Lewis County Jail

Begin with Lewis County Inmate Search. The Lewis County Jail in Nezperce is closed, so adults arrested here are usually held by a jail in another county. If the search shows nothing, call the Lewis County Sheriff's Office at 208-937-2447 and ask where your person was taken. Lewiston's Nez Perce County Detention Center, 1150 Wall Street, 208-799-3132, is one place the sheriff may name, but no official page we read says Lewis County prisoners go there.

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It can. The court is in Nezperce, but the person may be sitting in a building miles away. Before you carry money anywhere, ask the sheriff at 208-937-2447 two things: which jail holds the person, and where that jail takes bail. Ask also whether the court clerk in Nezperce takes any payment, because the court papers stay in Lewis County.

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The Lewis County Sheriff's Office is at 510 Oak Street, Room 5, Nezperce, ID 83543. Its phone is 208-937-2447, and its fax is 208-937-9235. The Idaho Supreme Court lists the Lewis County courthouse at 510 Oak Street too. Bring photo identification when you visit.

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Idaho Criminal Rule 5 requires a first appearance in front of a Lewis County magistrate without needless delay, and no later than 24 hours after a Lewis County arrest, counting only business days. That means a Friday-night arrest may wait until Monday. The judge sets bail at that hearing. The court lines are 208-937-2661 and 208-937-2251. Ask which one handles criminal calendars.

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For many misdemeanors there is. The state schedule attached to Idaho Misdemeanor Criminal Rule 13(b), dated January 4, 2023, puts a first drunk-driving charge at $500 for Idaho residents and $2,000 for nonresidents. A second one is $1,000 or $3,000. The schedule lists resisting an officer at $300, and disturbing the peace is "Book & Release." Domestic battery and no-contact-order violations get no bond until a court appearance. The schedule is only advisory, so a magistrate may raise, lower, or drop any figure. Felony bail comes from the judge. For the real figure, ask the sheriff; Lewis County Inmate Search confirms custody only.

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Under Rule 13(c) the court accepts cashier's checks, money orders, and cash. A personal check is allowed only if the district judge has approved a procedure for it. A bond from a licensed surety company is also accepted, and a Lewis County property bond needs a magistrate's approval. Call 208-937-2661 to ask which of these the clerk takes in person. Ask for a receipt. A bail overview for Lewis County lists the common steps.

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Maybe. Idaho Code 19-2907 says the court may accept a cash deposit, a Lewis County bail bond, or real property. It also says the defendant cannot be forced to put up cash. When the case ends, Idaho Code 19-2908 has the clerk subtract any fines, fees, costs, and restitution and return the rest to whoever paid. Ask the clerk if the judge allowed a deposit.

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Only a licensed bail agent. Under Idaho Code 41-1039 the Department of Insurance licenses them, and sheriffs and court clerks may accept bonds only from those agents. Ask any agent for the price and the collateral in writing, and ask what happens if your family member misses court. The agent's fee is not returned. Never hand money to someone who cannot show a license.

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Only if you choose a property bond. Idaho Code 19-2909 says the land must be in Idaho, the equity left after liens must cover the bail and the cost of collecting it, and the judge may still refuse. A recorded property bond acts as a lien until the Lewis County court releases it. The court uses forms from the Idaho Supreme Court, and the clerk at 208-937-2661 can say how to file.

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Often it is not. Idaho Constitution art. I, sec. 6 withholds bail only for capital offenses where the proof is evident or the presumption great. More often a probation hold, an out-of-county warrant, or a case still waiting for the judge is the cause. Idaho Code 19-2903 gives the judge discretion on probation violations. Ask the sheriff, 208-937-2447, to name the hold.

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It can be. The Nez Perce Reservation reaches into this area, and Nez Perce Tribal Police have offices in Lapwai and Kamiah. The Lapwai office is 208-621-4809, and the Kamiah office is 208-935-4107. The Tribal Court clerk is at 208-843-7338. A tribal officer may hold or cite a person under tribal law, so ask the arresting officer which court owns the case. The Nez Perce Tribe's pages do not describe a tribal jail.

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Ask the judge at the first appearance for a court-appointed attorney. In Lewis County, Second Judicial District, the State Public Defender uses contract lawyers rather than a county office. You can reach the State Public Defender in Boise at 208-605-4575. The clerk can tell you the assigned lawyer.

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Youth records are private, so the adult Lewis County search will not list them. The Second Judicial District's Region II Juvenile Detention Center, 140 10th Street, Lewiston, says it serves Lewis County youth. Call its phone, 208-799-3153, or Nez Perce Justice Services, 208-799-3176. Clearwater and Lewis County Court Services handles juvenile probation at 208-476-9725, extension 1.

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The judge declares the bail forfeited, with a Nezperce bench warrant to follow. Idaho Code 19-2915 requires the clerk to mail notice to whoever posted within five business days. Idaho Code 19-2915 sets aside the forfeiture when the bench warrant is quashed inside 180 days of the order. Call a lawyer right away and the clerk, 208-937-2661.

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Federal rules control in Lewis County. Any federal case that starts in Lewis County gets no amount from the Lewis County bail chart, and Lewis deputies cannot set an amount for it. Lewis County federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Central Division, 220 E. 5th St., Moscow; and Lewis County families can reach the clerk at 208-882-7612.

• A U.S. magistrate judge sees the Lewis defendant first on a case from Nezperce, often the next court day.
• No printed cash amount exists for a Nezperce federal arrest. Following 18 U.S.C. 3142, the magistrate can release the Lewis defendant on conditions or order detention.
• When detention is requested in a Nezperce case, the hearing for the Lewis County defendant follows fast, unless a Lewis party asks to delay it.
• Before trial the U.S. Marshals Service keeps custody, so a Lewis prisoner may be housed in a county jail that rents beds; call 208-937-2447 to check on a Lewis County hold.
• If federal prison time follows the Lewis County case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons sets the place, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator tracks it.

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You may post the Lewis County bail, but Nezperce release may be slowed at the Lewis County contract jail. Here is the order of events in Lewis County:

1. At intake in Nezperce, Idaho Code 18-9008 directs staff to find out if a Nezperce prisoner holds foreign citizenship and, if the Lewis County check says so, alert the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours.
2. ICE may file a Form I-247A detainer naming the Lewis prisoner.
3. The Nezperce jail must follow a reasonable detainer under Idaho Code 18-9005(4) once the Lewis case's state-ordered confinement is over, and Lewis staff must tell the person about it.
4. After a Lewis release order, Nezperce may hold the person 48 more hours, including weekends and holidays.
5. Deportation officers from the ICE Boise office, 1185 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709, 208-685-6635, collect the person from the Lewis County jail; people taken from Nezperce may go to the Elmore County Detention Center in Mountain Home before a move from Nezperce toward other states.
6. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator System by Lewis A-number, or by the Nezperce detainee's name and native country.

Get legal advice before posting in Nezperce, because Lewis bail does not cover the immigration case.

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• In the county jail: open Lewis County Inmate Search , or phone 208-937-2447.
• Free alerts: VINELink lists Lewis custody status and sends release notices.
• State prison: use the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search, or see our Idaho state prisons guide.
• Federal inmate: open the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
• ICE detainee: the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
• Hearing dates: Idaho iCourt case search, or the Lewis County courthouse at 208-937-2661.

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Lewis County misdemeanors never leave the Magistrate Division in Nezperce. A good share of them start as traffic stops along U.S. Highway 95 near Winchester and Craigmont or as calls in Kamiah, and the Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney handles them no matter which agency made the arrest. Even a minor conviction stays attached to a person's name on the public record.

Arrest and release in a county without an open jail

With no working jail in Nezperce, Lewis County deputies issue citations whenever they can, and those taken into custody are usually bailed out quickly. Anyone who must stay in custody is driven to a jail in another county. Following a warrantless arrest, the 48-hour clock for a judicial probable cause finding applies, along with a prompt appearance before the Nezperce magistrate. Idaho's constitution guarantees release on bail for all crimes short of a capital offense with overwhelming proof.

A lawyer at public expense

A Lewis County defendant who could be jailed and lacks funds may request court-appointed representation from the magistrate. Since October 1, 2024, trial-court representation for indigent defendants has been handled by Idaho's statewide public defender agency. That agency covers Lewis County with private contract lawyers, and a judge chooses one for each qualifying case. Applications are handled at the Oak Street courthouse. Where a conflict exists, the agency's Alternate Counsel Division takes the assignment.

How Lewis County misdemeanors end

After a not-guilty plea in Nezperce, trial can generally be demanded inside six months. At trial, six Lewis County jurors decide, and their decision must be unanimous. Negotiated pleas are more common than trials, and many include a withheld judgment as authorized by Idaho Code 19-2601. Finishing probation under that arrangement allows the plea to be vacated and the case dismissed.

Possible punishment

• Most Lewis County misdemeanors: a Lewis County jail cap of six months, alongside a $1,000 fine, although a few statutes raise the jail limit to one year.
• First DUI on the Camas Prairie: jail of no more than half a year, fines no higher than $1,000, a 30-day period with no driving privileges whatsoever, then a further suspension lasting 60 to 150 days, possibly with a restricted permit.
• DUI conditions after suspension: an alcohol evaluation and a year of interlock-only driving, unless an exception is granted.

Most misdemeanors in Nezperce are finished within a month to several months.

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The Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney charges felonies, which open before the Nezperce magistrate and then go to the Second Judicial District judge for trial or plea. Because the county jail is closed, felony defendants who are not bailed out are housed outside Lewis County and brought back to Nezperce for every hearing. Family members trying to locate someone can call the sheriff at (208) 937-2447.

First steps: complaint and probable cause

A complaint filed with the Nezperce magistrate is the usual first step. Idaho sets the preliminary hearing deadline at 14 days for a detained defendant and 21 days if the Lewis County defendant is out of custody, with extensions allowed. The Nezperce magistrate then rules on whether probable cause supports a bind-over. Prosecutors can bypass that step if a grand jury returns an indictment.

District Court stage

After a bind-over, the prosecutor's written information becomes the charging document, and the defendant pleads before the district judge. The State then generally has six months from arraignment to get the case to trial unless the court finds good reason to delay. Lewis County felony juries consist of twelve members who must all agree on the verdict.

Public defense on Lewis County felonies

Felony defendants who cannot hire private counsel apply at the Nezperce courthouse, and the judge may appoint one of the agency's contract attorneys. The agency's main number is (208) 605-4575.

Possible sentences

Under Idaho's unified sentencing law, every felony prison sentence has a mandatory fixed portion followed by an indeterminate portion when the parole commission may grant release. A Lewis County district judge can instead keep jurisdiction and order a "rider" in the state prison system lasting a year or less (365 days), and then review whether probation fits. Withheld judgments remain available in some felony cases. A third felony conviction can make a Lewis County defendant a persistent violator facing five years to life. Defense counsel can tell you whether a Second Judicial District problem-solving program might be an option. Expect most Lewis County felonies to take six to eighteen months.

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Serious violent crime is rare in a county of fewer than 4,000 people, but any such prosecution in Lewis County runs on the regular felony track through the Nezperce courthouse. The county Prosecuting Attorney leads the case, often with help from Idaho State Police detectives and state forensic scientists, before the Second Judicial District judge.

Detention before trial

No-bail detention in Lewis County is reserved for capital charges with overwhelming proof. Other violent cases receive a bail amount, which is often large enough to keep the accused in custody. Since the Lewis County Jail is closed, those defendants wait in another county's jail and are transported to Nezperce for court.

Defense counsel

For a defendant who cannot pay, the Nezperce judge may appoint counsel under contract with the statewide defender agency. In a murder case where prosecutors seek the death penalty, attorneys certified for capital defense are appointed.

Idaho's penalties for violent felonies

• First-degree murder charged in Lewis County: life behind bars with ten or more years fixed, or execution where Lewis County prosecutors filed notice and a jury found an aggravating factor.
• Second-degree murder: a prison term from 10 years up to life.
• Rape: one year minimum, life maximum.
• Robbery: five years to a life sentence.
• Deadly weapon enhancement: as much as 15 extra years, per Idaho Code 19-2520, when specified felonies involve a gun or other lethal weapon.

Victims in Nezperce proceedings

Under Article I, Section 22 of the Idaho Constitution, people harmed by crimes in Lewis County have rights to hearing notices, attendance, a chance to address the Nezperce court at sentencing, and restitution. The Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney's office keeps victims updated as the case moves forward.

Duration

Violent felony prosecutions in Lewis County normally run one to three years; capital cases run longer.

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The courthouse for Lewis County is at 510 Oak Street, Nezperce, ID 83543; reach the clerk at 208-937-2661. Find a Nezperce hearing date on the Idaho iCourt case search.

Lewis County warrant questions go to 208-937-2447 or the Nezperce clerk at 208-937-2661.

The Lewis County Jail in Nezperce is closed, so the Sheriff's Office takes people it arrests to a jail in a neighboring county.

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• Nezperce custody check: Lewis County Inmate Search, or call 208-937-2447.
• VINELink covers Lewis and other Idaho jails, with Lewis custody status and release notices.
• After a Lewis prison sentence: the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search, plus our Idaho state prisons guide.
• A Lewis federal prisoner: Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
• Held by ICE after a Lewis arrest: ICE Online Detainee Locator System.

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Federal crimes charged in Lewis County skip the Nezperce courthouse. It goes to the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Central Division, 220 E. 5th St., Moscow (208-882-7612). The federal magistrate for the Lewis case decides release or detention under 18 U.S.C. 3142, and a detention hearing for the Lewis defendant may follow within five days. The U.S. Marshals Service holds the Lewis defendant before trial, sometimes in a contract county jail; call 208-937-2447 to ask whether Lewis County has the person. Once a Lewis County federal sentence starts, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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1. Booking staff in Nezperce check citizenship status under Idaho Code 18-9008 and report a possible Lewis noncitizen to Homeland Security within 48 hours.
2. ICE can send the Lewis jail a Form I-247A detainer.
3. When the Lewis County case is over, Idaho Code 18-9005(4) requires the Lewis jail to honor a reasonable detainer.
4. Beyond the Lewis County release point, ICE has at most 48 hours, and Saturdays, Sundays and holidays count.
5. Lewis pickups come from the ICE Boise office, 1185 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709, 208-685-6635; Lewis detainees often go to the Elmore County Detention Center in Mountain Home, and some Lewis County detainees later leave Idaho.
6. Track the Lewis detainee on the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with an A-number, or with the Lewis detainee's name and birth country.

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1. To appeal a Lewis magistrate judgment, the defense has 42 days to file its notice with the Lewis County district court (Idaho Criminal Rule 54).
2. Felony appeals from Lewis County need a notice within 42 days of judgment (Idaho Appellate Rule 14), and the Supreme Court may hand the Lewis appeal to the Court of Appeals.
3. When the Nezperce judge appoints it, the State Appellate Public Defender takes on Lewis felony appeals for people who cannot pay.
4. A motion to reduce a Lewis sentence is due within 120 days after judgment (Idaho Criminal Rule 35).
5. A post-conviction petition in Lewis County is due one year after the Lewis appeal ends or the appeal deadline passes (Idaho Code 19-4902).
6. A sentenced state prisoner, whether in the Lewis jail or prison, must meet each Lewis County deadline; the Nezperce clerk at 208-937-2661 can confirm filing dates.

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