Adams County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Look the name up in Adams County Inmate Search before you call anyone. It shows custody and bail once the sheriff's office enters them, so a booking that is only minutes old can take a little while to appear.

For anything the search leaves out, such as which charge is holding the person, call the sheriff's office at 601-442-2752.

No. The Adams County Correctional Center, 20 Hobo Forks Road, holds people in federal immigration custody. Its detainee information line is 601-304-3003.

A person arrested by a deputy or a Natchez officer on a state or city charge goes through the Adams County jail, not Hobo Forks. Call the Hobo Forks number only for someone in immigration custody.

Two offices sit a block apart. The Justice Court is at 114 South Wall Street, 601-442-0199, and it hears the first appearance, where release terms are set. The circuit clerk is in the courthouse at 115 South Wall Street, 601-446-6326.

Security backing a bond goes to the clerk. Get a receipt that shows the case number and the amount.

Felony cases are heard there first, at initial appearances and preliminary hearings. Two justice court judges hear cases there.

At the first hearing the judge states the charge, checks probable cause when there was no warrant, explains the right to a lawyer, and sets release terms. Call 601-442-0199 for the date and time.

Rule 5.1 of the Mississippi Rules of Criminal Procedure requires that anyone arrested without a warrant see a judge within 48 hours.

If that does not happen and the charge allows bail, the person must be released on an appearance bond at the lowest amount set under Rule 8. The prosecutor may ask the judge to reconsider. After 48 hours, call the Justice Court at 601-442-0199.

Sometimes. The court rules describe a cash deposit bond: you tender 10 percent of the bond or $250, whichever is greater, and sign a notarized statement. The judge must allow it and the person must meet the conditions.

This is the court's own option and is different from a bondsman's fee. Ask the Justice Court clerk at 601-442-0199 whether this judge accepts it.

State law caps the fee at 10 percent of the bond, with a $100 minimum, plus a processing fee. For capital charges and out-of-state defendants the cap is 15 percent. The fee is not refunded.

The Mississippi Insurance Department licenses bondsmen. Ask for the license number, every fee, and any collateral in writing.

Mississippi has no single mandatory schedule. Rule 8.2(c) sets guideline ranges, and a judge may go above or below them: a misdemeanor with a one-year maximum, $500 to $2,000; drug distribution, $5,000 to $1,000,000; any other felony with a ten-year maximum or less, $5,000 to $50,000.

The real amount for your person appears in Adams County Inmate Search or comes from the Justice Court at 601-442-0199.

A person who is not a licensed bondsman can post property. The rule requires a sworn statement that the owner is not an attorney or court official, holds property in Mississippi worth at least the bond after other debts, and lists other bonds already signed for.

The property must be in Mississippi; it does not have to be in Adams County. Call the circuit clerk at 601-446-6326 with the property description before you gather deeds.

Rarely. A sheriff may set bail on a misdemeanor arrest when no judge has, and on a bailable felony only in an emergency when no judge can be reached in time.

Once a judge sets the number, only a judge changes it, and a lawyer can file a motion to reduce. The sheriff's office at 601-442-2752 can tell you which judge has the case.

A hold is not always a final denial. A capital charge can mean bail is refused or set very high. A person already out on a felony bond who is arrested for a new felony carrying more than five years can have all bonds revoked once probable cause is found.

Domestic violence arrests also wait: no bail until the person appears before a judge, which may be by phone. A probation or parole hold is separate, so ask the sheriff's desk at 601-442-2752 what is behind it.

Ask the Natchez Police Department for the report number, then watch Adams County Inmate Search for the booking.

Charges under a city ordinance are heard in municipal court instead of the Justice Court. The sheriff's desk at 601-442-2752 can say which court has the paperwork.

Youth cases go to youth court, and the records are private, so the adult search will not list a child.

For free help from a youth defender, the state youth defense office is at 601-576-4206.

At the first appearance, a judge must appoint counsel for a person who cannot afford one and asks for it. Say so out loud at that hearing.

The circuit clerk at 601-446-6326 can tell you who takes appointed cases in Adams County. Have the case number ready.

A judge may declare the bond forfeited and order an arrest. A bondsman may arrest and return the person to jail. If the person is returned or turns up in time, cash can be refunded within 18 months, less extradition costs and attorney fees.

Call a lawyer or the circuit clerk, 601-446-6326, the same day to learn the next step.

Cash or other security deposited with the clerk is returned when the court cancels the bond, after any fines or costs the judge orders. The fee paid to a bondsman is not returned.

Keep every receipt. Ask the circuit clerk how to request the refund.

No court, jail, or clerk sells freedom for gift cards, crypto, or a wire to a private person. Money sent to a jail account for calls or snacks is not bail.

Make your own call to 601-442-2752 or 601-446-6326 if anyone says to pay in minutes.