Calhoun County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Check Calhoun County Inmate Search first. It shows custody and any bail the jail has entered. A brand-new arrest may take hours to post.

If the page is empty, call the Sheriff's Department at 662-412-3149. Ask whether the person is in Pittsboro or was taken to another county's jail.

The circuit clerk's office is at 103 West Main Street, Pittsboro, MS 38951, 662-412-3101. The justice court clerk answers at 662-412-3134.

Those two numbers, plus the sheriff's line at 662-412-3149, cover most bond questions in the county.

A judge, at the first appearance. In many cases that is a justice court judge. The justice court clerk answers at 662-412-3134 and can tell you which judge has the case.

If the case later goes to the grand jury, the circuit clerk holds the felony file at 103 West Main Street, 662-412-3101.

The judge states the charge and asks whether the person understands it. For an arrest with no warrant, the judge also decides whether there was probable cause. If not, the person goes free.

The judge explains the right to a lawyer and the right to stay silent, then sets release terms. On a felony the person is told about the right to a preliminary hearing, which should begin within 14 days of a request.

Forty-eight hours for a warrantless arrest, says Rule 5.1.

On a bailable charge, if that time runs out, release is called for on an appearance bond at the lowest Rule 8 figure. The prosecutor may then ask for a change.

Judges set them case by case. Mississippi has no single required list, and Rule 8.2(c) offers guideline ranges that a judge may go above or below: a misdemeanor with a six-month maximum, $250 to $1,000; a felony with a ten-to-twenty-year maximum, $10,000 to $100,000.

For the actual figure, open Calhoun County Inmate Search or ask the justice court clerk.

Besides money, a judge can require the person to stay in touch with a lawyer, avoid new crimes, report any new address, and appear every time. Optional terms include travel limits, no contact with named people, substance testing, a curfew, or electronic monitoring.

Ask for the written order and keep it. Breaking a condition can lead to a hearing and loss of release.

Whoever posts a bond leaves the security with the clerk. Phone the jail at 662-412-3149, then the circuit clerk at 662-412-3101, and ask which office takes payment for your bond and in what form.

Bring ID. Ask for a written receipt with the case number.

If the judge allows it, a cash deposit bond is 10 percent of the bond or $250, whichever is more, with a notarized affidavit.

A bondsman instead collects a fee capped at 10 percent, at least $100, plus a processing fee, and keeps it whatever happens in the case.

The Mississippi Insurance Department. Ask the agent for a license number and confirm it with the department before you hand over a dollar.

Also ask what collateral is required, who holds it, and when it comes back.

A surety who is not a bondsman signs a sworn statement that Mississippi property is worth at least the bond after debts. The signer cannot be an attorney or a court officer and must list other bonds already guaranteed.

The circuit clerk can say where the papers go.

Possible reasons: a capital charge, a bond revoked after a new felony, or a domestic violence arrest that must wait for a judge. Mississippi law bars bail in a domestic case until the person appears before a judge, though that can be by phone, and the judge may add a hold of up to 24 hours.

A probation or parole hold is a different matter. The jail desk can name which hold applies.

Ask the department for the report number and the current location, then watch Calhoun County Inmate Search for the booking.

A city ordinance charge goes before municipal court. The sheriff's desk can tell you which court has the paperwork.

Those cases belong to youth court, where records stay private. Ask the circuit clerk, 662-412-3101, how to reach youth court.

To find a youth defender, call the state youth defense office at 601-576-4206.

At the first appearance, say that you cannot afford a lawyer. The rules call for appointment if you ask.

The circuit clerk can tell you who takes appointments.

Yes. A licensed bail agent may arrest the person or have an officer do it, then surrender him or her to the jail, which ends the agent's duty on the bond if done within the allowed time.

A bondsman cannot do that over an unpaid fee the agent chose not to collect at the start.

A judge can forfeit the bond and issue a warrant.

A refund can follow within 18 months of forfeiture if the person is brought back, less costs. Move quickly and call a lawyer.

Security held by the clerk goes back when the court cancels the bond, after fines and costs. A bondsman's fee does not.

Keep every receipt.