Seneca County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Seneca County bail and bond: the Romulus Law Enforcement Center
Seneca County keeps its jail inside the Law Enforcement Center at 6150 State Route 96 in Romulus, called the Seneca County Correctional Facility. The office phone is 315-220-3469. Find your person with Seneca County Inmate Search before you do anything else, then read how bail is paid. The jail takes cash and cards, and an online option adds a fee that is never refunded.
Is the jail in Waterloo or Romulus?
Romulus. The Law Enforcement Center, which houses the Sheriff's Office and the correctional facility, is at 6150 State Route 96, Romulus, NY 14541. Waterloo is the county seat, where the District Attorney, the Public Defender and Probation have their offices, so a case can involve two towns.
How do I see whether someone is in custody?
Search Seneca County Inmate Search. If the name is missing and you do not have a booking number, the booking office takes calls at 315-220-3469. The facility holds up to 120 people in a pod system.
What are the ways to post bail at Seneca?
The inmate can pay cash, a third person can pay cash for them, or the inmate or someone else can pay with a credit card. A mix of these works too. Ask the booking office for the amount and the booking number before you go.
How does the online payment work?
Go through GovPayNet or phone 877-392-2455. You need the defendant's name, date of birth, booking number, court and judge, and the cash bail amount. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover are accepted. An 8.5 percent fee is added and is not refunded, and GovPayNet also charges a service fee that is not refunded.
Who gets the money back after an online payment?
The defendant. Remote payments count as funds transferred to the defendant, so any refund from the court is paid to the defendant, not to the family member who used a card. Think about that before choosing the online route for a large amount.
What is a deposit kiosk, and does it free anyone?
A kiosk in the bail bond release lobby accepts deposits for the commissary account. That is spending money, not bail. Money orders for the account can also be mailed to the facility. Neither action changes the bail amount or brings release.
Who sets bail and when?
A judge, at arraignment, normally within about a day of arrest. There is no county price list. Under CPL 510.10 the judge must make an individual decision using the charge, the record, past court appearances and the person's money, and must state the reasons.
Which cases can still involve cash bail?
Only those on the CPL 510.10(4) list, such as violent felonies, charges tied to a death, strangulation of a household member and several sex offenses. For most other cases the judge must release the person, adding conditions only if needed. In a qualifying felony the judge may commit the defendant to the Sheriff's custody instead.
Can the judge accept something other than cash?
Yes. CPL 520.10 gives nine forms, among them an insurance company bond, partially secured and unsecured bonds, and card payment. The judge must give at least three choices, including an unsecured or partially secured surety bond. When only a dollar amount is stated, an unsecured bond can satisfy it.
What may a bondsman charge, and what protections exist?
No more than 10 percent on the first $3,000, 8 percent on the next $7,000, and 6 percent beyond $10,000. On a $20,000 bond that is a maximum of $1,460. The premium is returned within 14 days when the person never leaves jail. Collateral must come back within 45 days after the bond ends. The state helpline is 800-342-3736.
Where do I find the Seneca County Public Defender?
The Seneca County Public Defender, 1 DiPronio Drive, Waterloo, answers at 315-539-1991, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It represents defendants in the Town, Village and County Courts, and its application for assignment of counsel is on the county website. Ask the judge for a lawyer at arraignment.
When can family visit?
Visits take place on Saturdays and Sundays, divided by housing unit into one-hour blocks. Each person gets two one-hour contact visits a week. Show up in the main lobby at least 15 minutes early with a photo ID, because start times are strictly enforced. Up to two adults, or an adult with up to two children, may come at once.
Can I bring clothes or a book?
Generally not. Visitors may not hand items to inmates. The exception is personal items such as socks, underwear, eyeglasses and contact lenses during visiting hours on the first weekend after admission, which must be left with staff. Purses, coats, hats and keys go in lockers before entry.
Who handles Seneca County prosecutions and probation?
The District Attorney is at 44 West Williams Street, Waterloo, 315-539-1300. Probation, at 1 DiPronio Drive, answers at 315-539-1740 and also monitors non-violent adults aged 16 and over through community service.
What if a teenager is arrested?
Sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds charged with serious crimes appear in a Youth Part and cannot be held in a jail that also holds adults. Call the Public Defender at 315-539-1991 to learn which court has the case and where the young person is being kept.
What happens when a court date is missed?
The court records the failure, forfeits the bail and a warrant follows. If the person appears before the final adjournment with a satisfactory excuse, the judge can discharge the forfeiture. A request to get forfeited money back must come within one year.
How can I avoid the PayPal and Venmo bail scam?
Scammers have asked Seneca families to send bail through PayPal or Venmo. The sheriff's office does not collect bail that way. Use the GovPayNet page, or go to Romulus yourself, and check the details with the booking office at 315-220-3469.
Seneca County contacts
- Jail
- Seneca County Correctional Facility, 6150 State Route 96, Romulus, NY 14541; 315-220-3469
- Custody search
- Seneca County Inmate Search
- Remote bail
- GovPayNet, 877-392-2455
- Public Defender
- 1 DiPronio Drive, Waterloo; 315-539-1991
- District Attorney
- 44 West Williams Street, Waterloo; 315-539-1300
- Probation
- 1 DiPronio Drive, Waterloo; 315-539-1740
Hours, charges and rules are set by the agencies named here and can change. Phone the booking office or speak with a lawyer to verify them for your own case before sending any money. Treat this guide as a starting point rather than legal counsel.
Pay an Inmate's Bond Online
Seneca County Jail uses a service called allpaid (also known as GovPayNet) for paying an inmate's Bail Bond online for an inmate.
Register with them online or call them at 877-392-2455 for assistance.
To make a payment, you will need the following:
- Court of Jurisdiction
- Payment Amount
- The Pay Location Code (PLC #) if you can get it. Call 315-220-3210 to ask for this.
- Name of Arrestee/Defendant for whom payment is being made
- Arrestee/Defendant's Date of Birth
- Arrestee/Defendant's Booking Number
Seneca County Jail
Address:
6150 State Rte 96
Romulus, NY 14541
Phone:
315-220-3210
When is bail set in Seneca County New York?
Does Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca County?
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca 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, Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca County?
Seneca County recognizes most types of bonds.
Who can set bail in Seneca 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 Seneca County New York?
Yes, if bail has been assessed, your attorney may file a motion to have it reduced.
In Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca County Jail for more information about the jails in Seneca County.
What options are there to pay bail in Seneca 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 Seneca County Jail for more information about posting bail in Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay a Seneca County Jail inmate's bond online?
Yes, you can pay a Seneca County Jail inmate's bond online using a third-party service called 'allpaid'. The instructions are easy... From their website, look up Seneca County Jail or Seneca County, input the inmate's name, and then use your credit or debit card to deposit the bond amount. As soon as the payment is processed and the information is sent to the Seneca County Jail, the jail will begin the release process. You do not have to be present for all of this to take place. Learn more about how to bail or bond out an inmate in the Seneca County Jail, call allpaid directly at 877-392-2455, or call the jail at 315-220-3210.