Hunterdon County Division of Corrections Inmate Bail & Bonds

A Superior Court judge. Before that, the officer chooses between two kinds of charging papers. A complaint-summons hands the person a court date, and they leave. A complaint-warrant keeps them in custody for a short while, so the court can size up the case (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-16).

With a warrant, three steps follow:

1. Within 12 hours, a judge or judicial officer must look at the complaint.
2. Pretrial Services, a branch of the Judiciary, scores the person with the Public Safety Assessment. It counts things like earlier charges and skipped court dates. By law, race, gender and money play no part.
3. The judge's release ruling must come within 48 hours of being booked into jail (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-17). Most come much sooner.

For crimes, this first hearing takes place at one central court location in front of a judge named by the Chief Justice (R. 3:4-2). Court staff call it CJP, short for Central Judicial Processing. To learn the time, phone the Criminal Division in the Justice Center, 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-824-9750, extension 13110. Pretrial Services answers at extension 13120.

State law sets the options like steps on a staircase. The judge must stop at the lowest step likely to bring the person back for every hearing (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-17).

• Release on recognizance (ROR). A signed pledge to return, with nothing paid. An unsecured bond is a near cousin: nothing is paid unless the person misses court.
• Rules to follow. Staying away from someone, or out of a certain place, are common ones.
• Check-ins. Pretrial Services keeps watch. Light watching is a reminder call or text before court. Stricter levels mean reporting in person, a GPS ankle bracelet, or staying home.
• Cash bail. Allowed only to get the person to court. Never to keep them inside, and never to guard public safety.
• Rules plus cash. The judge may combine them.
• Detention. Held until trial, but only after a special hearing.

Statewide figures for the first six months of 2025 show roughly one person in five charged on a warrant ended up held this way. Everyone else went home.

Only now and then. During 2021, judges statewide told only 23 people to post money, mostly because they broke the rules of an earlier release. Counting 2017 to 2021 together, the total was 233 out of 196,083 people, so less than 1 in 500.

Superior Court has no fixed price for each crime. The judge sets a figure that fits the case. Town courts work another way. If someone skips a municipal court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant with bail taken from schedules the state's court office writes (R. 7:4-2). For most families, that is where a dollar figure shows up.

A judge may let the family put down 10% in cash. Domestic violence cases never get that option. A few listed charges call for the full amount, either in cash or through a licensed bond company.

Hunterdon's inmate list has a bail column, where "No Bail" is the usual entry. For one person's amount, phone Booking, 71 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, at 908-788-1184.

The body is in Warren County, but the case is still local. Work through this list:

1. Phone Booking at the Division of Corrections, 71 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-788-1184, and spell out the person's full name and birth date.
2. Get the amount, the case number, whether a 10% deposit counts, and any other holds.
3. Ask where to pay at this hour. By the Judiciary's rule, during court hours bail goes to the county courthouse. After hours, the county jail takes only cash or a bail bond.
4. If you are told to go to Belvidere, the Warren County Correctional Center sits at 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950, 908-475-7900. Phone ahead first.
5. Carry a photo ID. Save every receipt you are handed.
6. Find out the release spot and time, since Belvidere is a long drive from much of the county.

Staff of the Corrections Undersheriff can also help at 908-806-5542.

The Justice Center will during business hours. It stands at 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822. Superior Court money is handled by its Finance office. Before you head over, phone 908-824-9750 and ask for the Central Fee Office, extension 13060.

A municipal warrant's bail comes from the town judge. Phone the court printed on the warrant or on the notice. Raritan Township Municipal Court is one example. It sits at One Municipal Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-782-8818, and also handles Flemington Borough, Frenchtown and Holland. Its window is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

NJMCdirect lets people pay town fines and tickets on the web. It was built for fines, so ask the clerk how bail is taken.

It depends on where you pay and what time it is, so call first.

• After court hours, the Judiciary allows only cash or a bail bond at the county jail.
• Some charges allow a 10% cash deposit. Others call for the full sum, or a bond from a licensed company.
• On some charges, a bail source form must come first. Each person giving money lists their name, how they know the defendant and the amount. They sign it under penalty of perjury, which means lying on it is a crime (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-13). Nobody can accept the bail until the prosecutor has the form.
• Never put cash in an envelope.

A deposit on a jail account does not count as bail. At the Warren County Correctional Center, 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950, half of each deposit can be taken for fees or medical costs. To learn what counts for bail today, phone Booking, 71 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, at 908-788-1184.

Hardly ever, since so few people get money bail. Bond companies still exist, though.

Every bond seller must hold a state license. It is an insurance producer license with "bail bonds limited lines authority" added. That rule dates to late 2003 (DOBI Bulletin No. 03-29).

Before signing with one:

• Write down the company name and the agent's license number. You need both for the bail source form.
• Make sure the fee, plus any collateral you hand over, is spelled out on paper. A car title is a common example.
• Ask how you get that item back, and what happens to it after a missed court date.

Each order covers a single case. Any of these can still hold a person in Belvidere:

• A second warrant. Bench warrants from a town court, and warrants from other counties, each need separate handling.
• Probation. A claimed violation can bring its own hold. The Probation office is in the Justice Center, 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-824-9750, extension 13860.
• Monitoring setup. An ankle bracelet or home detention plan can take time to start.
• Time already being served. A sentence has to run out first.
• A federal or ICE hold. Each has its own rules.

Before paying anything, call the Warren jail, 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950, at 908-475-7900, and ask staff to list every hold.

Yes, but the bar is high. Under the state Constitution, every accused person starts out eligible for release before trial. A judge can deny it only if no set of rules or money would get the person to court, protect people, and keep them from interfering with the case (N.J. Const. art. I, para. 11). The prosecutor has to file a motion and win a detention hearing (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-19).

Motions are allowed for:

• Murder and other crimes that can carry life, plus the most serious first- and second-degree crimes
• Many gun crimes, and certain sex offenses and crimes against children
• Domestic violence
• Any crime by someone with at least two earlier convictions of the listed types
• Any crime where the prosecutor sees a serious risk of flight, danger or witness threats

Usually the hearing takes place right at the first appearance. When the prosecutor files after that, the hearing comes within three working days. Postponements are brief, with a five-day limit for the defense and a three-day limit for the prosecutor. The person has a lawyer and may cross-examine witnesses. On a murder or life-term charge, the judge begins by presuming detention, and the defense has to prove release is safe.

The county Prosecutor's Office works from the Justice Center, 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-788-1129.

Start with the defense lawyer. The law gives these openings:

• An appeal. The defense may appeal a detention order. Appeals are handled quickly, but the person waits in jail for the ruling (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-18).
• Deadlines. Someone held cannot wait more than 90 days to be indicted, though a judge can add up to 45 days. Then trial has to begin within 180 days. Time the defense asks for is not counted (N.J.S.A. 2A:162-22).
• The two-year limit. If the state still cannot start trial two years after the order, the person goes free, unless the delay came from the defense.
• Breaking the rules. This cuts the other way. Someone who violates release terms can be locked up again or given cash bail.

The local public defender is at 84 Park Avenue, Suite G-102, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-782-1082.

Everyone facing an indictable charge in the state is entitled to a lawyer, and an empty wallet does not change that. Those cases go to the Office of the Public Defender, whose office here is at 84 Park Avenue, Suite G-102, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-782-1082.

The first step is the 5A form, which the court hands out. It covers where the person lives, past record, job, money and any need for an interpreter. A judge, and not the defender's office, rules on who qualifies.

In town court, the rule is narrower. A municipal public defender is assigned if the person could get jail time, lose driving privileges, or owe more than $800 in penalties, and cannot afford a lawyer. Ask the court clerk for the form. The fee is up to $200, which the judge may cut or waive.

Crimes go to the Superior Court. It sits in the Justice Center, 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-824-9750 (Criminal Division, extension 13110). The courts group the county with Somerset and Warren in one vicinage, meaning a court region.

Smaller charges, tickets and town law cases are heard in 11 municipal courts:

• Bethlehem/Bloomsbury Joint Court, for Bethlehem, Bloomsbury, Alexandria, Glen Gardner and Lebanon Borough: 405 Mine Road, Asbury, NJ 08802, 908-735-4559
• Califon, sharing a court with Washington Township in Morris County: 43 Schooley's Mountain Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853, 908-876-3852
• Clinton Township, for Clinton Township, the Town of Clinton, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township and Union: 1370 Route 31 North, 3rd Floor, Annandale, NJ 08801, 908-735-3730
• East Amwell/Delaware Joint Court, for East Amwell, Delaware, Stockton and Franklin: 1070 Route 202/31, Ringoes, NJ 08551, 908-782-6855
• Raritan Township, for Raritan, Flemington Borough, Frenchtown and Holland: One Municipal Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-782-8818
• Kingwood Township, for Kingwood and Milford: 908-996-4276
• Lambertville: 609-397-1335
• Readington Township: 908-534-2414
• Tewksbury Township: 908-832-7684
• West Amwell Township: Judiciary Customer Services at 609-421-6100 can connect you

A federal charge is heard at the U.S. courthouse in Trenton, 402 East State Street, Room 2020, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2065.

Think of bail as a deposit on a promise. If the person shows up every time and the case closes, the deposit is owed back. A missed date can lead the judge to issue a bench warrant and keep the money, and a fresh bail can be set after the arrest.

Ways to protect the money:

• Hold on to the receipt and your copy of the bail source form.
• Note the case number somewhere safe.
• Help the person keep a calendar of every hearing.

Questions about getting Superior Court bail back go to the Central Fee Office at 908-824-9750, extension 13060. On a town case, phone the court that took the money.

Since local inmates live in the Warren jail, their things are mostly kept there. Any cash a person carries in is credited to an account in their name. Nobody may keep money or valuables in their cell.

The balance can shrink. Warren adds a $50 booking charge for each person, and up to half of the money that arrives later can pay that fee or medical costs.

Ask about belongings and the account balance by calling the Warren County Correctional Center, 175 County Route 519 South, Belvidere, NJ 07823-1950, at 908-475-7900. For anything kept at the Flemington booking site, call the Division of Corrections at 908-788-1213. While the person is still inside, see our pages on deposits and commissary.

A federal magistrate judge decides. Cases from this area go to Trenton. The first hearing is usually the same day or the next one. The person hears the charges, gets help finding a lawyer and learns whether they can go home.

That same first appearance is where the detention hearing normally happens. A short delay is possible, three days at most for the government and five for the defendant (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). If the person is not released, the U.S. Marshals keep them until trial.

• Clerk of the U.S. District Court: 402 East State Street, Room 2020, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2065
• U.S. Marshals Service, Trenton: 402 East State Street, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2069
• U.S. Pretrial Services: 402 East State Street, Room 100, Trenton, NJ 08608, 609-989-2056
• Federal Public Defender, in Station Plaza #4 on the fourth floor: 22 South Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609, 609-989-2160

The Marshals can say which jail is holding them. Once a sentence is handed down, look them up in the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

It can. These are the usual steps:

1. ICE delivers Form I-247A, known as a detainer, to the jail.
2. That form requests that the person be held for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. ICE officers collect the person within that window.
4. One place ICE may take them is the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201, 908-282-5700.
5. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator, or call the ICE Newark office at 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, 973-776-3274.

State rules narrow this. Their source is the Immigrant Trust Directive, which carries the number 2018-6 and was last revised in 2019 (version 2.0) by the state Attorney General. A county jail may hold someone past their release time for ICE in only three situations:

• a current charge or old conviction for something on the Directive's Appendix A, its roster of grave crimes
• any conviction for an indictable crime in the past five years
• a final order of removal, signed by a federal judge, on file with the jail

Under those exceptions, the extra time stops at 11:59 p.m. on the release date. On top of that, the jail owes the person a written note about the ICE request, worded so they can follow it, with copies of what ICE sent.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections takes over after a state prison sentence. Everyone starts at a reception center. Medical, mental health and substance use screenings come first, followed by a custody level, which runs from Close to Community. The department then picks a prison.

Look a person up with the search on the DOC's Offender Information page, and use our directory of New Jersey state prisons for each prison. The DOC's main office is on Whittlesey Road, P.O. Box 863, Trenton, NJ 08625, 609-292-4036.

How long? A first-degree crime can bring 10 to 20 years. Second degree means 5 to 10. Third degree is 3 to 5, and fourth degree goes as high as 18 months.

Teens are kept apart from adults. When someone under 18 has to be locked up, they are taken to the Morris County Juvenile Detention Center, 460 West Hanover Avenue, Morris Township, NJ 07960, 973-285-2959, through a shared services agreement between counties.

The Family Part of Superior Court hears the case. Call the Family Division at the Justice Center, 65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ 08822, 908-824-9750, and ask for extension 13330, the juvenile desk.

For a few very serious crimes, a teen who was at least 15 can be moved to adult court, but only after a Family Part hearing (N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-26.1). The public defender's office, 908-782-1082, can help with a lawyer. Parents may be billed for that defense.