Acadia Parish Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Acadia Parish Bail and Bond, Crowley, Louisiana
Bail, bond and release help for Crowley. In Louisiana the elected sheriff runs the parish jail, so people arrested here are booked by the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office at 1037 Capitol Avenue, Crowley, LA 70526. The jail's direct line is 337-788-8737; the main sheriff number is 337-788-8700. Acadia Parish sits on Interstate 10 west of Lafayette, with Crowley as its seat and Rayne, Church Point, Iota and Duson nearby.
Is my relative in the Crowley jail?
The sheriff keeps a free current inmate list that shows name, booking date and charges. For anyone not shown, ring the jail at 337-788-8737. Our inmate search guide explains other ways to look.
↑ Back to the question listWhat happens in the first three days?
State law says a judge must see a person who is held within 72 hours of arrest, skipping weekends and legal holidays. At that hearing the judge names a lawyer if the person cannot pay one and may review the bail. Miss that window and the law frees the person on a signed pledge to come back. The rule is in Article 230.1.
↑ Back to the question listWhat kinds of bail does Louisiana allow?
Article 321 lists five: - Commercial surety: a licensed bail company signs for the full amount. - Secured personal surety: a person pledges property worth the bond. - Unsecured personal surety: a person signs without pledging property. - Bail without surety: the defendant signs alone. - Cash deposit: the whole amount is paid in.
The judge may not use the two unsecured options for a crime of violence or a felony with a gun.
↑ Back to the question listWhat counts as a cash deposit?
Under Article 326 Acadia accepts cash, cashier's checks, money orders, certified checks, and U.S. or Louisiana government bonds. Ask the jail at 337-788-8737 what it takes after hours before you drive to Crowley.
↑ Back to the question listHow much does a bail company charge?
Louisiana sets the premium by statute: 12 percent of the bond, or $120, whichever is more (R.S. 22:1443). That fee pays for the company's promise and is not refunded when the case ends. Get every charge in writing before you sign.
↑ Back to the question listWhere do court records and refunds go?
The Acadia Parish Clerk of Court's criminal office is in the courthouse at 500 NE Court Circle, Crowley, LA 70526. Call 337-788-8881 or email criminal@acadiaparishclerk.com, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mail goes to P.O. Box 922, Crowley, LA 70527.
↑ Back to the question listWhen is a cash deposit repaid?
The money goes back to whoever paid it, once the case is closed and no court date was missed. Fines and court costs may be taken out first, so call the clerk to ask. Money left unclaimed is held for one year under state law. For putting money on a jail account, see our money page.
↑ Back to the question listWhat happens after a missed Crowley hearing?
The court can order an arrest and begin forfeiture of the bond. A bail company that loses money will look to whoever signed with it. For some charges, a person who failed to appear can be refused bail the next time under Article 312.
↑ Back to the question listCan a federal or immigration hold keep someone inside?
Paying parish bail does not end a hold placed by another agency. Act 314 of 2024 tells Louisiana agencies to use best efforts to support federal immigration law and to work with immigration detainers, so a person with a detainer may go to ICE instead of home. You can check the ICE locator. Federal charges are set by a U.S. magistrate in the Western District's Lafayette Division.
↑ Back to the question listIs a 17-year-old treated as a juvenile?
Not for crimes committed on or after April 19, 2024. Act 13 of that year moved 17-year-olds back to adult court, so they can be booked and bailed like adults. Younger children go through juvenile court, and a judge, not a bail schedule, decides whether they stay in detention.
↑ Back to the question listAcadia Parish Detention Center
Address:
1037 Capitol Ave
Crowley, LA 70526
Phone:
337-788-8737
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Acadia Parish
What kind of bonds are accepted in Acadia Parish?
Who can set bail in Acadia Parish?
When is bail set in Acadia Parish Louisiana?
Does Acadia Parish have bail?
Yes, Acadia Parish recognizes most types of bail bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Acadia Parish?
Acadia Parish recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. There are several types of bail available including release on own recognizance, cash bail, property bond and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Acadia Parish?
In some cases, the bail is predetermined based on the charges. If this is the case the amount of bail will be provided during the booking process. In cases where the bail is not predetermined, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, the bail will be determined by a magistrate at the first appearance.
When is bail set in Acadia Parish Louisiana?
A magistrate will set bail during a first appearance, which is usually scheduled within 72 hours of arrest.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Acadia Parish must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a bail commissioner in Acadia Parish feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the magistrate determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Acadia Parish Detention Center until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different. The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions. Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Acadia Parish or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
What are the different types of bonds in Acadia Parish?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Does Acadia Parish have bail?
Yes, Acadia Parish recognizes most types of bail bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Acadia Parish?
Acadia Parish recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. There are several types of bail available including release on own recognizance, cash bail, property bond and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Acadia Parish?
In some cases, the bail is predetermined based on the charges. If this is the case the amount of bail will be provided during the booking process. In cases where the bail is not predetermined, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, the bail will be determined by a magistrate at the first appearance.
When is bail set in Acadia Parish?
A magistrate will set bail during a first appearance, which is usually scheduled within 72 hours of arrest.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Acadia Parish Louisiana?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the magistrate know. Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.
In Acadia Parish Louisiana, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Louisiana could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Acadia Parish Louisiana?
No, Louisiana counties do not currently offer online payment of bail. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: go to the for more information about the jails in Acadia Parish.
What options are there to pay bail in Acadia Parish Louisiana?
Payment may be made with cash, money order, property bond, or surety bond. Some accept a credit card with fees.
Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Acadia Parish Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Acadia Parish.
An alternative would be to contact the Clerk of Court.
Will I get all my bond money back in Louisiana?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Acadia Parish?
The magistrate who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Louisiana?
The Acadia Parish Detention Center or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.