 bond fee and a maximum 3.5% credit card payment fee. No other bond-related fees may be charged at any time, including any kiosk fees or fees for payment by cash, check, or money order.

3. Bond payments are to be made out to the holding county and are never to be made out in the name of the incarcerated person.

4. A sheriff must release a defendant within six hours after a personal recognizance bond is set and the defendant has returned to jail or within six hours after a cash bond has been set and the defendant has returned to jail and the defendant or surety notified the jail that bond is prepared to be posted, unless extraordinary circumstances exist. In the event of a delay of more than six hours, a surety and the defendant have a right to know what, if any, extraordinary circumstance is causing the delay. Supervisory conditions of release do not justify a delay in release; except that a sheriff may hold a defendant for up to 24 hours if necessary to ensure a defendant is fitted with required electronic monitoring.

5. Anyone who posts a money bond has the right to receive a copy of the bond paperwork, including documentation of the next upcoming court date.

6. A surety may never be asked to use posted bond money to pay a defendant’s debts. Only when defendants have posted their own money bond may they be asked if they would like to voluntarily relinquish bond money to pay their debts. Relinquishment of bond money by a defendant to pay a debt is never required and is entirely a voluntary choice by the defendant.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Lake County

Because Lake County and Colorado can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Lake County Jail at 719-486-4127, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the Lake County Jail or the Lake County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Lake County Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Lake County Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Lake County Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Lake County Sheriff's Office or to the Lake County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Lake County Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.



For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Lake County Jail

If you are a landowner in Lake County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Lake County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Lake County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Lake County Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Lake 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 Colorado state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Lake County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Lake County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Lake County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Lake County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Lake County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register to create an account, or Log in to your account at Inmate Canteen if you already have one.
  • Select Colorado, then Lake County Jail, and then the inmate you wish to purchase commissary items for.
  • Select the "Purchase Commissary Items" option.
  • Follow the prompts on screen to purchase items for an inmate.
  • Maximum spend is $125.00.
  • NOTE: Lake County Jail may at times only allow online deposits for your inmate to purchase their own commissary locally. 

For all information, tips and to see the hundreds of available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Lake County Jail, or to see how deposit money so that your inmate can purchase their own commissary, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Lake County.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Lake County Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Lake County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Lake County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.


 

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