Lafayette County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Lafayette County bail and bond: Oxford's detention center and county court
Adults arrested in Lafayette County are held at the Lafayette County Detention Center, 711 Jackson Avenue East, Oxford, phone 662-234-6421. Check Lafayette County Inmate Search to see if the person is in custody and what the bail is. The County Court sets bonds, and its office is in the courthouse on the square, so call it at 662-234-4954, ext. 2, to learn how to pay bail on the case you have.
1. Is my student in the Oxford detention center?
Type the name into Lafayette County Inmate Search. It shows a booking and the bail once a judge or booking officer has entered it. After a weekend arrest, the entry may take a while. If the search stays empty, call the detention center on Jackson Avenue East at 662-234-6421 and ask whether another agency has a hold.
2. Where exactly is the Lafayette County Detention Center?
It is at 711 Jackson Avenue East in Oxford. Free visitor parking is available. The main line is 662-234-6421 and the fax is 662-232-8062. Use the main line, not the fax, for questions about a person.
3. What if Oxford police or campus police made the arrest?
Ask the arresting department for the report number and where it took the person. After that, look for the record on Lafayette County Inmate Search. A state charge goes through the county's courts.
4. Which Lafayette County judge sets bond?
The county has a County Court, led by Judge Tiffany Kilpatrick, whose office is in Suite 301 at 1 Courthouse Square. The court sets bonds and conducts preliminary hearings. The county court phone is 662-234-4954, extension 2, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5. Who can I ask at the courthouse about my case?
Call 662-234-4954. For a case in county court, ask for extension 2. Otherwise ask for the circuit clerk. Both offices are in the courthouse on the square. Have the full name, birth date, and charge in front of you.
6. Where do I post a bond in Oxford?
Call 662-234-6421 and ask where the payment is taken for this case and during which hours. Take a government photo ID and the exact amount. Get a receipt that lists the case number.
7. What should I know before a licensed agent posts the bond?
A licensed bail agent can post the bond for you and collect a fee. Get the contract in writing, ask what collateral is required and when it is returned, and keep a copy of every paper. The agent's fee is separate from the bond itself.
8. What do bonds usually run in Oxford for common charges?
A judge's order sets the amount. Statewide guidelines suggest a misdemeanor of up to six months at $250 to $1,000, a misdemeanor DUI at $500 to $2,000, and a felony with up to 10 years at $5,000 to $50,000. A judge can depart upward or downward from these guides.
Your relative's figure will show on Lafayette County Inmate Search.
9. What will an Oxford bondsman take?
By state law the fee is 10 percent of the bail, never under $100, plus a $50 processing fee. For a $3,000 bond that is about $300 plus the processing fee. The fee is kept. Check that the agent is licensed through the Mississippi Insurance Department, and never sign blank forms.
10. Is there a less costly option than a bondsman?
Sometimes. Mississippi's cash deposit bond rule lets the court accept 10 percent of the bond or $250, whichever is greater, with a notarized affidavit, when the judge allows it. Ask the county court at 662-234-4954, ext. 2, if your family member qualifies.
11. Can a house or land secure the bond?
A person who is not a bail agent must swear to owning Mississippi property worth the bond after debts and exempt property, and must list other bonds. The rule requires the state, not Lafayette County. Land located outside Mississippi does not qualify. Contact the clerk at 662-234-4954 for the papers.
12. When does a judge have to see someone arrested in Oxford?
Within 48 hours of an arrest without a warrant. The judge states the charge, decides probable cause, explains the right to a lawyer, and sets release terms. If the deadline passes on a bailable charge, the rule calls for release on a bond at the lowest amount.
13. Why does the Oxford record say no bond?
A judge may not have set one yet. A probation, parole, or other-county hold keeps the person in custody too. On the state guide a capital felony runs from $25,000 to no bail, and a new felony while on a felony bond can lead to all bonds being revoked. In domestic violence cases, bail waits for an appearance before a judge, and the judge may add a hold of up to 24 hours.
14. Where would a teenager arrested in Lafayette County be taken?
Juveniles go through youth court, and the adult search does not list them. Call 662-234-4954 and ask for the youth court contact. A student under 18 arrested in Oxford is a youth case.
15. Does Lafayette County have a public defender?
If a person cannot pay, the judge at the first appearance must offer a lawyer and appoint one. The county court and the circuit clerk at 662-234-4954 are the contacts for those appointments. Ask that lawyer about lowering the bond.
16. What if he does not appear at the Oxford hearing?
A warrant issues and the bond can be forfeited. A bail agent may bring him in to end the bond. Forfeited cash is recovered within 18 months if he is surrendered or appears, less costs. Call a lawyer.
17. How can I check for fake Oxford bail calls?
No office accepts gift cards, crypto, or app transfers. Call the detention center at 662-234-6421 yourself. Money on a commissary account is not bail.
Lafayette County bail contacts
- County jail
- Lafayette County Detention Center, 711 Jackson Avenue East, Oxford, MS 38655; 662-234-6421
- Bond help
- Lafayette County bail and bond guide
- Courthouse
- 1 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 38655; 662-234-4954
- County court
- Judge Tiffany Kilpatrick; Suite 301, 1 Courthouse Square; 662-234-4954, ext. 2; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Custody lookup
- Lafayette County Inmate Search
- Public defender
- Appointed-lawyer questions go to the county court or circuit clerk, 662-234-4954
- Youth court
- Through the courthouse, 662-234-4954
- Bail agents
- Mississippi Insurance Department, which licenses every bail agent
Phone lines, hours, and amounts can change without notice, and the written order from the judge governs. This page is plain-language help rather than legal advice.
Lafayette County Detention Center
Address:
711 Jackson Avenue East
Oxford, MS 38655
Phone:
662-234-6421
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Lafayette County
Does Lafayette County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Lafayette County?
Who can set bail in Lafayette County?
When is bail set in Lafayette County Mississippi?
Does Lafayette County have bail?
Yes, Lafayette County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Lafayette County?
Lafayette County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Lafayette County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Lafayette County Mississippi?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Lafayette 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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette County 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, Lafayette 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.
The following is a general guideline to bail amounts in Mississippi:
- Manslaughter –$10,000 to $1,000,000
- Drug Distribution and Trafficking -$5,000 to $1,000,000.
- All other non-capital felonies- $5,000 to $250,000
- Misdemeanors - $50 to $2000 plus fines or court costs.
- Misdemeanor DUI and DWLs $500 to $2000.
- Municipal Ordinance Violation: $100 to $1000.
What are the different types of bonds in Lafayette 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 Lafayette County have bail?
Yes, Lafayette County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Lafayette County?
Lafayette County courts will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including personal recognizance bond, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Lafayette County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and can be set by the arresting officer. More serious crimes require bail be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Mississippi?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is preset and that information will be available during the booking process. More serious crimes require the defendant to appear before a judge. This bail hearing is required to take place within 48 hrs. of arrest, not counting weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Lafayette County Mississippi?
Yes, your attorney may request a bail reduction at any time prior to the trial.
In Lafayette County Mississippi, 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 Mississippi could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Lafayette County Mississippi?
Yes, Mississippi counties do offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Lafayette County Detention Center for more information about the jails in Lafayette County.
What options are there to pay bail in Lafayette County Mississippi?
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 Lafayette County Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Lafayette County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Mississippi?
Yes. You will get it back from the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court, less fees or percentages kept by the bail bondsman.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Lafayette County?
No, Mississippi law does not allow 'no money down' bail or bonds. Unless you are released on personal recognizance you can expect to pay at least 10%.
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 Mississippi?
The Lafayette County 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.