Toole County Jail

A judge, and fast. Montana wants every arrested person brought "without unnecessary delay" before a nearby judge (MCA 46-7-101). Whether they go home or stay locked up gets settled at that opening hearing (MCA 46-9-109).

Around here, the Justice of the Peace almost always handles that opening hearing. The same judge also serves as City Judge for Shelby and Sunburst, so town tickets and county charges share one office. Find it in Suite 104, down on the lower level of the courthouse, 226 1st St S, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-424-8315. Your loved one might stand at the bench or talk to the judge over a jail video hookup (MCA 46-9-206).

Felonies later go to the Ninth Judicial District. Bail from Justice Court follows the case upstairs, and the district judge may adjust it (MCA 46-9-201).

Judges must use the mildest terms that still bring the person back for court (MCA 46-9-108). Options on the table:

• Own recognizance. A signed pledge to return. No money at all (MCA 46-9-111).
• Conditions. Home with strings attached: a curfew, no drinking, no firearms, or an order to leave the alleged victim alone.
• Cash deposit. You hand over 100% of the bail. The clerk holds every dollar of it through the last hearing.
• Commercial bond. A licensed agent covers the entire amount and keeps a fee.
• Personal sureties. The defendant plus two people who have the means sign a written pledge.
• Real estate. Montana land whose free and clear value is high enough can be put up (MCA 46-9-401).
• License in place of bail. With some traffic charges, an officer keeps the license instead of collecting cash.

An ankle monitor is the normal add-on, where one exists, in a repeat partner assault or a felony stalking case.

Local judges often begin with a statewide list, the Recommended Bond Schedule. Its numbers are suggestions, so the local amount may differ. State surcharges are already folded in. Sample 2026 amounts:

• Misdemeanor assault that hurts someone: $585, with a court appearance required
• Providing alcohol to a minor under 21: $535, appearance required
• Running a boat while impaired: $335
• A third gambling violation inside 5 years: $1,500
• Homicide and other felonies: left blank, so the judge chooses

No one leaves on a schedule amount for partner or family member assault, partner strangulation, stalking, or a broken order of protection or no contact order. Each of those waits on a judge's own review (MCA 46-9-302). The Justice Court can give the real figure for one case at 406-424-8315 on weekdays.

Phone ahead. Deputies and jail staff work under the Sheriff, whose office answers 406-434-5585. By law, a peace officer may accept bail for the judge if a judge's printed list or the warrant spells out the sum, and must give a signed receipt (MCA 46-9-302). A good call goes like this:

1. Have the full legal name, spelled out, plus the birth date.
2. Find out the total and what charge goes with each part.
3. Check whether court must come first, as with partner assault.
4. Learn what forms of money staff accept and the exact payee name.
5. Agree on a time, and get directions to the jail door at the Sheriff's Office, 235 Deer Lodge Ave., Shelby, MT 59474.
6. Carry a photo ID. Tuck the signed receipt away where it won't get lost.

Usually. A statewide court rule lets you pay a schedule amount to Justice Court staff on any regular work day. The court keeps its schedule on the wall.

• Justice Court, which doubles as Shelby and Sunburst city court: Suite 104, lower level, 226 1st St S, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-424-8315. Hours run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
• Clerk of District Court for felony cases: Suite 301, 226 1st St S, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-424-8330. Same weekday hours.

Federal holidays close the building. Ring the office before you go. Confirm the sum, the payment types the window takes, and how quickly word reaches the jail.

That depends on where you pay, so ask first. Jail staff at 406-434-5585 can say which payments work for a posting there and how to fill in a check or money order. If you pay at Justice Court, put the same questions to the clerk.

Guard your money:

• Cash never goes in the mail.
• Insist on a receipt for each payment.
• Hand money only to the jail, a court window or a licensed agent you chose.
• Be wary of a stranger who phones demanding bail in gift cards, crypto or an app transfer. End the call and dial the jail directly.

State law gives agents a mouthful of a title, "surety bail bond insurance producer," and licenses them through the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (MCA 33-17-1601). Keep these facts in mind:

• Whatever fee you pay stays with the agent, win or lose.
• Agents often want collateral, such as a pickup's title. Ask for the return date in writing.
• When a client skips court, the agent has the right to catch them and hand them over. Local police normally get a call beforehand (MCA 46-6-508).
• The bond covers showing up for court only. It is never tapped for fines or restitution (MCA 46-9-503).
• Confirm the license through the NAIC licensee lookup.

One bail covers one case. Other things can still block release:

• An outside warrant. Since 2025, a person wanted by a different county or state isn't eligible for bail from the local judge (MCA 46-9-201).
• Extradition. Someone sent back from another state first faces the judge who issued that warrant (MCA 46-9-105).
• Supervision. A probation or parole officer may ask for a hold. The state field office sits in the Cedar Square Building, 301 1st St, Suite SO, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-5344.
• Stacked cases. Every open case brings its own bail to pay.
• Federal agents or ICE. Scroll down for how each of these works.

Have the jail at 406-434-5585 read off all holds before you hand over a cent.

Montana's constitution gives nearly everyone a shot at bail. Only a capital case can be left out, and then only where "the proof is evident or the presumption great" (Mont. Const. art. II, sec. 21). Bail that is excessive is banned too (Mont. Const. art. II, sec. 22).

Still, a judge can order someone held until trial if there's probable cause that no safeguards will make them show up (MCA 46-9-106). In that call, the judge looks at the alleged crime, criminal history, past flight, danger to anyone and how settled the person is in the Shelby area (MCA 46-9-109).

The prosecutor arguing these points is the Toole County Attorney's Office, 153 Main Street, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-5417.

It can happen. Either side can file a motion asking for a different amount or new release terms (MCA 46-9-311). Reasonable notice goes to the opposing side.

1. The defense attorney files a written request with that judge.
2. Bring proof of work, a Montana address, family ties and a frank budget. Montana bars oppressive bail, and money matters count in the judge's math (MCA 46-9-301).
3. Propose terms that ease the judge's concerns. This county joined the statewide 24/7 Sobriety Program, so twice-daily breath tests are an option. The defendant covers the cost.

To learn how a bail hearing is scheduled, phone Justice Court at 406-424-8315. On a felony, try the district clerk, 406-424-8330.

The right to counsel must be explained at the first appearance (MCA 46-7-102). The state public defender steps in on felonies, on misdemeanors that could mean jail, and on youth charges.

Two paths qualify a person. One is income, when the family's earnings are at 133% of the poverty guideline or lower. The other is that hiring private counsel would cause serious hardship. Being able to post bail, or holding a job, is not by itself a reason to deny (MCA 47-1-111). A sworn financial statement is required, and the judge has the final say.

• Regional office: Public Defender Division, 615 2nd Ave. N., Great Falls, MT 59403, 406-770-3200
• Online form: apply for a public defender
• Background on the agency: Montana Public Defender

All local courts share the county courthouse, 226 1st St S, Shelby, MT 59474. Offices open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• Justice Court, Suite 104 on the lower floor, 406-424-8315. Misdemeanors, a felony's first hearing, and Shelby and Sunburst city cases all start here. Mail: PO Box 738, Shelby, MT 59474.
• Clerk of District Court, Ninth Judicial District, Suite 301, 406-424-8330. Felony records live here.
• Ninth District Drug Court, a treatment court for adults, 406-424-8363.
• Federal court: Missouri River Federal Courthouse, 125 Central Avenue West, Suite 110, Great Falls, MT 59404, 406-727-1922.

Was the arrest in Kevin? Ask the Justice Court which court takes that case.

Cash bail returns to the payer at the finish, provided the person never missed a hearing (MCA 46-9-502). A court rule says the check goes only to the depositor. Save that receipt and your ID.

A no-show gives the judge the right to forfeit bail. The court must mail that notice inside 10 working days, or the bond no longer counts (MCA 46-9-503).

• A 90-day window follows. Surrendering the person, or proving a real excuse, can cancel the loss.
• Kept money from a misdemeanor lands with the city or county. Felony money is sent to Montana's general fund (MCA 46-9-511).
• A victim can be repaid out of forfeited bail (MCA 46-9-512).

Refunds come from whichever court holds the cash. For Justice Court, that is 406-424-8315.

Ask about personal items and any leftover account money before release day. The Sheriff's Office at 406-434-5585 can tell you when to pick things up and how a balance is refunded.

Show a photo ID at pickup. Picking up for a friend? Find out whether staff need a signed note from them. Our jail account guide covers how deposits and refunds usually play out.

Sitting on the Canadian border means federal arrests are part of life here. Officers from the U.S. Border Patrol's Sweetgrass Station, 37 Nine Mile Road, Sunburst, MT 59482, 406-937-8800, and from the Sweetgrass port of entry, 39825 Interstate 15, Sweetgrass, MT 59484, can both arrest people on federal charges. The port runs around the clock.

• Federal charges from this corner of the state are tried in the Great Falls Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, 406-727-1922.
• Whether the person is held is decided when they first see a federal magistrate. A lawyer can ask to push that a few days (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Pretrial federal prisoners are placed by the U.S. Marshals Service. Phone the Billings headquarters at 406-200-6004 to learn which jail.
• After sentencing, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

A port arrest can also be a state case. The County Attorney handles state crimes committed at the crossing.

No. Clearing the state case leaves an immigration hold in place. Expect these steps:

1. The federal agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, delivers a Form I-247A request.
2. Jailers can keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. State law makes local officers act on the detainer and explain the hold. They must let go of anyone who proves citizenship or legal status with believable papers (MCA 27-16-801).
4. Agents then collect the person. Montana falls under the ICE office in Utah, 2975 Decker Lake Drive, Suite 100, West Valley City, UT 84119, 801-736-1200.
5. Search for them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator using their name and birth country.

No. Crossroads Correctional Center, 50 Crossroads Dr, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-7055, is a state prison. CoreCivic operates it on contract with the Montana Department of Corrections, and the people inside are already serving state time.

Bail is never posted there. A new arrest is handled by the county jail or the court on the case. To find a prisoner at Crossroads, search the DOC offender search.

Felony terms over one year fall under the Montana Department of Corrections. Most people stay put in the local jail through the state's assessment. After that, the department sends them to prison, prerelease or treatment, whichever suits them.

• Type a name into the Montana offender search for where someone is held.
• For visiting and mail rules at state sites, read our Montana state prisons guide.
• Toole families with parole questions can reach the Board of Pardons and Parole, 1002 Hollenbeck Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722, 406-846-1404.

Montana counts everyone under 18 as a youth. Their charges go to Youth Court, overseen by the Ninth District judge (MCA 41-5-203). Detained teens go to a center Cascade County runs for the region, its Juvenile Detention Center, 1600 26th Street S, Great Falls, MT 59405, 406-454-6930.

• A judge reviews any detention within 24 hours, skipping Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (MCA 41-5-332).
• Youths may be released on bail too, with the parents' finances in mind (MCA 41-5-323).
• Juvenile probation, 406-424-8364, can explain the hearing and how to visit.

Montana sorts cases by weight:

• Justice Court hears misdemeanors from Sweetgrass down to the Marias River country. Think traffic and DUI cases, game and fish tickets, small thefts and youth alcohol or tobacco charges. Its reach covers crimes capped at a $500 fine or half a year locked up, with some bigger misdemeanors split between it and the district judge (MCA 3-10-303).
• City court for Shelby and Sunburst runs out of the same office with the same judge. Its docket is local ordinance violations plus misdemeanors that happen in Shelby or Sunburst (MCA 3-11-103).
• District Court gets all felonies. Under state law, those are crimes punishable by over 1 year in a state prison (MCA 45-2-101).
• Youth Court is the district judge's docket for kids and teens under 18.

Felony cases generally get their start downstairs, where the Justice of the Peace sets bail, before climbing to Suite 301.

Look for the county courthouse at 226 1st St S, Shelby, MT 59474. The main county line is 406-424-8300. Offices close for federal holidays. Inside you will find:

• Justice Court, Suite 104 on the lower level, 406-424-8315. Mail to PO Box 738, Shelby, MT 59474. This office also issues warrants and handles small claims.
• Clerk of District Court, Suite 301, 406-424-8330. Mail to PO Box 850, Shelby, MT 59474. The clerk keeps criminal and juvenile case files but can't give legal advice.
• District Court office, Ninth Judicial District, 406-424-8360. Mail to PO Box 822, Shelby, MT 59474.

Plan to arrive a little early, since finding the right floor and suite takes a few minutes.

Shelby and Sunburst do, but you won't find a separate city courthouse in either town. The Justice of the Peace wears a second hat as City Judge for both. One combined office handles it all at 226 1st St S, PO Box 738, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-424-8315.

Kevin is the county's third town. If a ticket or arrest came from Kevin, call that same Justice Court number and ask which court has the case.

Arrests near Galata, Oilmont or Devon, or anywhere else beyond town limits, land in Justice Court as well.

An arrest has to be followed "without unnecessary delay" by a trip before a judge (MCA 46-7-101). In Toole that's normally Justice Court. Some defendants appear on a screen linked to the jail. At that hearing the judge must cover these points (MCA 46-7-102):

• each charge filed
• access to counsel, with a public defender offered to those who qualify
• how pretrial release works for them
• silence is allowed, and any statement may be repeated at trial
• conviction may strip firearm rights
• if a felony complaint was filed, a judicial look at whether probable cause exists

Release or detention is decided at this same hearing (MCA 46-9-109).

Prosecutors bring these in Justice Court, where the defendant enters a plea. A not guilty plea sends things toward trial, and six jurors may hear it if anyone requests a jury (MCA 46-17-201).

The clock matters here. Unless the defendant asked to postpone or the state shows good cause, a misdemeanor must reach trial within 6 months of the plea or be dismissed (MCA 46-13-401). What a conviction can bring:

• A first impaired driving conviction: a $600 to $1,000 fine, plus jail from one full day up to 6 months (MCA 61-8-1007)
• Stealing property valued at $1,500 or under: a $1,500 maximum fine, 6 months in jail at most, or both (MCA 45-6-301)
• Partner assault, first conviction: a $100 to $1,000 fine, and a jail term of at least a day and no more than 12 months (MCA 45-5-206)
• A misdemeanor whose statute lists no punishment: $500 and 6 months, at the most (MCA 46-18-212)

Judges may also defer a misdemeanor sentence for up to 12 months, then dismiss the charge if the terms are met (MCA 46-18-204).

Most felony cases follow this path:

1. Initial appearance. Bail gets set in Justice Court.
2. Charging. Either a preliminary examination happens downstairs, or the prosecutor files an affidavit asking District Court's permission to charge by information (MCA 46-11-201).
3. Arraignment. In open court upstairs, the defendant gets the charging papers and answers them (MCA 46-12-201).
4. Trial. Twelve jurors decide unless both parties sign away the jury (MCA 46-16-110). Their verdict has to be unanimous.
5. Sentencing. This follows a conviction or guilty plea.

Montana's default felony penalty is a $50,000 fine, 10 years in prison, or both, as maximums (MCA 46-18-213). Stealing more than $1,500 can bring the same. Possessing dangerous drugs carries 5 years at most, and first-timers are presumed eligible for a deferred sentence (MCA 45-9-102).

Cases involving harm or threats come with extra rules:

• Pretrial jail. Montana flatly refuses bail in just one situation, a capital charge with strong evidence. Short of that, a judge may still keep someone jailed if no release terms would be safe (MCA 46-9-106).
• Partner cases. Partner assault or strangling means seeing a judge before any release. A third partner assault conviction is charged as a felony, carrying a 5-year maximum (MCA 45-5-206).
• GPS or ankle monitoring. Where a monitor is available, the law presumes one will be ordered in felony stalking and felony partner assault (MCA 46-9-108).
• Victim alerts. When someone charged in such a case makes bail, jail staff have to warn the alleged victim quickly.
• Repeat felons. A deferred felony sentence is unavailable to someone with a prior felony (MCA 46-18-201).

Shelby is home to the Ninth Judicial District's adult drug court, which the state lists as a Chemical Dependency Treatment Court. Treatment courts pair a criminal case with addiction treatment and close court check-ins.

• Office: 226 1st Street South, PO Box 822, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-424-8363
• Montana's treatment courts page gives the statewide picture.

Whether a case fits the program is a question for the defense lawyer to raise. The lawyer can also explain what joining would mean for release and for the final sentence.

The Toole County Attorney's Office brings charges for every crime in the county except town ordinance violations. That includes cases from deputies, the Highway Patrol, game wardens, motor carrier officers, and state law violations at the Sweetgrass port. It also handles youth cases. Its street address is 153 Main Street, Shelby, MT 59474, and mail goes to Box 730. Call 406-434-5417, or toll free 888-434-5417.

For a Shelby ordinance case, City Hall can say who prosecutes it. Reach City Hall at 112 First Street South, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-5222.

People who can't afford counsel may ask Montana's public defender for help. The regional office is at 615 2nd Ave. N., Great Falls, MT 59403, 406-770-3200, and you can apply online with recent pay records and bank statements. A judge signs off on eligibility (MCA 47-1-111).

Montana runs a pair of free court search sites. Each accepts names and case numbers:

• Courts of limited jurisdiction portal: Justice Court plus the Shelby and Sunburst city docket
• The District Court portal covers felonies

Minors' cases and sealed records are left out. Calling the court is the most reliable way to learn a date, so have a full name and birthday handy. For Justice Court or a Shelby or Sunburst city case, dial 406-424-8315. For a felony, the Clerk of District Court answers at 406-424-8330.

Local warrants are signed by the Justice of the Peace, and the countywide Department of Public Safety serves them in town and out. To ask whether one is out, phone the Sheriff's Office, 406-434-5585. People the state is hunting, like escapees and supervision absconders, are marked on the DOC offender search. Charges already filed can be looked up on the limited court portal and its felony twin, the District Court portal. A short talk with a defense lawyer comes first. After that, one route is surrendering at the Sheriff's Office, 235 Deer Lodge Ave., Shelby, MT 59474. Another is asking the judge who signed it to reschedule. Justice Court is 406-424-8315.

The Canadian border runs along the county's north edge, so federal agents are busy here. The U.S. Border Patrol's Sweetgrass Station sits at 37 Nine Mile Road, Sunburst, MT 59482, 406-937-8800. The Sweetgrass port of entry, 39825 Interstate 15, Sweetgrass, MT 59484, never closes. Officers from either can arrest on federal charges.

• The Great Falls Division hears these at the Missouri River Federal Courthouse, 125 Central Avenue West, Suite 110, Great Falls, MT 59404, 406-727-1922. The clerk works weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• At the first court date, a magistrate judge rules on pretrial detention (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• A pretrial officer looks into the person's past for the judge. That officer reports through U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, 125 Central Avenue West, Great Falls, MT 59404, 406-453-4461.
• Custody and transport are the U.S. Marshals Service's job. Ring its Billings headquarters, 406-200-6004.
• Federal dockets live on PACER, which charges small fees.

A detainer doesn't pause the Toole charges. Its effect comes at release time. ICE's Form I-247A asks staff to hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, giving agents time to arrive (8 CFR 287.7(d)).

1. Officers here must arrest on a detainer and tell the person the reason (MCA 27-16-801).
2. Solid evidence of citizenship or lawful status cancels the duty to hold.
3. Since a 2025 law, an officer who lawfully stops someone may make a reasonable effort to check their status (MCA 46-5-401).
4. Montana belongs to ICE's Salt Lake City area. The field office is at 2975 Decker Lake Drive, Suite 100, West Valley City, UT 84119, 801-736-1200.
5. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator to find where they went.

Felony sentences to state custody go to the Montana Department of Corrections. In most cases the person stays in the county lockup until a state screening is finished. DOC then decides on a prison, prerelease center or treatment program.

One state prison is right in Shelby. Crossroads Correctional Center, 50 Crossroads Dr, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-7055, is run by CoreCivic under a DOC contract. A local sentence does not mean a stay at Crossroads, because DOC picks the place. Look the person up to be sure.

• Use the Montana offender search to learn a prisoner's facility.
• Rules for writing to or visiting a state prisoner are in our Montana state prisons guide, facility by facility.
• State Probation and Parole keeps a local office in the Cedar Square Building, 301 1st St, Suite SO, Shelby, MT 59474, 406-434-5344.

Anyone under 18 goes through Youth Court, which the district judge runs (MCA 41-5-203). Their files are held by the district clerk and never appear on the public portals. The County Attorney prosecutes youth cases too.

• Teens in detention get a hearing on probable cause fast: 24 hours, minus weekends and holidays (MCA 41-5-332).
• For secure custody, teens are sent to Great Falls. The place is Cascade County Juvenile Detention Center, 1600 26th Street S, Great Falls, MT 59405, 406-454-6930.
• A handful of grave offenses open the door to adult court for kids as young as 12, if the County Attorney asks (MCA 41-5-206).
• State law keeps anyone younger than 16 out of state prisons.

Parents can call juvenile probation at 406-424-8364 for hearing dates and next steps.

Victims have a say. For felonies, and for misdemeanors where someone was injured or put at risk, the prosecutor checks in with the victim before the case is dropped, settled with a plea, or the accused is let out (MCA 46-24-104). Reach the County Attorney's Office at 406-434-5417.

• Hi-Line's Help for Abused Spouses offers victim support from 300 N Virginia St, Suite 307, Conrad, MT 59425, 406-278-3342. Its crisis line is 800-219-7336.
• VINE sends free alerts about adults in state corrections custody. Register on VINELink or by phone, 800-456-3076.
• Montana's crime victim compensation program pays up to $25,000 for crime costs. Call 800-498-6455.