Howell County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Howell County bail: a practical guide to the West Plains jail
West Plains is the largest town in south-central Missouri and the seat of Howell County, Missouri. Willow Springs, Mountain View, and Pomona round out the county, which reaches down toward the Arkansas line. A state-charge arrest by deputies or local police here usually means booking at the county jail in West Plains. Inmate search: Howell County Inmate Search.
Jail address
The Howell County Jail sits at 1106 Missouri Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775. The jail line is 417-256-4323, and the sheriff's office takes calls at 417-256-2544.
Clerk's office
Howell County's circuit clerk is listed at 106 Courthouse, West Plains, MO 65775. Weekday calls about filings, bond entries, and refunds go to 417-256-3741.
Locating your relative
Open the Howell County Inmate Search. Arrests from Willow Springs or Mountain View may take a little while to show, since the person has to be driven to West Plains and booked. If nothing appears, phone Missouri Avenue and spell out the full name and birth date.
Jot down these five things
- That the person is in the West Plains jail.
- What the booking lists as the charges.
- Whether bail exists yet, and its form.
- Any detainer from Arkansas, another county, or an agency.
- The booking number.
The jail can't quote a bond
Most often, the prosecutor hasn't filed. Missouri allows 24 hours between a warrantless arrest and a formal charge, and judges typically set terms after that. A person picked up on a warrant is different: the issuing judge may have already written the amount, and deputies can read it to you.
Who the judges are
Howell belongs to the 37th Judicial Circuit along with Carter, Oregon, and Shannon counties. In West Plains, an associate circuit judge usually hears the defendant first and decides initial release.
Missouri's bail standard
Judges work under Rule 33.01, which favors the lightest set of conditions that will still make it likely the defendant returns and nobody is endangered. Money is one tool among several. When it's used, the court must think about whether the defendant can actually come up with it.
A signature instead of money
On recognizance, a defendant signs a pledge to show up and goes home with no deposit. Judges in West Plains may pair it with rules such as staying away from an alleged victim, no drinking, a curfew, or phone check-ins. Long residence in the Ozarks, a job, and family nearby all help.
What the order might say
- Recognizance with no money.
- Full cash.
- A cash percentage, where written into the order.
- A bail company's surety bond.
- Property pledged, once approved.
- Pretrial supervision or a monitor.
Timing of a first hearing
The West Plains docket sets the pace. A weekday arrest may reach a judge fairly soon; a weekend one might wait. If the terms keep the defendant locked up, the lawyer may file for Rule 33.05 review, and the rule calls for quick action.
Paying a bondsman
Bondsmen guarantee the whole bond and keep a premium, generally a percentage of it, as their fee. Several agencies work the West Plains area, so compare a few. Before signing, find out the rate, extra charges, collateral, payment plans, and what co-signing commits you to, then compare that list against the contract.
Every bail agent in Missouri needs a license from the state's insurance department. Asking for the number is reasonable.
Using land as bail
A judge can approve a property bond backed by enough equity. Ozark families often own acreage, but the court may want the deed, the mortgage balance, and a reliable valuation. Timber ground and hill farms can be slow to value, so start gathering paperwork early.
Where the money goes
Call 417-256-4323 before you leave and ask what the jail takes at that hour. During business days, ask whether the clerk at 417-256-3741 should receive the bond. Have photo ID.
Cards at the jail
Card payment wasn't confirmed. Check by phone, and carry a money order so a "no" doesn't send you home empty-handed.
Who may pay
An adult with identification can usually post. Refund checks are usually made out to whoever deposited the cash, so keep the receipt in your own name.
Release once bail is posted
Ask staff for an update. They have to finish the release forms, run a warrant check, and return property. A hold from anywhere else will stop the process.
Warrants from Arkansas, Texas County, or Oregon County
Howell bail settles only Howell charges. West Plains is close to Arkansas, so warrants from Fulton or Baxter counties there can come up, as can ones from Texas, Oregon, Shannon, Douglas, or Ozark counties in Missouri. Arkansas paperwork can mean an extradition process; ask counsel whether signing a waiver is wise.
Detainers
Parole officers, outside courts, and immigration agents can each file a request asking the jail to hold someone. Local bail doesn't wipe those out.
Ordinance tickets
West Plains, Willow Springs, and Mountain View may send city ordinance violations to municipal courts with their own bail practices. Have the deputy tell you which court handles each charge.
Paperwork after posting
Posting bail in West Plains gives you two important papers: a release order naming each hearing and every rule, and a receipt for the money. Keep them in an envelope, photograph both, and share the dates with the defendant right away.
When a condition is broken
Prosecutors who hear about a violation can ask the 37th Circuit judge to revoke. A judge in that spot might issue a fresh arrest order, set a bigger bond, or keep the defendant in jail until trial. If a rule conflicts with work or childcare, a lawyer can ask to change it before it's broken.
Being turned in by the agent
Surety contracts generally let the bondsman take the defendant back to Missouri Avenue and cancel the bond. Agents usually do that when calls stop getting answered or there's talk of moving away. Keeping in touch is the simplest protection.
Getting the amount lowered
Defense counsel can file a motion asking for a smaller bond or easier terms. Helpful records include pay stubs, a deed or lease in Howell County, letters from employers, and proof of children or aging parents the defendant supports.
Following court dates
Look up the case on Case.net, picking the 37th Circuit and Howell County. Carter, Oregon, and Shannon share the circuit, so check the county before relying on a date.
Refunds of cash bail
At the end of a Howell case with no missed settings, the bond is discharged and the clerk issues the refund, typically to the depositor. Fines or costs can be taken out first. Checks may take several weeks, so keep the clerk updated if you move.
The premium
What you pay a bondsman belongs to the agency once the bond is written. Pledged collateral should come back when the bond is released, according to the contract.
A dismissed case
Dismissal frees the bond. Cash returns through the clerk after any assessed amounts. Keep your copies, since some charges can be refiled.
Skipping court
Missing a West Plains hearing usually means a warrant and possible forfeiture. A bail agent who loses money may track the defendant down and pursue the co-signer. Tell the lawyer immediately if a crisis caused the absence.
Juvenile arrests
Minors generally fall under the 37th Circuit juvenile office, not adult bail. Youths are commonly sent to a juvenile center instead of Missouri Avenue. Parents should call the juvenile office quickly to find the child and the hearing date.
Public defender
Missouri's public defender system has an office serving this region. A defendant who can't afford a lawyer can apply at the first appearance, and an appointed attorney can argue for workable bail terms.
Federal arrests
A federal case from Howell travels north to Springfield, where the Western District holds its Southern Division court. A magistrate there makes the release decision; the county jail can't accept federal bond money. The Western District website has more.
What if someone from Howell was arrested in Arkansas?
That case belongs to Arkansas, and Missouri bail can't resolve it. If a Howell warrant also exists, the person may have to clear the Arkansas matter and then face extradition or a waiver before being brought to West Plains. Families end up dealing with two sets of courts, so a lawyer in each state can be worth calling.
Can a release condition keep someone from crossing into Arkansas?
A judge can restrict travel out of Missouri. Many Howell residents work, shop, or have relatives just over the line, so that rule can be hard to live with. The defense can ask at the hearing for an exception tied to a job or family need, and the judge decides.
How long do Howell cases tend to last?
Lower-level misdemeanors may wrap up in a few settings. Felonies often move to the circuit judge and can take many months. Bail conditions usually apply the whole way through, so the defendant should be ready for a long stretch of check-ins and hearings.
Check by phone first
Call 417-256-4323 before driving to West Plains. Make sure your relative is still held, have the deputy repeat the bond, check for Arkansas or other holds, and learn which payments are accepted.
Keep your driver's license and the booking number within reach. Our goal here is a plain overview of how bail works in Howell; your relative's lawyer is the one to weigh the details of the charge.
Howell County Jail
Address:
1106 Missouri Avenue
West Plains, MO 65775
Phone:
417-256-4323
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Howell County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Howell County?
Who can set bail in Howell County?
When is bail set in Howell County Missouri?
Does Howell County have bail?
Yes, Howell County recognizes most types of bonds and bail conditions.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Howell County?
The Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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, Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell County have bail?
Yes, Howell County recognizes most types of bonds and bail conditions.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Howell County?
The Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell County Jail for more information about the jails in Howell County.
What options are there to pay bail in Howell County Missouri?
All Howell 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 Howell County Jail for more information about posting bail in Howell 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 Howell 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 Howell 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.