Towns County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Towns County bail and bond: the Young Harris jail and its money-order rule
The Towns County Jail is at 4070 Georgia Highway 339 in Young Harris, run by Sheriff office. Use Towns County Inmate Search to see if a person is booked and what bond was set. The jail number is 706-896-5474. Per the sheriff's website, bonds are paid at a window on the north side of the building, with money orders only.
Is my son in the Towns County jail?
Search his name on Towns County Inmate Search. The listing shows a booking and any bond once it is set. Recent arrests may take a little while to show up.
If you do not see him, call the jail at 706-896-5474. Say which police agency made the arrest and give his birth date.
Where is the jail, since the courthouse is in Hiawassee?
The county seat is Hiawassee, but the jail is not downtown. The Sheriff's Office lists it at 4070 Georgia Highway 339, Young Harris, GA 30582, in the Law Enforcement Center.
Sheriff office is at the same address. Its main number is 706-896-4444, and the non-emergency dispatch line is 706-896-7460.
Can I just walk up and pay with cash?
No. The Sheriff's Office says the jail takes money orders, and only for the county bond fee and for bonds. Its page states that cash, business checks, and personal checks are not accepted.
Buy the money order before you go, and call 706-896-5474 to make sure the rule has not changed. Some other sites say cash is taken at the window. The sheriff's own page is the one to trust.
Where exactly is the bonding window?
The sheriff's page says the bonding window is on the north side of the jail building. It does not list hours, so phone 706-896-5474 and ask when someone will be at the window.
Bring the person's full name, birth date, and a government photo ID.
How do I check the bond amount?
Look on Towns County Inmate Search for the bond figure. If the field is blank, the person may still be waiting to see a judge.
Then ask the jail at 706-896-5474 to confirm the total for all charges.
Does Towns County use a list of approved bonding companies?
Yes. The Sheriff's Office keeps a list of approved bonding companies on its website, and jail staff will not recommend one. The office says it is restricted by law from naming a company.
Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 17-6-30(a), allows a company to collect up to 15 percent of the bond. It can ask for a $50 minimum on each bonded charge. On a $5,000 bond, 15 percent would be $750.
Can my family's land be used?
Yes, but the rules are strict. The sheriff's page says everyone named on the deed must come in with state-issued ID, and the equity left after any loans must be double the bond.
If you live outside Towns County, start at your own sheriff's office. It prepares a sealed envelope, and the Towns County jail says it will not accept the bond unless that envelope arrives sealed. Bond and lien forms are on the sheriff's website. Call 706-896-5474 with questions.
How soon does my son see a judge?
Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 17-4-26, sets 72 hours for a first appearance after a warrant arrest. A judge then decides on bond.
The county site lists a combined Magistrate/Probate Judge. Ask the clerk of superior court at 706-896-2130 or the jail how to reach the judge.
Where do I take court paperwork questions?
The Clerk of Superior Court is at 48 River Street, Suite E, Hiawassee, GA 30546. The state clerks' directory lists weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the number 706-896-2130.
Bring the case number if you have one.
Is there a chart of bonds for each charge?
No bond chart was found on the sheriff's or county sites, so no dollar amounts appear on this page. Judges decide the amounts.
The jail at 706-896-5474 can tell you the figure already set for your relative.
The jail will not release him even after a bond. Why?
A hold from a probation officer or from another county can keep someone inside. Serious offenses, such as murder, rape, and armed robbery, can be bonded only by a superior court judge under O.C.G.A. 17-6-1.
Ask the jail at 706-896-5474 to list every hold and charge.
What if a town officer, not a deputy, made the arrest?
The arresting department can give you the charge and a report number. Adults are usually taken to the county jail in Young Harris, so look on Towns County Inmate Search after a few hours.
Ask the arresting department if the person is waiting at a city station first.
Who is the public defender for Towns County?
The Enotah Judicial Circuit runs a Towns County office at 48 River Street, Suite 1, Hiawassee. Call 706-896-7819.
The judge decides who qualifies for a free lawyer.
Which youth center takes a minor from Towns County?
The state's list sends Towns County young people to the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501. Reach the state at 404-508-6500.
Juvenile files are private and will not appear in the adult search above.
What if he skips his court date?
Expect an arrest order and a bond that may be lost. Contact the court and your bonding company that day.
Is any of the bond money returned to us?
Court-held cash is usually refunded when the case is done, after fines and costs. Call the clerk at 706-896-2130 to ask about the refund steps.
Which bond calls should I hang up on?
Anyone who asks for gift cards or app transfers is a scammer. Real payment goes through the jail's money-order window. Verify by calling 706-896-5474.
What if federal agents made the arrest?
Not every arrest stays in county court. A federal charge from Towns County is filed in the Northern District of Georgia and heard in its Gainesville Division: Sidney O. Smith Federal Building & US Courthouse, 121 Spring Street SE, Room 201, Gainesville, GA 30501-3789, phone 678-450-2760. A federal magistrate judge decides whether the person can go home before trial. The U.S. Marshals hold federal detainees, sometimes in a county jail by contract. For someone already sentenced, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Towns County bond contacts
- Jail
- Towns County Jail, 4070 Georgia Highway 339, Young Harris, GA 30582; 706-896-5474
- Bond guide
- Jail bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Towns County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Sheriff's Office; office 706-896-4444; dispatch 706-896-7460
- Clerk of Superior Court
- 48 River Street, Suite E, Hiawassee, GA 30546; 706-896-2130
- Public defender
- Enotah Circuit, 48 River Street, Suite 1, Hiawassee, GA 30546; 706-896-7819
- Youth detention
- Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501; state line 404-508-6500
Details such as hours, fees, and accepted payments can change without notice. Phone the jail before you pay anything. This page offers plain-language help, not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Towns County Jail
To bond someone out of Towns County Jail, you can go to the bonding window located at the jail at 4070 GA HWY 339, Young Harris. Money orders are accepted. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Another way to post bail is by property bond directly through the jail and court. The value of the property must be at least twice the bail amount. Arrested persons with property outside of Towns County need to contact the sheriff to start the process. The last option should be the use an approved bonding company by obtaining a list from the jail or sheriff. Bonding companies can charge up to 15% of the bond amount as their fee.
Towns County Jail
Address:
4070 State Highway 339
Young Harris, GA 30582
Phone:
706-896-5474
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Towns County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Towns County?
Who can set bail in Towns County?
When is bail set in Towns County Georgia?
Does Towns County have bail?
Yes, Towns County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Towns County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Towns County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Towns County Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Towns 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 Towns 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.
A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid and usually happens before arraignment. A Bond hearing is a determination by a magistrate to determine an amount a person may pay to be released while the case is pending. Sometimes certain crimes will have preset bonds, that can become payable the moment an arrest is made.
The minimum bond in Georgia is $1,000. If a court seeks a bond lower than that then it must be an OR bond, meaning the accused shall be released on their own recognizance, with no money down. During bond proceedings, the defendant is not required to have an attorney but has the right to an attorney if the defendant want one.
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 Towns County Jail 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, Towns 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 Towns 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 Towns County have bail?
Yes, Towns County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Towns County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Towns County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Towns County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Towns County Georgia, 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 Georgia could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Towns County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Towns County Jail for more information about the jails in Towns County.
What options are there to pay bail in Towns County Georgia?
Cash or security; credit card in some counties. The security may be either cash or property. Bail may be posted at the appropriate county jail or sheriff’s office in which the defendant is charged.
Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Towns County Jail for more information about posting bail in Towns County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Georgia?
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. 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 Towns 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 Georgia?
The Towns County Jail or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.