Bear Lake County Jail

Check Bear Lake County Inmate Search first. VINE shows custody and the holding jail, but not the bail amount. If the name is missing, call the Sheriff at 208-945-2121 and ask two things: which jail has him tonight, and whether he is being moved.

Ask for the case number as well. Court clerks look up cases by number faster than by name.

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Bear Lake County houses its prisoners in a jail outside the county under contract, so call the Sheriff to learn which jail holds your person. A neighboring county may hold them. That is why this page says "the jail that serves this county." The Sheriff at 208-945-2121 can name the building and give you its number. Ask before you drive anywhere with money.

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Idaho Misdemeanor Criminal Rule 13 allows cash, cashier's checks, money orders, a property bond or a Bear Lake County surety bond from a licensed company a magistrate approves. Who takes the payment depends on where the person is held. Ask the Sheriff at 208-945-2121 whether the jail desk or the court clerk takes it, and what hours apply. The Sheriff's office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The county's court offices answer at 208-945-2155, extension 6, and the state court line is 208-945-2208.

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The statewide misdemeanor schedule, effective January 4, 2023, lists a first DUI at $500 for an Idaho resident and $2,000 for a nonresident. A second DUI is $1,000 and $3,000. Reckless driving is $300, and so is resisting or obstructing an officer or furnishing alcohol to a minor. The same $300 applies to any misdemeanor with no row. Disturbing the peace and driving without privileges are book and release.

After a judge reviews the case, those figures are only advice. The judge may raise, lower, or remove bail.

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For a first or second domestic assault or battery, the schedule says no bond before the Bear Lake County court appearance. Idaho Criminal Rule 5 requires an appearance before a magistrate promptly and not more than 24 hours after arrest, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Ask the courthouse at 208-945-2212 for the hearing time.

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Article I, section 6 of the Idaho Constitution says everyone can be bailed, except for capital offenses where the proof is evident or the presumption great. Idaho Code 19-2903 leaves bail once a guilty plea is entered in Paris, during a Bear Lake County appeal, or on a probation violation up to the judge. A hold from another county or from probation can keep someone in even when a number appears on the record.

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Yes. Idaho Code 19-2907 says bail can be posted with a bail bond, a property bond, or cash, and no Bear Lake County defendant can be forced to deposit cash. The Idaho Department of Insurance licenses bail agents, and its consumer hotline is 800-721-3272. Its licensing page sets no premium, so ask the agent for the fee in writing. Ask about collateral too, and ask what happens if the person misses court.

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Possibly. Idaho Code 19-2909 says the land must be in Idaho, with equity after loans at least equal to the bail plus likely collection costs. Whether to accept it is up to the Bear Lake County judge, and a recorded bond stays a lien until the court in Paris releases it. A magistrate must approve it. The poster pays every fee. The court office at 208-945-2212 can say which forms to bring.

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Money placed on an inmate account pays for phone calls and store items. It does not buy release. Bail is the court amount that frees the person. If you are told to send money for "bail" through an app or a gift card, treat that as a scam and call the Sheriff yourself.

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Under Idaho Code 19-2908, if cash is still held when the Bear Lake County judge enters judgment, the clerk applies it to fines, fees, costs, and restitution first, including in other cases against that defendant. What remains goes to the person who paid it. A bail agent's fee is not part of that refund.

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The judge must forfeit the bail and order a bench warrant. Written notice goes out within five business days. The forfeiture can be set aside if the person comes in within 180 days and the court agrees. The poster then has five business days to pay the Bear Lake County clerk, or the bond becomes a judgment against the poster (Idaho Code 19-2915, 19-2917, 19-2918). A poster may also surrender him under 19-2913 before forfeiture.

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Only a judge can lower it, for good cause, under Idaho Code 19-2912. A lawyer normally files the request. Bring proof of work, family, and an address. If the court raises it, the person stays in until the new figure is posted.

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Bear Lake County has no county public defender office listed. The State Public Defender covers it through contract defenders. Call the State Public Defender at 208-605-4575 to learn who covers Bear Lake, or ask the judge for an appointed lawyer at the first appearance.

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The District VI Juvenile Detention Center, 137 South 5th Avenue, Pocatello, serves Bear Lake and five other counties through a joint agreement. It holds court-ordered youth ages 12 to 17. The front office is 208-234-1080 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the building is staffed around the clock. Bear Lake County Juvenile Probation, 1011 Washington Street, Montpelier, answers at 208-847-0626. A teenager's name will not show on the adult search.

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Montpelier has its own police department, separate from the Sheriff. Ask the department for the Bear Lake County report number and which jail received the person, then check the search. Whether Montpelier keeps a holding cell is not described on the county pages, so ask the officer. The Sheriff's line, 208-945-2121, can confirm where the booking went.

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A federal court takes the Bear Lake County case. Any federal case that starts in Bear Lake County is not covered by the bail list posted for Bear Lake County, so the Paris jail desk takes no money for it. It is filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Eastern Division, 801 E. Sherman St., Pocatello; and from Paris the clerk's line is 208-478-4123.

• A magistrate in the Eastern Division holds the first Bear Lake County appearance after agents bring the person from Bear Lake County, often the next court day.
• Federal judges in the Eastern Division use no bail schedule. Applying 18 U.S.C. 3142, the magistrate can release the Bear Lake defendant on conditions or order detention.
• A requested detention hearing in the Bear Lake matter can wait up to five days if a party asks.
• Pretrial custody belongs to the U.S. Marshals Service, and your loved one may sit in a contract county jail; phone 208-945-2121 to ask if Bear Lake County holds them.
• After a federal sentence on a Bear Lake case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons assigns a prison, shown on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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You may post the Bear Lake County bail, but Paris release may be slowed at the Bear Lake County contract jail. For a Bear Lake booking, expect these steps:

1. At the Bear Lake County booking desk, Idaho Code 18-9008 has the jail check whether a Paris prisoner holds foreign citizenship and, if the Bear Lake County check says so, alert the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours.
2. ICE may file a Form I-247A detainer naming the Bear Lake prisoner.
3. The Paris jail must follow a reasonable detainer under Idaho Code 18-9005(4) after the Bear Lake case no longer holds them, with notice from Bear Lake jailers that the detainer is the reason.
4. After a Bear Lake release order, the Bear Lake jail may keep the arrested person 48 hours, including weekends and holidays.
5. Agents working out of the ICE Idaho Falls office, 2075 N Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, 208-535-5100, take custody at the Bear Lake jail; the next stop after Paris can be the Elmore County Detention Center at 2255 East 8th North, Mountain Home and Bear Lake detainees may later be transferred out of Idaho.
6. Look up the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with the Bear Lake detainee's A-number, or the Bear Lake County person's name and birth country.

Before paying a Bear Lake County bond with a detainer in place, speak to a defense lawyer, because Bear Lake bail does not cover the immigration case.

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• Bear Lake County custody: try Bear Lake County Inmate Search , then call 208-945-2121.
• Free alerts: VINELink lists Bear Lake custody status and sends release notices.
• Prison after a Bear Lake sentence: check the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search, plus the JE Idaho state prisons guide.
• Federal inmate: open the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
• Immigration detention: the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
• Court cases and dates: Idaho iCourt case search, or the Bear Lake County courthouse at 208-945-2208.

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Misdemeanor cases in Bear Lake County are heard by the magistrate judge in Paris and prosecuted by the Bear Lake County Prosecuting Attorney. Each summer the lake brings a surge of visitors, so the docket mixes year-round matters from Montpelier and the valley towns with boating-season DUIs, disorderly conduct and petty theft near the beaches. Any of these charges can carry jail time and leave a lasting record.

Many minor offenses end with a citation and a court date. People who are arrested are booked by the Bear Lake County Sheriff's Office in Paris and often post bond quickly. For an arrest made without a warrant, Idaho requires a judicial finding of probable cause within 48 hours, and the person must be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay for an initial appearance.

Public defense in Bear Lake County

Idaho's Office of the State Public Defender has handled trial-level indigent defense since October 1, 2024. Bear Lake County is covered by the agency's contract attorneys, not a local branch office. To get a lawyer, apply at the courthouse in Paris, and the magistrate will appoint a contract public defender if you qualify. Bear Lake residents can direct questions to the agency's Boise office at (208) 605-4575, and the Alternate Counsel Division covers cases where a conflict exists.

From arraignment to disposition

Once a plea is entered at arraignment, most Bear Lake County misdemeanors are resolved through negotiation with the prosecutor. A not-guilty plea triggers Idaho's speedy trial deadline of six months, and a jury of six Bear Lake County residents must reach a unanimous verdict. Under Idaho Code 19-2601, the magistrate can withhold judgment; a defendant who completes probation can then have the plea set aside and the charge dismissed. Misdemeanor probation is supervised by the county probation office in Montpelier.

Penalties and timing

• Usual misdemeanor sentence: the Paris magistrate can order up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000; a few offenses permit up to one year.
• First DUI in Bear Lake County: up to 6 months of jail and a fine of up to $1,000; a 30-day absolute license suspension followed by another 60 to 150 days, during which restricted privileges may be allowed; an alcohol assessment; and an ignition interlock for a year once the suspension ends unless an exception applies.
• Probation and programs: supervision through the Montpelier probation office, community service and counseling are frequent conditions.

Most misdemeanors in Bear Lake County are resolved within one to several months.

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The Bear Lake County Prosecuting Attorney files every felony in the county, from break-ins at seasonal cabins along the lake to drug-trafficking cases and aggravated assaults. A felony case starts in the Magistrate Division in Paris and moves to a Sixth District judge after probable cause is established. Defendants held without bail remain in the custody of the Bear Lake County Sheriff until the case is resolved.

Preliminary hearing, indictment and information

After a felony complaint is filed, the magistrate holds a preliminary hearing, within 14 days for a defendant in custody or 21 days for one on release, unless extended. The State can instead obtain an indictment from a grand jury. Once the case is bound over, the prosecutor lodges an information in District Court, and the Bear Lake County defendant is arraigned in Paris. Idaho's speedy trial law then requires trial within six months of the District Court arraignment.

Appointed counsel for felonies

Bear Lake County felony defendants who cannot afford a defense lawyer apply at the courthouse, and the judge appoints a State Public Defender contract attorney. The statewide SPD office number is (208) 605-4575. When there is a conflict, the Alternate Counsel Division provides the defense lawyer.

Sentencing and drug court

Felony sentences in Idaho are unified, consisting of a fixed term followed by an indeterminate one, with the Commission of Pardons and Parole deciding on release after the fixed portion. A Bear Lake County judge may also retain jurisdiction for up to 365 days of Idaho Department of Correction programming and then decide whether to grant probation. Bear Lake County runs a felony drug court for eligible defendants who need treatment and close supervision. Bear Lake County defendants with two prior felonies who are convicted again face persistent violator treatment and 5 years to life. A felony case in Paris usually lasts 6 to 18 months.

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Violent felonies are infrequent in Bear Lake County. When one is charged, the county Prosecuting Attorney handles it through the same Magistrate Division and District Court steps as any other felony in Paris. The bail stakes, the preparation time and the possible punishment are all much greater.

Bail and custody

Idaho's constitution entitles each defendant to bail, except a person charged with a capital offense when the proof is evident or the presumption great. Judges in Bear Lake County commonly set high bail in violent cases, so the accused often stays in the Bear Lake County Sheriff's custody from arrest through trial.

Defense representation

A State Public Defender contract attorney is appointed for eligible defendants in serious violent cases; Bear Lake families with questions may phone the agency's Boise headquarters at (208) 605-4575, and a conflict in a Paris case routes it to the Alternate Counsel Division.

Penalties under Idaho statutes

• First-degree murder in a Bear Lake County prosecution: death, when the State files notice and a jury finds an aggravating circumstance, or life with at least 10 years fixed.
• Second-degree murder: a minimum of 10 years, up to life.
• Rape: at least 1 year and up to life.
• Robbery: 5 years minimum, with a maximum of life.
• Weapon enhancement: Idaho Code 19-2520 permits up to 15 extra years when certain felonies involve a firearm or deadly weapon.

Article I, Section 22 of the Idaho Constitution gives crime victims in Bear Lake County the right to notice of court events, to be present, to address the court at sentencing, and to receive restitution.

Case length

With forensic analysis, expert testimony and drawn-out pretrial litigation, a violent felony in Bear Lake County often takes one to three years, and a capital case may take longer.

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Bear Lake County's district courthouse is at 30 North Main Street, Paris, ID 83261; the clerk answers at 208-945-2208. Find a Paris hearing date on the Idaho iCourt case search.

Bear Lake County warrant questions go to 208-945-2121 or the Paris clerk at 208-945-2208.

Bear Lake County runs no jail; the Sheriff's Office at 30 North Main Street in Paris books detainees and sends them to another county's jail under contract.

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• Jail search for Bear Lake: Bear Lake County Inmate Search, or ring 208-945-2121.
• VINELink covers Bear Lake and other Idaho jails, with Bear Lake custody status and release notices.
• Sentenced to prison in Bear Lake County: the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search, and JE's Idaho state prisons guide.
• Federal custody from Bear Lake County: Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
• Held by ICE after a Bear Lake arrest: ICE Online Detainee Locator System.

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A federal case from Bear Lake County leaves the Bear Lake courthouse. The case belongs to the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Eastern Division, 801 E. Sherman St., Pocatello (208-478-4123). A magistrate judge there decides release or detention under 18 U.S.C. 3142, and a detention hearing for the Bear Lake defendant may follow within five days. The U.S. Marshals Service holds the Bear Lake defendant before trial, sometimes in a contract county jail; phone 208-945-2121 to ask whether Bear Lake County has the person. After a Bear Lake federal sentence, find the Bear Lake County defendant's prison with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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1. Booking staff in Paris check citizenship status under Idaho Code 18-9008 and report a possible Bear Lake noncitizen to Homeland Security within 48 hours.
2. ICE can send the Bear Lake jail a Form I-247A detainer.
3. When the Bear Lake County case is over, Idaho Code 18-9005(4) requires the Bear Lake jail to honor a reasonable detainer.
4. The hold lasts no more than 48 hours, weekends and holidays counted, past the Bear Lake release time.
5. Bear Lake pickups come from the ICE Idaho Falls office, 2075 N Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, 208-535-5100; Bear Lake detainees frequently go to the Elmore County Detention Center in Mountain Home, and some Bear Lake County detainees later leave Idaho.
6. Track the Bear Lake detainee on the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with an A-number, or with the Bear Lake detainee's name and birth country.

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1. To appeal a Bear Lake magistrate judgment, the defense has 42 days to file its notice with the Bear Lake County district court (Idaho Criminal Rule 54).
2. Felony appeals from Bear Lake County need a notice within 42 days of judgment (Idaho Appellate Rule 14), and the Supreme Court may hand the Bear Lake appeal to the Court of Appeals.
3. When the Paris judge appoints it, the State Appellate Public Defender takes on Bear Lake felony appeals for people who cannot pay.
4. Within 120 days of a Bear Lake County judgment, the defense may ask the Paris judge to lower the sentence (Idaho Criminal Rule 35).
5. A post-conviction petition in Bear Lake County is due one year after the Bear Lake appeal ends or the appeal deadline passes (Idaho Code 19-4902).
6. A sentenced state prisoner, whether in the Bear Lake jail or prison, must meet each Bear Lake County deadline; the Paris clerk at 208-945-2208 can confirm filing dates.

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