Letcher County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Phone the courthouse jail at 606-633-5163 first, and if staff can't find the name, try Hazard at 606-436-4032. Get the charge, the dollar amount and the case number, since the clerk upstairs works from that number. When no amount exists yet, the judge probably hasn't seen the defendant, and arraignment will settle it.

Suite 201 accepts cash, money orders, personal, cashier's or certified checks, and cards for a fee, plus ePay. Make checks out to the Letcher County Circuit Court Clerk; whoever writes one must list a phone number, birth date and Social Security number. Bring photo ID both to post and later to collect the refund. Call 606-633-7559 or 606-633-1048 for the total.

You should hang up. The jail itself warns about people phoning families and asking for bond payments. Real bond is paid in person to the circuit clerk in Suite 201 or by ePay, never wired to a stranger. If unsure, dial the jail directly at 606-633-5163 and ask whether the request is genuine before sending anything.

No. Families in Letcher deal straight with the circuit clerk upstairs in the courthouse (606-633-7559), because Kentucky outlaws for-profit bail bonding entirely (KRS 431.510). The clerk holds the money, and a cash deposit is refundable once the matter closes, provided the defendant showed up whenever required.

Within hours of intake at the Main Street jail (606-633-5163), a Pretrial Services officer covers residence, work and past cases, then gauges the odds of a no-show or a fresh arrest (KRS 431.515). Low scores point toward release with no money down; middle scores toward supervision (KRS 431.066). Officers can cite rather than jail for some small offenses.

The Whitesburg clerk (606-633-7559) can read back the judge's order. Choices run from release on one's own word and an unsecured signature bond up to a 10 percent cash deposit (KRS 431.530), full cash, or real estate worth double the figure (KRS 431.535). A relative the court approves can sign as surety with no payment (KRS 431.520).

Letcher's district and circuit judges, who sit in the Letcher County Courthouse, 156 Main St., Suite 201, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (606-633-7559), set the figure. They weigh what the accused can afford (KRS 431.525), and a lone violation carries a presumption of release (KRS 431.062). For a misdemeanor with nobody hurt, bail can't exceed fines plus costs. A statewide grid governs numerous Class D felonies (KRS 431.540), and domestic violence or sex charges trigger a victim-safety look (KRS 431.064). Jail time is credited at $100 a day (KRS 431.066).

After the case ends, if every appearance was kept. The clerk keeps ten percent, at least $5, and returns the rest; an acquittal or dismissal returns all of it. The clerk may first deduct whatever is still owed in fines, costs or restitution. Pick up the check with ID, and ring 606-633-7559 to ask when it's ready.

A judge can order staying away from a victim, sobriety testing, an ankle monitor or check-ins. Someone who skips a hearing can expect a warrant, and the bond can be forfeited after 20 days' notice (KRS 431.545). Anyone who can't meet a condition should have counsel ask the judge to adjust it before trouble starts.

The Letcher County Attorney (95 Main Street, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (606-633-9588)) prosecutes misdemeanors and early felony stages. Since the 47th Circuit covers only this county, its Commonwealth's Attorney also works in Whitesburg (47 Highway 119, Suite 7, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (606-633-8121)). Defendants unable to pay an attorney receive the Hazard Trial Office of the Department of Public Advocacy (470 Main St., Hazard, KY 41701; 833-514-8977). Our court guide walks through the process.

No. Release on federal charges is decided at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 310 South Main Street, London, KY 40741, 606-877-7910. ICE may also ask the holding jail to keep someone up to 48 hours after state release, so ask 606-633-5163 or 606-436-4032 about holds before paying. The ICE detainee locator and federal inmate locator show those custodies.