Stevens County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Stevens County bail and bond: Morris, Colorado Avenue, and the 24-hour phone
The jail that serves Stevens County is the Stevens County Jail in Morris, listed at 400 Colorado Avenue, the same street address as the courthouse. The jail answers around the clock at 320-589-2141. This is a small county, so your first move is to use Stevens County Inmate Search, then phone for anything the search leaves out. For payment help, see the bail guide for this jail.
How do I find my husband after an arrest in Morris?
Run his name through Stevens County Inmate Search. If it comes up empty, phone the jail at 320-589-2141; the listing says staff answer inmate questions at any hour.
A booking only minutes old may not appear yet. Ask whether another county or agency has a hold on him.
Are the jail and the courthouse in the same place?
Listings show the jail and the Stevens County Courthouse both at 400 Colorado Avenue, Morris. Mail for the jail goes to PO Box 530, Morris, MN 56267.
The court office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 320-349-7010. Because the jail does not keep those hours, call it for nights and weekends.
How soon will a judge hear his case?
Within 36 hours of arrest, not counting the arrest day, Sundays, or holidays. The probable-cause deadline is 48 hours and counts all days.
Stevens County is in the Eighth Judicial District. Ask the court at 320-349-7010 for the date and time of the first appearance.
Where do I take bail money in Stevens County?
Stevens County's own pages do not give a bail window or a list of payment types. Listings say cash bonds go to the jail's bonding window or the clerk of court, and mention cash, cashier's check, or money order.
Call 320-589-2141 before you leave home and ask which of those the staff will accept that day. Get a receipt.
What will bail cost for his charge?
No countywide chart is posted. Minnesota's courts are told not to rely on preset schedules, so the judge decides after looking at the charge, past court history, work, and ties here.
Many people are released with no money due. If an amount is set, it should show on Stevens County Inmate Search.
Do I need a bail agent in Stevens County?
Only when paying the full bail is out of reach. Commerce licenses agents and the courts approve them. They must charge the filed rate of their surety, at least $100.
Because no percent is fixed by law, ask for the cost, collateral, and missed-court terms in writing. A list of approved agents sits on the state's bail bond program page.
Could my farmland or house back a bond?
Possibly, with the judge's approval. Listings say a court that takes property wants clear title and equity, often double the bond. The judge on your case makes the call.
Ask the court administrator, 320-349-7010, if land outside Stevens County or outside Minnesota would count. Your family should not sign anything first.
Why does the search show no bail?
The judge may not have acted, or a hold from another case, a probation violation, or a warrant may be in the way. Minnesota has no death penalty, so a right to bail applies to everyone.
A judge may still attach conditions. After a domestic assault arrest, a no-contact order is common.
What happens to a person who is sentenced to jail time?
Listings say people with under a year to serve stay in the county jail, and longer terms go to the state prison system or federal custody.
A county inmate stays on the county search. Once the state takes a person, the Corrections Department's own system, not this one, tracks him.
Who defends him if we have no money?
Tell the judge you need a public defender at the first hearing, or file the online application. The court decides whether you qualify and assigns the lawyer.
No public defender number is listed on this page. The court office, 320-349-7010, can tell you which public defender serves Morris.
Where is a Stevens County teenager taken?
Stevens County is one of 11 counties in a service agreement with the West Central Regional Juvenile Center, 729 11th Street N., Moorhead.
That center answers at 218-299-5150. Call before you travel to Moorhead, because youth visits and hearings follow their own schedule.
Can I visit him or send mail at the Morris jail?
Listings give visits of 30 minutes, one per week, with up to two guests and a government photo ID. Times change, so call 320-589-2141 before you go.
Mail goes to Stevens County Jail, PO Box 530, Morris, MN 56267. Include his full name. Mail is checked, so do not tuck anything extra inside.
Can he be released at night or on a weekend?
The jail phone is staffed at all hours, so ask. Whether staff will take bail and let him go depends on what the judge ordered and what the building can process at that hour.
Do not assume the courthouse can help after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends. Ask the jail at 320-589-2141 what steps apply on the day you call.
What if he skips the next hearing?
The judge can issue a warrant and move to forfeit the bond. Call the court office right away, then a lawyer.
For bonds written by an agent, the court must give the agent notice within set deadlines. Tell the agent too.
Is the bail money returned?
When the case ends, cash bail goes back to the defendant or someone named in writing, after any fine or restitution. It is the defendant's money even if a parent paid.
Ask court staff at 320-349-7010 how refunds are requested.
Is this call from the sheriff a scam?
Deputies do not demand gift cards, and bail agents may not phone jail lines. Anyone who rushes you to pay is suspect.
Hang up and call the jail yourself at 320-589-2141.
Stevens County bail contacts
- County jail
- Stevens County Jail, listed at 400 Colorado Avenue, Morris, MN 56267; 320-589-2141
- Bail help
- Bail help for this jail
- Custody lookup
- Stevens County Inmate Search
- Courthouse
- Stevens County District Court, 400 Colorado Avenue, Morris; 320-349-7010
- Judicial district
- Eighth Judicial District
- Youth detention
- West Central Regional Juvenile Center, 729 11th Street N., Moorhead; 218-299-5150
- Bail agents
- State bail bond program
Check by phone before acting on anything here. The page describes common practice in Stevens County and does not replace a lawyer.
Stevens County Jail
Address:
400 Colorado Ave.
Morris, MN 56267
Phone:
320-589-2141
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Stevens County
Does Stevens County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Stevens County?
Who can set bail in Stevens County?
When is bail set in Stevens County Minnesota?
Does Stevens County have bail?
Yes, Stevens County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Stevens County?
Stevens County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Minnesota offers several types of pre-trial release including unconditional, conditional, or cash/surety bail.
Who can set bail in Stevens County?
Depending on the charge(s) bail may be set according to a bail schedule or at the discretion of the judge.
When is bail set in Stevens County Minnesota?
Bail is set at the defendant’s first court hearing, or arraignment. State law requires this hearing be scheduled within 48 hours of arrest, except for weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Stevens 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 Stevens 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 Stevens 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, Stevens 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 Stevens 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 Stevens County have bail?
Yes, Stevens County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Stevens County?
Stevens County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Minnesota offers several types of pre-trial release including unconditional, conditional, or cash/surety bail.
Who can set bail in Stevens County?
Depending on the charge(s) bail may be set according to a bail schedule or at the discretion of the judge.
When is bail set in Minnesota?
Bail is set at the defendant’s first court hearing, or arraignment. State law requires this hearing be scheduled within 48 hours of arrest, except for weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Stevens County Minnesota?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the bond officer know. Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.
In Stevens County Minnesota, 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 Minnesota could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Stevens County Minnesota?
Yes, Stevens County does offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Stevens County Jail for more information about the jails in Stevens County.
What options are there to pay bail in Stevens County Minnesota?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Stevens County Jail for more information about posting bail in Stevens County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Minnesota?
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 Stevens 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 Minnesota?
The Stevens 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.