Pembina County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Pembina County bail and bond: Cavalier correctional center, clerk, and release steps
Pembina County runs its own jail, the Pembina County Correctional Center, inside the Law Enforcement Center at 308 Courthouse Drive in Cavalier. Open Pembina County Inmate Search to see if the person is booked and what the bail is. The jail desk answers at 701-265-4122, around the clock because the dispatch center runs 24 hours.
Is my family member in the Cavalier jail?
Enter the name into Pembina County Inmate Search. The Pembina County Correctional Center is a Level II jail with room for 18 prisoners, and it sometimes houses people from other North Dakota county jails, so a booking from a neighboring county can appear here. For anything the search leaves out, call 701-265-4122.
Who runs the jail?
The Pembina County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Cory Mortensen, runs it from 308 Courthouse Drive, Cavalier, ND 58220. The mailing address is Suite 2 of the same address. After that, this page says "the Sheriff's Office".
Can I visit on a Sunday?
Yes. Visits take place every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays included, through a video booth. Contact visits are not allowed. Bring photo ID and check in first. Each person gets one session of up to 30 minutes per day, and storms or no-travel advisories pause visits.
Where do I post bail?
Payment is tied to the court order that created the bail. Booking paperwork goes from the jail to the clerk of district court, so the court file lives at the courthouse while the person sits in the jail. Call 701-265-4122 and ask whether to pay at the jail or the clerk's office.
Is putting money on a commissary account the same as bail?
No. Commissary money buys items for the person inside and does not buy release. The jail takes commissary money only in cash, with no checks, money orders or cards. Bail is a separate payment to the court.
Who is the clerk and where is the courthouse?
The clerk of district court is at 301 Dakota Street West, Suite 10, Cavalier, ND 58220, and answers at 701-265-4373. The clerk holds the case file, the bail order and the date of the next hearing.
How much will the judge set?
No fixed chart exists in North Dakota. Rule 63 has no dollar amounts. The judge looks at the charge, the proof, family ties, work, past cases and danger to others, then sets the amount at the first appearance.
How soon will a judge hear the case?
The officer takes the person before the nearest available magistrate without unnecessary delay, and the court tries to hold the hearing within 48 hours of arrest. At that hearing the judge must state the right to bail under Rule 46.
Which arrests can be held before the hearing?
A person arrested for a felony, on a warrant with a bond, on a missed-court warrant, or for domestic violence or a similar bodily-injury misdemeanor can stay in custody until a judge sees them. A hold is a delay and not a final no.
Is a bail bondsman worth it?
A licensed agent can post a surety bond for a fee the family does not get back. Agents are licensed under chapter 26.1-26.6 through the Insurance Department, 701-328-2440. Ask for a receipt and read what happens if the person misses court.
Can I use my farm or house?
Yes, if the owner describes the property and files a declaration that the assets cover the bond, and the judge approves the bond. Ask the clerk, 701-265-4373, what the Pembina County court needs.
Who defends a Pembina County defendant who cannot pay?
Raise it with the judge at the first appearance. The Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigent Defense appoints contract lawyers for criminal and juvenile cases, and its Jamestown office, 701-845-8632, has the contractor list.
What if the person is a teenager?
The juvenile court handles the case. The clerk at 701-265-4373 tells you the hearing date and where the young person is held. Juvenile records are private, so the adult search shows nothing.
What if the defendant misses court?
The court declares the bail forfeited, the clerk notifies the surety, and the surety has 90 days to pay or move to set it aside. Cash put up by a friend still belongs to the defendant and may go toward fines and costs.
Where do I call for emergency dispatch?
For emergencies dial 911. The dispatch center also answers a toll-free line, 800-472-2121, and the jail voicemail for inmate messages is 701-922-0538. Never wire money to anyone who calls about bail.
Pembina County bail contacts
- Jail
- Pembina County Correctional Center, 308 Courthouse Drive #2, Cavalier, ND 58220; 701-265-4122
- Bond guide
- Pembina County bail and bond help
- Custody lookup
- Pembina County Inmate Search
- Dispatch
- Toll-free 800-472-2121
- Clerk of court
- 301 Dakota Street West, Suite 10, Cavalier, ND 58220; 701-265-4373
- Inmate voicemail
- 701-922-0538
- Public defense
- Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigent Defense, 701-845-8632
- Bail agents
- North Dakota Insurance Department, 701-328-2440
Every case has its own order from the judge. Call before you pay anything, and talk to a lawyer for advice on your situation in Pembina County.
How do Bail Bonds work at Pembina County Jail
The Pembina County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Pembina 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 Pembina County, or in some cases the state of North Dakota, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Pembina County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in North Dakota 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 Pembina County Jail, or the courthouse in Pembina County where the offense took place.
Call 701-265-4122 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Pembina County inmate locator.
Pembina County Jail
Address:
308 Courthouse Drive
Cavalier, ND 58220
Phone:
701-265-4122
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Pembina County
Does Pembina County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Pembina County?
Who can set bail in Pembina County?
When is bail set in Pembina County North Dakota?
Does Pembina County have bail?
Yes, Pembina County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Pembina County?
Bail is available in many forms including a signature bond, cash bail, property bond or surety bond.
Who can set bail in Pembina County?
Any judge may set bail.
When is bail set in Pembina County North Dakota?
Bail will be set during your first appearance, known as a bail hearing. This usually takes place within 24 hours of arrest, except for weekends and holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Pembina 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 Pembina 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 Pembina 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, Pembina 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 Pembina 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 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 Pembina County have bail?
Yes, Pembina County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Pembina County?
Bail is available in many forms including a signature bond, cash bail, property bond or surety bond.
Who can set bail in North Dakota?
Any judge may set bail.
When is bail set in North Dakota?
Bail will be set during your first appearance, known as a bail hearing. This usually takes place within 24 hours of arrest, except for weekends and holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Pembina County North Dakota?
Yes, your attorney can also request a bond modification.
In Pembina County North Dakota, 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 North Dakota could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Pembina County North Dakota?
Yes, North Dakota does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Pembina County Jail for more information about the jails in Pembina County.
What options are there to pay bail in Pembina County North Dakota?
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 Pembina County Jail for more information about posting bail in Pembina County.
Will I get all my bond money back in North Dakota?
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 Pembina 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 North Dakota?
The Pembina 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.