Lee’s Summit Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Cass County jail bonds: answers for worried families
Cass County stretches south from the Kansas City suburbs, taking in Belton, Raymore, Peculiar, Pleasant Hill, and the county seat of Harrisonville. Arrests from across Cass County, Missouri are booked at a single sheriff's jail, and that's where the bail process starts. Inmate search: Cass County Inmate Search.
Where's the Cass County jail?
On the west side of Harrisonville: the Cass County Jail, 2501 West Mechanic Street, Harrisonville, MO 64701. Detention staff answer at 816-380-8331, and the sheriff's main office is 816-380-8305.
Search the Cass County Inmate Search by name. Brand-new bookings sometimes lag a bit.
My brother was picked up in Belton. Is he in Harrisonville?
If it's a state charge, most likely, since city departments in the county bring adults there. Belton, Raymore, and other cities also run their own municipal courts, though, and a purely city charge may follow that court's bond rules.
Ask the jail whether the case is a state or city matter. It changes where and how bond gets paid.
Does Cass hold people before a charge is filed?
State law allows a warrantless arrest to be followed by a hold lasting no more than 24 hours. That gives the Cass prosecutor time to review reports and decide.
You may hear "no bond" during that window simply because no charge exists yet.
Who sets bond on Cass County cases?
Cass and Johnson counties share the 17th Judicial Circuit. An associate circuit judge in Harrisonville typically makes the first release decision on new criminal filings.
The jail can't negotiate. It follows the order exactly.
How does Rule 33.01 apply in the 17th Circuit?
Statewide, Missouri judges must choose release terms no tougher than needed to secure the defendant's return and protect the public. The rule nudges courts toward non-money conditions first.
When a dollar amount is ordered, the judge has to consider whether the defendant can realistically pay it.
Can a judge simply release my relative?
Often, yes, through recognizance. The defendant signs a promise to show up, and no deposit is required.
Even then, rules may come along: no contact with a victim, alcohol monitoring, a curfew, or regular check-ins.
Bond types common in Harrisonville
- Recognizance, which costs nothing.
- Cash, posted in full.
- Surety, guaranteed by a licensed agent.
- Supervised or monitored release.
Pay attention to "cash only." It bars a bondsman from posting.
What drives a higher Cass County bond?
Violent or serious charges, a long record, and earlier failures to appear. Concerns about a victim's safety weigh heavily.
Steady work in the KC metro, a long-term address in the county, and family support push toward a lower amount.
Is a no-bond hold possible?
Missouri judges may refuse release when they find no conditions would keep the public safe or guarantee a return to court. That finding should rest on evidence at a hearing.
Get a defense lawyer to that hearing.
How soon can bond be reviewed?
A defendant who remains locked up may ask for review under Rule 33.05, which calls for prompt action by the court.
Counsel files it with the 17th Circuit. The clerk's office can tell you when it's scheduled.
What if we can't afford a private attorney?
The Missouri State Public Defender may be appointed if the defendant qualifies financially. The request is usually made at arraignment, with an income form.
Where do I pay a Cass County bond?
Usually at the jail on West Mechanic. Call 816-380-8331 before driving out to confirm payment methods and timing.
The circuit clerk's office is listed at the same address, 2501 W. Mechanic St., Harrisonville, MO 64701, phone 816-380-8234, and may take bond money during business hours.
Can I pay Cass County bail online?
Our research didn't confirm a web portal or lobby machine for West Mechanic. Ask staff; if a card vendor exists, expect a convenience charge.
Cash or a money order is the fallback that almost always works.
How do bondsmen work near Harrisonville?
An agent stands behind the whole bond in exchange for a nonrefundable charge. Because Cass is part of the KC metro, many agents serve it.
Confirm the agent carries a Missouri bail license issued by the state's insurance regulator. A Kansas license alone isn't enough for a Missouri bond.
How much does an agent charge?
Pricing is a share of the bond that each agency picks for itself. Night calls and installment plans sometimes cost more, so request a written total.
Can property serve as bond?
Missouri judges sometimes let a home or land secure bail, and bondsmen may hold a deed as collateral. Approval in Cass rests with the 17th Circuit judge.
You'd need a deed and proof of value. It's slower than cash.
What responsibility does a co-signer carry?
You're vouching for the defendant with your own wallet. A skipped court date can leave you owing the agency the bond or forfeiting whatever you pledged, so read carefully.
Weekend or overnight bail in Cass County
If an amount is already set, the jail generally accepts bond at any hour. Call ahead anyway.
If no judge has reviewed things yet, a Saturday booking might sit until Monday's docket in Harrisonville.
Turning yourself in on a Cass warrant
Case.net often shows the warrant and bond, or the sheriff's office can confirm. Turning in at West Mechanic with the bond arranged usually shortens time in custody.
What if Jackson County or Kansas has a warrant?
The person may be held in Harrisonville until the other agency picks them up or its bond is handled. A Kansas warrant brings extradition into the picture, which works differently from a Missouri bond.
Find out from staff who lodged the hold, then phone that agency. Kansas extradition questions belong with a lawyer.
Who can post bond?
Pretty much any adult who shows up at West Mechanic with valid identification and acceptable funds, related or not. Commuters sometimes ask a coworker who lives closer to Harrisonville to handle it. Ring the jail to double-check its rules.
Bond's paid, so why the wait?
Harrisonville staff still have release forms to finish, belongings to return, and records to search for anything else pending. That routinely eats a few hours. A Jackson County warrant, a probation hold, or an immigration detainer can stop the process cold even after you've paid.
What paperwork should I get?
Two items: a payment slip and the bond itself. The bond spells out the rules your relative must follow and the date to appear before the 17th Circuit. Snap a photo of each in case the originals go missing.
What happens if a release condition is violated?
Prosecutors can ask Harrisonville's court to pull the bond, and a judge may sign an arrest order. Something as simple as skipping a scheduled check-in or drinking while under a no-alcohol rule counts, so read the conditions out loud together.
Can a bondsman revoke the bond?
Most bail contracts let the agency deliver the defendant back into custody if it gets nervous, which ends its guarantee. Answering the agent's calls and reporting address changes keeps that from happening.
Can bail be reduced?
Through a motion, yes. Lawyers in the 17th Circuit often attach pay records from a metro employer, a lease or mortgage statement, and letters from family to show the person isn't going anywhere.
Finding hearing dates
Enter the defendant's name on Case.net, choose the 17th Circuit, and open the Cass case to see every scheduled setting.
Getting cash bail back
When the case closes and the defendant never missed a setting, the Cass circuit clerk sends the deposit back. Court costs or a fine can be subtracted from it first, and the check may take weeks. Save that receipt.
Bail versus fines
Bail is a guarantee about attendance. A fine is punishment that follows a conviction. The two can overlap only at the very end, when the court may use posted cash to cover costs or a fine.
What if the case is dismissed?
Dismissal releases the bond. The clerk then returns cash deposits, after taking any costs the court assessed, while anything you paid a bondsman stays with the bondsman.
Missed court
Expect a fresh warrant and the risk that the posted money is lost. If an agent wrote the bond, the agency will probably start looking for the defendant and may demand payment from the co-signer.
Juvenile arrests in Cass County
Teens are generally routed to the 17th Circuit's juvenile office rather than booked on West Mechanic. Staff there, with a judge, decide whether the young person stays in detention. Parents should phone that office right away.
Which federal court covers Cass County?
Kansas City. Cass is assigned to the Western Division of Missouri's Western District, which hears federal cases there.
Release on a federal charge is handled by a magistrate judge, and the Harrisonville jail has no way to take that money. The Western District site lists the clerk.
Before you drive to Harrisonville
Call 816-380-8331 first. Confirm the figure, ask whether any other agency has a hold, learn which payments staff take, and check that a deputy will be free to handle it.
Carry identification and the booking number. This page explains the general process, not the law of your relative's case; a lawyer handles that.
Lee’s Summit Jail
Address:
10 NE Tudor
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
Phone:
816-969-1780
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Cass County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cass County?
Who can set bail in Cass County?
When is bail set in Cass County Missouri?
Does Cass County have bail?
Yes, Cass County recognizes most types of bonds and bail conditions.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cass County?
The Cass County court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including a recognizance bond, uncompensated sureties, 10% cash bond or cash bond.
In Missouri, Uncompensated Sureties make it so an individual may act as their own surety if they are at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state of MO. They must have net assets with a value in excess of exemptions at least equal or greater than the amount of the bond set.
They cannot have been found guilty or pled no contest within the past 15 years to any felony charge and they can’t have any outstanding unsatisfied judgment entered on any bail bond in any court in Missouri or the US.
POST YOUR OWN 10% CASH BOND: Bonds are generally set at a specified cash amount by the court. In Missouri, the defendant is in most instances entitled to be released upon payment of a 10% cash fee paid to the Court Clerk as the bond. This money, unlike money paid to a bondsman, is then refunded to the defendant at the conclusion of the case.
This money will not be refunded to the defendant at the conclusion of the case if you have any court costs due etc. and will instead be applied to those costs which is 99% of the time almost always the case.
Who can set bail in Cass County?
Some offenses have preset bail according to a bail schedule and can be processed at the jail without waiting for a judge. In other cases, the bail will be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Cass County Missouri?
For some offenses is set according to a pre-determined bail schedule. If this is the case the jail will inform the defendant of the bail amount during processing. In other cases, bail will be set by a judge. A bail hearing is generally scheduled within 48 hours of arrest.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Cass 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 Cass 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 Lee’s Summit 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, Cass 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 Cass 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. This is one of the more popular bonds in Missouri.
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.
In Missouri, Uncompensated Sureties make it so an individual may act as their own surety if they are at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state of MO. They must have net assets with a value in excess of exemptions at least equal or greater than the amount of the bond set.
They cannot have been found guilty or pled no contest within the past 15 years to any felony charge and they can’t have any outstanding unsatisfied judgment entered on any bail bond in any court in Missouri or the US.
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 Cass County have bail?
Yes, Cass County recognizes most types of bonds and bail conditions.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cass County?
The Cass County court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest. Bail is available in several forms including a recognizance bond, uncompensated sureties, 10% cash bond or cash bond.
In Missouri, Uncompensated Sureties make it so an individual may act as their own surety if they are at least 21 years of age and a resident of the state of MO. They must have net assets with a value in excess of exemptions at least equal or greater than the amount of the bond set.
They cannot have been found guilty or pled no contest within the past 15 years to any felony charge and they can’t have any outstanding unsatisfied judgment entered on any bail bond in any court in Missouri or the US.
POST YOUR OWN 10% CASH BOND: Bonds are generally set at a specified cash amount by the court. In Missouri, the defendant is in most instances entitled to be released upon payment of a 10% cash fee paid to the Court Clerk as the bond. This money, unlike money paid to a bondsman, is then refunded to the defendant at the conclusion of the case.
This money will not be refunded to the defendant at the conclusion of the case if you have any court costs due etc. and will instead be applied to those costs which is 99% of the time almost always the case.
Who can set bail in Cass County?
Some offenses have preset bail according to a bail schedule and can be processed at the jail without waiting for a judge. In other cases, the bail will be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Missouri?
For some offenses is set according to a pre-determined bail schedule. If this is the case the jail will inform the defendant of the bail amount during processing. In other cases, bail will be set by a judge. A bail hearing is generally scheduled within 48 hours of arrest.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Cass County Missouri?
You can get the court to reduce an excessive bond - sometimes if the bond is set unfairly high, it can be reduced to a more manageable amount by an attorney – your own or court appointed/public defender. This can usually be accomplished early in proceedings shortly after arrest.
In Cass County Missouri, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail could be the arrested, a relative or close friend. All could be considered a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Missouri could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Cass County Missouri?
Missouri counties do not currently process online payments for bail. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Lee’s Summit Jail for more information about the jails in Cass County.
What options are there to pay bail in Cass County Missouri?
All Cass County courts accept cash or surety from a bail bonds agent. Some courts allow payment via credit or debit card, money order or cashier’s check. Go to the Lee’s Summit Jail for more information about posting bail in Cass County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Missouri?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail and in Missouri, usually to the defendant. 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 Cass 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 Missouri?
The Lee’s Summit 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.