• Clerk of District Court: 612 Court Street, Harlan, IA 51537; 712-217-6737.
• Shelby County Attorney: 711 Court Street, Harlan, IA 51537 (mail to P.O. Box 509); 712-755-3141; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Juvenile Court Office: 227 South 6th Street, 5th floor, Council Bluffs, IA 51501; 712-217-6740.
• Shelby County Jail: 1104 9th Street, Harlan, IA 51537; 712-755-5026, option 2.

A brief hearing, normally the day after arrest or sooner. A magistrate explains the accusation, decides bond or other release terms and considers any request for appointed counsel. If the arrest was warrantless, a judge must rule on probable cause in under 48 hours.

• Magistrates: traffic, ordinance and simple misdemeanor cases.
• District associate judges: OWI cases plus serious and aggravated misdemeanor charges.
• District judges: every felony and the juvenile court.

1. Booking at the 9th Street jail, then the initial appearance.
2. The County Attorney files formal charges by trial information, usually within 45 days.
3. Arraignment, frequently replaced by a written plea of not guilty.
4. Pretrial discovery and depositions, with motions often heard on a Monday.
5. Trial, which must begin within 90 days of arraignment if speedy trial is demanded.
6. Sentencing, preceded by a presentence investigation, if the defendant is found or pleads guilty.

Search by name or number on Iowa Courts Online. Juvenile and confidential files are not shown.

Make the request at the initial appearance; the magistrate will hand you a financial affidavit to complete. Those who qualify are represented by a public defender or a lawyer under contract with the state, and Iowa courts can later order some repayment.

The County Attorney handles delinquency petitions. A youth who must be detained is generally taken to the Southwest Iowa Juvenile Detention Center, 629 6th Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51501, 712-328-4893; the Juvenile Court Office is at 712-217-6740.

The Southern District of Iowa's Western Division courthouse is at 2146 27th Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA 51501. Reach the clerk's office on its main line, 515-284-6248. Use PACER for filings and the BOP locator for federal inmates.

Our Shelby County bail page covers bond amounts and refunds.

You can. The Shelby County Sheriff posts an active warrant list, and deputies serve those warrants; confirm at 712-755-5026. That list covers only Shelby County, since Iowa has no public statewide warrant search; Court filings show on Iowa Courts Online. Should a missed Harlan hearing be the cause, the Clerk of District Court at 612 Court Street (712-217-6737) can explain rescheduling.