Rensselaer County Correctional Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds
Rensselaer County bail and bond: the Troy jail, the courts and what to pay
Adults who are held after an arrest in Rensselaer County go to the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility at 4000 Main Street in Troy. Look up your relative on Rensselaer County Inmate Search to learn whether they are in custody and what the judge ordered for bail. The main line is 518-266-1900. Troy City Court and Rensselaer County Court handle most first appearances.
Where does Rensselaer County keep people who cannot make bail?
At the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, 4000 Main Street, Troy, NY 12180. The Sheriff's Department operates it. Search the name on Rensselaer County Inmate Search to see whether the person is booked and what bail the court set; the main line is 518-266-1900.
The jail houses county prisoners awaiting court and, under an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service, federal detainees.
My brother was arrested in Troy. Which court sees him first?
Troy City Court, 51 State Street, Troy, NY 12180, handles misdemeanors and arraigns people charged with felonies. Its Criminal/Traffic Part is on the second floor, and the court is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Call 518-453-5900.
Arrests in towns outside Troy begin in the town or village court nearest the arrest. A felony then moves to Rensselaer County Court.
Where is Rensselaer County Court?
At 80 Second Street, Troy, NY 12180. The clerk's office answers at 518-285-5025 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, except state holidays. Call there for the next date and courtroom on a felony or an indictment.
Does a federal hold stop my family from paying bail?
It can. Because the facility takes U.S. Marshals detainees, a person may be held on a federal matter even after a county judge sets bail or orders release. County bail does not erase a federal order.
Ask the jail at 518-266-1900 whether any other agency has placed a hold, before paying anyone.
What is the county's Pretrial Services Program?
It operates through the Probation Department at 547 River Street, 2nd Floor, Troy, NY 12180, phone 518-266-7100. Ask your lawyer whether the program can be part of a release plan.
A TASC program also runs inside the jail, offering services to people held there.
How does a judge pick the amount?
There is no price list. After hearing both lawyers, the judge decides whether the person is likely to flee prosecution and what level of control will secure his return. If bail is allowed, the family's means count, and the judge must weigh whether the family can pay without undue hardship.
Arraignment usually comes within about 24 hours of the arrest. The decision may be release on recognizance, release with conditions, bail, or bail plus conditions.
What will a bondsman charge on a $20,000 bond?
No more than $1,460: $300 on the first $3,000, $560 on the next $7,000, and $600 on the last $10,000. The state caps this under Insurance Law 6804.
An agent needs a state license. Send overcharge reports to the Department of Financial Services, 800-342-3736. The agent also cannot require you to use a particular lawyer.
Can a bondsman take my house as security?
The agent may ask for collateral and may take security such as a house. The state says collateral should be reasonable, with 10% of the bond given as an example. If the defendant forfeits the bond, the agent may keep it.
After the court ends the bond, the collateral must be returned within 45 days. Get the terms in writing, including when the agent can surrender the defendant.
What charges let a judge refuse release?
A judge can hold a felony defendant in the Sheriff's custody, called remand, only when the charge falls on the list in CPL 510.10(4). The list includes violent felonies, class A felonies, sex offenses, crimes that caused a death, and felonies committed while on probation.
A city, town or village court cannot order release or bail for a class A felony or for someone with two prior felony convictions. On any felony, the prosecutor must be heard first.
Can he just get a ticket and a court date?
For most arrests the officer must issue an appearance ticket and not hold the person. Class A to D felonies, open warrants, a recent missed date, family-offense and sex-offense charges, and a person who will not give a verifiable identity are among the exceptions.
The court date on the ticket is normally within 20 days. Skipping it invites a warrant.
Is there a charity that pays bail?
State law lets registered charitable bail organizations put up $2,000 or less for people charged with misdemeanors who cannot afford it, with no premium. Each works in only one county. Your lawyer or the Pretrial Services office can say whether one operates in Rensselaer County.
Who is my lawyer if I cannot pay?
Say so at arraignment, and the judge will appoint counsel. You have the right to a lawyer when the judge considers release, when a request is prepared and when the order is reviewed. The County Court clerk at 518-285-5025 can give you the date of the next appearance.
Where do teens under 18 go?
Serious cases for 16- and 17-year-olds start in the Youth Part of County Court. These young people may not be kept in an adult jail. Rensselaer County sends detained youth to the Capital District Juvenile Secure Detention Facility in Colonie, which also serves Albany, Schenectady and Saratoga counties.
The family should expect a parent to be notified quickly after the arrest. For hearing times, call the County Court at 518-285-5025.
What if he fails to appear after bail is posted?
The bail is forfeited. If the defendant appears before the court's final adjournment with a satisfactory excuse, the judge may lift it. Otherwise the District Attorney has 120 days to proceed against the bond signers.
Anyone may ask the court that ordered the forfeiture to remit all or part of it within a year. Costs of enforcement must be paid first.
How do I recover cash bail?
When the case is over, the court refunds it to the payer. A convicted defendant forfeits 3%. Carry the receipt and a photo ID to the court office. Without the receipt, a notarized statement is required. A notarized affidavit lets you assign the refund to someone else.
How do I avoid paying a fake bail agent?
Check a bondsman's license with the Department of Financial Services before signing. Never pay by gift card or crypto. When in doubt, ring the jail at 518-266-1900.
Rensselaer County bail contacts
- Jail
- Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, 4000 Main Street, Troy, NY 12180; 518-266-1900
- Bond help
- Rensselaer County bail and bond instructions
- Custody lookup
- Rensselaer County Inmate Search
- County Court
- 80 Second Street, Troy, NY 12180; 518-285-5025
- Troy City Court
- 51 State Street, Troy, NY 12180; 518-453-5900
- Pretrial services
- 547 River Street, 2nd Floor, Troy, NY 12180; 518-266-7100
- Bondsman complaints
- Department of Financial Services, 800-342-3736
Judges can change release terms at any hearing, and each office named here sets its own hours. Confirm the details of your own case with your lawyer.
Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Rensselaer County
The Rensselaer County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Rensselaer County.
However if you don't want to use a bail bond agent:
- You can always pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Rensselaer County, or in some cases the state of New York, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Rensselaer County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in New York is between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15% or less. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1,500.00.
- Pay by cash, cashier's check, money order or credit card at the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility, or the courthouse in Rensselaer County where the offense took place.
Call 518-266-1730 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Rensselaer County inmate locator.
Rensselaer County Correctional Facility
Address:
4000 Main Street
Troy, NY 12180
Phone:
518-266-1730
Does Rensselaer County have bail?
When is bail set in Rensselaer County New York?
Does Rensselaer County have bail?
Yes, but the state of New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases always qualify for release on own recognizance. Tioga County recognizes most types of bonds.
When is bail set in Rensselaer County New York?
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
How Does Bail Work in Rensselaer County?
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County Correctional Facility 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, Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer 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 ban 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 Rensselaer County have bail?
New York only applies bail in violent or felony cases. Non-violent and most misdemeanor cases qualify for release on own recognizance.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Rensselaer County?
Rensselaer County recognizes most types of bonds.
Who can set bail in Rensselaer County?
Bail is set by officers during booking for misdemeanor offenses. A judge sets bail for felony arrests.
When is bail set in New York?
Bail for lesser offenses is set at the time of booking. If bail is required for felony cases, it will be set by a judge at the first court hearing. This hearing, also called an arraignment, generally takes place on the next available court date excluding weekends and holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Rensselaer County New York?
Yes, if bail has been assessed, your attorney may file a motion to have it reduced.
In Rensselaer County New York, 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 New York could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Rensselaer County New York?
Yes, New York does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Rensselaer County Correctional Facility for more information about the jails in Rensselaer County.
What options are there to pay bail in Rensselaer County New York?
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 Rensselaer County Correctional Facility for more information about posting bail in Rensselaer County.
Will I get all my bond money back in New York?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. 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 Rensselaer County?
Most non-violent crimes do not require bail. If bail is assessed cash, or a minimum down payment, will be required.
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 New York?
The Rensselaer County Correctional Facility 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.