Fulton County Jail

Enter the name in Fulton County Inmate Search. Charges and bonds also come up through the county's Arrest Inquiry link, by phone at 404-613-2002, or at the front desk of the main jail, which the sheriff says is open 24 hours a day. If the arrest was by Atlanta police on a city charge, the person may be in the city jail instead. That jail has its own phone line, 404-865-8001, and the county search will not list the person.

The sheriff lists three. The Main Jail is at 901 Rice Street NW, Atlanta, 404-613-2000, and is where arrestees are first taken for intake and a warrant check. The Marietta Annex is at 781 Marietta Boulevard, 404-613-2149. The South Annex is at 6500 Watson Street, Union City, 404-613-6637. The county page does not say who is held in which building, so use the search first. A fourth jail inside Fulton County, the Atlanta City Detention Center, belongs to the city and not the sheriff (see the question about Atlanta police).

The sheriff's Bond Administration Unit is on the 9th floor of the Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Avenue, Atlanta, 404-612-5136. The sheriff's jail page says cash bonds are processed 24 hours a day. Call before a long drive.

Two county pages tell it a little differently. The Bond Administration page says cash is accepted at the facility and names checks and credit cards as refused there. The sheriff's jail page lists cash, cashier's checks, and postal money orders, and the check must be made out to Fulton County Sheriff's Office in care of the person's name and booking number. It also says a card works online through cashbondonline.com. Ask 404-612-5136 which version applies to you.

The sheriff charges a $20 non-refundable fee for each bond, plus surcharges. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 17-6-30) stops a bonding company at 15 percent of the bond's face amount, yet lets it set a $50 floor on each charge. Ask the company whether any part of its fee can come back, and get the answer in writing. Cash paid as the bond itself comes back only after the case is over.

No price list for common charges appeared on the sheriff, clerk, or court pages reviewed for this guide, so this page gives no figures. The bond on the person's record is the one that counts, and a judge sets it.

The sheriff says people who do not bond out usually see a judge within 24 hours, and weekend arrests see one on Monday. First appearance hearings are a Magistrate Court duty, and that court answers at 404-613-9071. State law (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26) sets 72 hours as the outer limit when police arrest on a warrant. Ask the jail's records line at 404-613-2002 whether a hearing has happened.

Residential property in Fulton County works, and everyone named on the deed must come and sign. Bring the deed, the current tax bill, the current mortgage statement, and a government photo ID. To lift the lien later, take the case result to the Bond Administration Unit. The unit is at 404-612-5136.

Yes, but not directly. The Fulton sheriff says that county's sheriff must prepare the paperwork and send it in a sealed envelope. Papers that arrive any other way will not be accepted. Before you start, phone 404-612-5136.

A company has to be registered and authorized by the sheriff, who can suspend one under published rules. The sheriff posts an approved list as a PDF and recommends no one. Avoid any company not on it.

Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1) reserves bail for a superior court judge on charges like murder, rape, and armed robbery. A person charged with a bail restricted offense under O.C.G.A. 17-6-12 may not leave on a signature alone and must post a secured bond. A hold from probation or another county also keeps someone in custody.

Only a judge can change it. The sheriff's page says county Pretrial Services may interview eligible detainees and recommend release, which can lower a bond or add supervision. A lawyer can also file a motion.

The Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender serves Fulton County. The Adult Division is at 100 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1600, 404-612-5200, and the Jail Division is at 404-613-2232. The State and Magistrate Court Division is at 160 Pryor Street SW, Suite J-210, 404-612-5419. Applicants must fill out a form and qualify.

Yes, it can be. The Atlanta City Detention Center, at 254 Peachtree Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, is a separate jail run by the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections. It sits inside Fulton County, but the sheriff does not run it. To ask whether someone is held there, call 404-865-8001 (the department also lists 404-865-8010). The Fulton County Inmate Search covers the county jails, so a name that is missing there may still be in the city jail.

You can pay a city jail bond online or in person. The Atlanta Department of Corrections online bail payment page asks you to accept its terms, find the person by booking number or by name and date of birth, pay, and keep the receipt. If it does not show, call 404-865-8010. In person, per the city's bond page, pay in cash only. No personal, government, or employer checks are accepted. The person paying needs one picture ID that shows a full name and signature, such as a Georgia driver's license, a school or work ID, or a professional membership card. The city lists added charges on a cash bond, including a 5 percent state fee on bonds of $100 or more and $3 per offense for victims; ask the jail for the full list and total.

A property bond starts at a sheriff's office, not the jail. Take the warranty deeds to the sheriff of the county where the land sits, which must be in Georgia. Every owner must be there. The sheriff checks the charges with the city jail and hands you a sealed envelope to carry there for release. Bring the approved property affidavit and two IDs, one with a recent photo and one showing a date of birth, plus any paper proving a name change.

The city says a cash bond is refunded in full by the City Bond Administrator at Atlanta City Court, 104 Trinity Avenue SW, about 30 days after the case is settled. Money you put on a detainee's account for phone or store use, which the city lists at inmatedeposits.com and at a lobby kiosk, is not bond.

The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice sends Fulton County youth to Metro Regional Youth Detention Center, 1300 Constitution Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, 404-635-4400. The public defender's Juvenile Division is at 395 Pryor Street SW, 404-612-4410. Children's records may not show in the adult search.

Only after the case is finished: the person appeared, was sentenced, was found not guilty, or the case was dismissed. The person named as surety on the receipt must come in with the refund notice, the original receipt, an unexpired photo ID, and the final result. Online payments name the defendant as surety, so only the defendant can collect.

Anyone asking for gift cards, wire transfers, or an app payment is not the jail. Money put on an inmate's account, for example by kiosk or by phone, is not bond. Use 404-613-2000 to confirm.

A federal charge goes to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, not to a county court. Fulton County cases are heard in the Atlanta Division, Richard B. Russell Federal Building & US Courthouse, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30303-3309; the clerk's line is 404-215-1600. A federal magistrate judge decides on release, often within a day or two of arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshals move people to and from court, and the person may be housed in a county jail under contract. Once sentenced, look the person up with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Key offices for a criminal case in Fulton County:

• Fulton County Clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts, Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse, 136 Pryor Street SW, Room 106, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 613-5313
• Magistrate Court of Fulton County, 136 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 613-9071
• State Court of Fulton County, Criminal Division, Justice Center Tower, 185 Central Avenue SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 613-5085
• Fulton County Solicitor-General, 160 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 612-4800
• Fulton County District Attorney (Atlanta Judicial Circuit), 136 Pryor Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 612-4981
• Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender, 100 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1600, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 612-5200
• Fulton County Superior Court Accountability Courts (Drug Court and Mental Health Court), 1135-A Jefferson Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, (404) 612-2400
• Atlanta Municipal Court, 150 Garnett Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 658-6618

The downtown campus pairs the older Slaton Courthouse on Pryor Street with the Justice Center Tower on Central Avenue, where many State Court and Superior Court courtrooms sit. Check your citation, bond order or summons for the exact building, floor and courtroom before your date, because the courts are spread across several connected buildings.

Fulton County courts see a heavy volume of misdemeanors, and which court gets a case depends mostly on which agency made the stop or arrest. An officer with the Atlanta Police Department will usually cite a city ordinance or traffic violation into the Atlanta Municipal Court on Garnett Street. The same goes for officers in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, South Fulton, East Point, College Park and the county's other cities, who send cases to their own municipal courts. Arrests by the Fulton County Police, the Sheriff's Office or the Georgia State Patrol, along with state misdemeanors that a city court sends up, land in the State Court of Fulton County. There, the Solicitor-General's office prosecutes by filing a written accusation.

After the arrest

Someone booked into the Fulton County Jail on a misdemeanor must see a judge within 48 hours if arrested without a warrant, or within 72 hours if a warrant was already issued. A magistrate handles that first hearing, often by video from the jail. The magistrate reviews the charge, sets or confirms bond and asks whether the person needs a lawyer. Many minor charges are released on a citation or a standard bond amount without a hearing.

Appointed counsel

No one has to face possible jail time without a lawyer simply because they cannot afford one. For a State Court misdemeanor, ask about appointed counsel at the first appearance or arraignment, and the court will appoint a lawyer for anyone who qualifies. The Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender can be reached at (404) 612-5200. Questions about which courtroom or calendar a case is on can go to the State Court criminal division at (404) 613-5085. City courts screen for and appoint their own defense counsel.

How cases are resolved

At a State Court arraignment, the defendant hears the accusation and enters a plea. Most cases then end in an agreement with the Solicitor-General. Fulton's Solicitor-General runs pretrial diversion programs. Completing one, which usually means classes, community service or restitution, can lead to dismissal. Other common results include a reduced charge, probation, or a plea under the First Offender Act, which keeps a conviction off the record for an eligible first-time defendant who completes the sentence. Municipal courts in Georgia never seat a jury. A defendant who demands one has the case sent to State Court, where six jurors decide misdemeanor trials. A written speedy-trial demand requires trial in the term of court when it is filed or the following term.

Penalties and timing

Georgia caps an ordinary misdemeanor at 12 months in custody and a $1,000 fine. A "high and aggravated" misdemeanor allows a fine up to $5,000. For a first DUI, the law calls for 10 days to 12 months with at least 24 hours actually served, a fine between $300 and $1,000, community service and a risk-reduction program. Most of that time is usually probated. Given Fulton's crowded calendars, misdemeanor cases tend to take anywhere from one month to several months, and longer if a jury trial is requested.

Once a charge rises to a felony, the Solicitor-General steps aside and the Fulton County District Attorney takes over. Because Fulton is a single-county circuit, the DA's office handles only Fulton cases, prosecuting them in the Fulton County Superior Court. Felony charges in Fulton range from shoplifting over the felony threshold and car break-ins to large drug-trafficking and fraud prosecutions. They all follow the same basic path.

Magistrate Court stage

A felony case opens with a first appearance before a Fulton magistrate within the 48- or 72-hour deadline. For most felonies the magistrate can set bond and conditions such as no-contact orders, curfews or electronic monitoring. The defense can also ask for a commitment hearing, where the State must show probable cause before the case goes on to Superior Court. When a Fulton grand jury returns an indictment before the hearing is held, the defense loses the right to it.

Grand jury, accusation and the 90-day rule

The DA presents most felonies to a Fulton County grand jury for indictment. A defendant can agree to waive indictment and let the case go forward on an accusation, which often happens when a plea deal is already in the works. A person held in jail for 90 days without an indictment has the right to have a bond set. After indictment, the case is assigned to a Superior Court judge, the defendant is arraigned and enters a plea, and discovery begins.

Representation by the Public Defender

The Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender, part of the Georgia Public Defender Council, represents people who cannot afford private counsel in Fulton County felony cases and in juvenile delinquency matters. Its main office is at 100 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1600, and its phone number is (404) 612-5200. Eligibility depends on income and household size, and the office may ask for documents showing both. If the Public Defender has a conflict of interest, the court appoints an independent attorney.

Accountability courts and outcomes

Fulton County Superior Court runs accountability courts, including a felony Drug Court and a Mental Health Court. These courts offer intensive supervision and treatment in place of a standard sentence. The program office can be reached at (404) 612-2400, though entry usually depends on a referral and approval from the DA. Most other felonies end in a negotiated plea, sometimes under the First Offender Act. Cases that go to trial are decided by 12 jurors, and the verdict must be unanimous. In Fulton, as elsewhere in Georgia, the typical felony carries a minimum of one year, frequently split between prison and probation. Fulton felony cases commonly take six to eighteen months from arrest to resolution.

Seven offenses fall under Georgia's "serious violent felony" label, and Fulton sees all of them: murder, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation and aggravated sexual battery. In Fulton County these cases are indicted and tried in Superior Court, usually in the Justice Center Tower or the Slaton Courthouse, and the District Attorney's office assigns experienced trial prosecutors to them. Every stage of the process is tougher than in an ordinary felony case.

Getting a bond hearing

A Fulton magistrate cannot release anyone charged with murder, rape, armed robbery or the other listed offenses. Only a Superior Court judge can grant bond in those cases, and only after a hearing where the judge weighs flight risk, danger to the community and the chance of witness intimidation. Many of these defendants stay in the Fulton County Jail while the case is pending.

Who defends the case

Defendants who cannot afford a lawyer are represented by the Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender, (404) 612-5200. If the District Attorney gives notice that it will seek the death penalty, the defense usually moves to the Capital Defender Division of the Georgia Public Defender Council, which handles capital trials across Georgia.

Sentencing ranges

• Murder: Atlanta Circuit prosecutors may ask for death, life without parole, or life with the possibility of parole once 30 years have been served. A death sentence is possible only if a unanimous jury finds at least one statutory aggravating circumstance.
• Rape: conviction in Fulton County means life, life without parole, or a prison sentence of 25 years to life that is followed by probation for life.
• Armed robbery: a Fulton County Superior Court judge must impose either life or a term of 10 to 20 years.

For every serious violent felony except murder, Georgia requires at least 10 years in prison with no parole, and that time cannot be suspended or probated. These charges are not eligible for First Offender treatment. A person convicted of a second serious violent felony faces a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Under Marsy's Law, added to the Georgia Constitution in 2018, crime victims have the right to be notified of proceedings and to be heard at bond, plea and sentencing hearings.

Length of the case

Forensic analysis, expert testimony, large discovery files and a long trial calendar all slow these cases down. A violent felony prosecution in Fulton County often takes one to three years or more, and capital cases can last well beyond that.

A federal charge goes to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, not to a county court. Fulton County cases are heard in the Atlanta Division, Richard B. Russell Federal Building & US Courthouse, 75 Ted Turner Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30303-3309; the clerk's line is 404-215-1600. A federal magistrate judge decides on release, often within a day or two of arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshals move people to and from court, and the person may be housed in a county jail under contract. Once sentenced, look the person up with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Start with the court named on the citation, release order or summons. For Superior Court or Magistrate Court records, open the Fulton clerk’s eServices page and choose Judicial Record Search. Use the case number if you have it. Compare the court, party name and hearing entry before making plans.

For a new booking, check the Magistrate Court’s first-appearance information and confirm public viewing arrangements before traveling. A later State Court or city hearing follows the notice from that court. Ask that clerk if the hearing time or courtroom has changed.