Gogebic County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Gogebic County bail and bond: Bessemer, the courthouse on Moore Street, and cash bonds
People arrested in Gogebic County have been held at the Gogebic County Jail in Bessemer, and the Sheriff's Office is at 100 W. Iron Street, 906-667-0203. Type the name into Gogebic County Inmate Search to see whether the person is booked and what bail was set. The 98th District Court, at 906-663-4611, is in the courthouse at 200 N. Moore Street.
Is my friend sitting in the Bessemer jail tonight?
Check Gogebic County Inmate Search first. If he was arrested in Ironwood, Wakefield or another town, the booking may take time to reach the county list. Call the Sheriff's Office at 906-667-0203 to ask whether he is in the jail or still with the arresting police. Ask also whether any other hold is on his record.
Where are the courts, and who is the county clerk?
The Gogebic County Courthouse, 200 N. Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911, holds the 32nd Circuit Court at 906-663-4211, the 98th District Court at 906-663-4611 and the Probate Court at 906-667-0421. The county clerk is Erin Bunt at 906-667-0411. Ask the district court for the arraignment date, because all criminal cases start there.
Who decides bail, and can I see an example?
A district judge decides after hearing both sides. In a May 2017 case, a judge changed a $100,000 cash bond to "$100,000 or 10 percent," so $10,000 would free the defendant, with travel and contact limits added. In April 2020 a different suspect was held on a $100,000 cash bond. Those are news examples, not a price list. Your amount will depend on the charge and record.
What does "10 percent" mean if I pay it?
You give the court a tenth of the number, and you agree to be liable for the full amount if the person misses court, as the 2017 case shows. A 10 percent deposit goes to the clerk. Since May 1, 2026, the court keeps a tenth of it only after a conviction for an MCL 780.66 offense. Otherwise the deposit returns, less fines or costs.
Where do I take the money?
I could not read a posting guide for Gogebic County. Call the Sheriff's Office at 906-667-0203 for the jail window and the district court at 906-663-4611 for daytime bond, and ask about hours, accepted payment types and ID. Do not rely on a friend's memory from years ago, since procedures change.
What if only cash is ordered?
A judge can order a cash bond for the full amount. If cash only is ordered, a bondsman cannot post it. The prosecutor or the defense lawyer can ask the judge to review it, and a motion to review bail has no filing fee in Michigan.
Does Michigan make a bondsman charge a set price?
No rule that I found sets a premium. DIFS says it does not license bondsmen, though agents carry insurance producer licenses and each court approves its own. Ask for every fee in writing. If you feel misled, call 877-999-6442.
Can I use my house in Wakefield as security?
A judge may accept real property if the court consents and the owner proves its value. I did not find a Gogebic County rule about equity or out-of-county land. Ask the district court at 906-663-4611.
When would a judge give no bail?
The Constitution lets a court deny bail for murder or treason when proof is evident or the presumption is great. First-degree criminal sexual conduct, armed robbery and kidnapping for extortion are in the list, unless the court finds he is no flight or safety risk. So are repeat violent felons and new violent felonies while on release. Probation or parole holds also keep people in.
How soon does he get a hearing?
The rule is arraignment "without unnecessary delay." For an arrest without a warrant, a judge must find probable cause generally within 48 hours. Courts must keep an officer available every day for felony bail. Ask the district court at 906-663-4611 what time the next session is.
What about my 14-year-old?
Michigan forbids holding anyone under 18 with adults. A Marquette County sheriff said in December 2025 that no Upper Peninsula facility houses juveniles, so a Gogebic County youth may be placed in the Lower Peninsula. The probate court, 906-667-0421, can tell you which center is in use and when the hearing is.
Is there a free lawyer in Gogebic County?
Ask the judge for one at the first appearance. The court will have you fill in a financial form. I did not find a defender office number, so call the district court at 906-663-4611 to learn who was appointed. The state commission is at 517-657-3066.
What if he is out and misses a hearing?
The judge can revoke his release, issue a warrant and declare the bond forfeited. A mailed notice gives him 28 days to surrender. As the 2017 case shows, anyone who posted a 10 percent deposit can be made to pay the full bond.
Gogebic County bail contacts
- Jail
- Gogebic County Jail, Bessemer; Sheriff's Office, 100 W. Iron Street, Bessemer, MI 49911, 906-667-0203
- Custody lookup
- Gogebic County Inmate Search
- Courthouse
- 200 N. Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911
- District court
- 98th District Court, 906-663-4611
- Circuit court
- 32nd Circuit Court, 906-663-4211
- Probate and juvenile
- Gogebic County Probate Court, 906-667-0421
- County clerk
- Erin Bunt, 906-667-0411
- State indigent defense
- Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, 517-657-3066
- Agent complaints
- Department of Insurance and Financial Services, 877-999-6442
Rules and numbers may be modified without warning, and the judge in your case may order terms that differ. Call before you pay, keep every receipt, and talk to a lawyer about the specifics.
Gogebic County Jail
Address:
200 N. Moore St.
Bessemer, MI 49911
Phone:
906-667-0203
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Gogebic County
Does Gogebic County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Gogebic County?
Who can set bail in Gogebic County?
When is bail set in Gogebic County Michigan?
Does Gogebic County have bail?
Yes, Gogebic County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Gogebic County?
Gogebic County 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 four types of bail available: personal recognizance bond, cash bail, ten-percent bail, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Gogebic County?
Bail is set in accordance with a bail schedule or by a judge.
When is bail set in Gogebic County Michigan?
Bail is set at the first court appearance, also known as the arraignment. In most cases this hearing is required to be held within 72 hours of arrest, unless delayed by the defense.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Gogebic County 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 judge in Gogebic County 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 judge or bail schedule 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 Gogebic County Jail 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, Gogebic County 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 Gogebic County?
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 Gogebic County have bail?
Yes, Gogebic County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Gogebic County?
Gogebic County 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 four types of bail available: personal recognizance bond, cash bail, ten-percent bail, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Gogebic County?
Bail is set in accordance with a bail schedule or by a judge.
When is bail set in Michigan?
Bail is set at the first court appearance, also known as the arraignment. In most cases this hearing is required to be held within 72 hours of arrest, unless delayed by the defense.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Gogebic County Michigan?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the bond officer know. Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.
In Gogebic County Michigan, 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 Michigan could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Gogebic County Michigan?
Yes, Michigan does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Gogebic County Jail for more information about the jails in Gogebic County.
What options are there to pay bail in Gogebic County Michigan?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Gogebic County Jail for more information about posting bail in Gogebic County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Michigan?
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 Gogebic County?
The judge or officer 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 Michigan?
The Gogebic County Jail 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.