Butler County Jail Criminal Court Process

Last updated by Elizabeth Boyle

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Criminal Court Process for Butler County Iowa

Iowa courts

Butler County District Court, Allison, Iowa

Criminal cases in Butler County are heard at the courthouse at the end of Main Street in Allison, within Iowa's Second Judicial District.

Find the clerk at 428 6th Street, Box 307, Allison, IA 50602, 319-242-3570, and the jail sits just east of the building.

A magistrate sees the person soon after arrest to set release terms and appoint counsel if needed.

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1. Which offices handle a criminal case?

  • Clerk of District Court: 428 6th Street, Box 307, Allison, IA 50602; 319-242-3570; countyclerk.butler@iowacourts.gov.
  • County Attorney: in the Allison courthouse; reach it through the county directory, 319-346-6546.
  • Sheriff and jail: 428 Sixth Street, Allison, IA 50602; 319-346-6621.
  • Juvenile Court Office: Butler County Courthouse, 428 6th Street, Allison; 641-420-3589.
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2. What are the stages of a case?

For a felony, the county attorney files a trial information, and arraignment, pretrial hearings and a plea deal or trial before a district judge follow. Simple misdemeanors, like most traffic and city charges, are decided by a magistrate. Check dates on Iowa Courts Online.

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3. Can Allison defendants get a public defender?

Ask the magistrate on day one and complete the income form the court hands you. Once approved, a state public defender or a contract lawyer is appointed. The State Public Defender's Mason City office, 103 E. State Street, Suite 210, Mason City, IA 50401, 641-423-4181, covers the area. Our bail guide covers release.

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4. How are juvenile cases handled?

Charges against someone under 18 usually go to juvenile court, with the Juvenile Court Office in the courthouse at 641-420-3589. The adult jail only holds a juvenile whose case has been waived to adult court.

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5. Where are federal cases from Butler County heard?

In the Northern District of Iowa. Its clerk is at 320 6th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, 712-233-3900. For federal custody, see the BOP link on our inmate search page.

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6. Where are Butler County youths detained during a case?

While a juvenile case is open, any secure detention is at North Iowa Juvenile Detention Services, 1440 West Dunkerton Road, Waterloo, IA 50703, 319-291-2455. The detention hearing can be held in Black Hawk County, where the center sits.

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7. What are the court contacts for Allison?

Reach the Butler clerk by phone, 319-242-3570, or fax, 319-224-6855. Weapons are banned inside. Ask 641-494-3612 when a hearing is on the calendar.

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8. Who serves warrants for the Butler County court in Allison?

Butler County sheriff's deputies serve warrants from the Allison courthouse; call the office at 319-346-6621. Butler keeps no published roll of names, and no Iowa statewide search is open to families, so a call settles it. The court record is on Iowa Courts Online. Where a missed Allison hearing caused it, the Clerk of District Court at 428 6th Street, Box 307, in Allison (319-242-3570) can explain the request for another court day.

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Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.