Darke County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Darke County bail and bond: the County Home Road jail, the Broadway courts and the money steps
A person arrested in Darke County is held at the Darke County Correctional Facility, 5185 County Home Road, Greenville, run by the Sheriff's Office. Look him or her up on Darke County Inmate Search to see the booking, the charge and the bail amount. For questions about posting money, the jail division answers at 937-548-2020, extension 2. Misdemeanors go to Darke County Municipal Court on South Broadway and felonies to Common Pleas Court, and the answers below explain each step.
Is my husband in the Greenville jail right now?
Type his name into Darke County Inmate Search. The roster shows who is in custody, and a booking made in the last few hours may not be posted yet.
If the search comes up empty, phone the jail at 937-548-2020. Give his full name and date of birth, and ask whether he is being held on a charge or on a hold from another county.
Where exactly is the Darke County jail?
It sits at 5185 County Home Road, Greenville, OH 45331. That is the same address as the Sheriff's Office, which runs the Correctional Facility.
The jail division line is 937-548-2020, extension 2. The same number without the extension reaches the Sheriff's non-emergency desk.
Who do I ask about bond for someone in the jail?
Call the jail division at 937-548-2020, extension 2. The Sheriff's Office directs bond questions there, and the staff can say what the court set and what has to happen before release.
Misdemeanor bond questions can also go to the municipal court clerk at 937-547-7340. For a felony, the Common Pleas clerk at 937-547-7335 knows whether a judge has acted.
Which court takes a misdemeanor charge?
Darke County Municipal Court, 504 S. Broadway, Suite 7, Greenville, OH 45331, handles traffic cases, misdemeanors, ordinance violations, evictions and civil claims up to $15,000. Its phone is 937-547-7340.
And which court takes a felony?
The Darke County Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk of Courts is at 504 S. Broadway, Suite 10, Greenville, OH 45331, and answers at 937-547-7335.
A felony bond is set by a judge or magistrate. Nobody else, not the jail and not the clerk, has the power to lower it.
How quickly will he see a judge?
The first bail hearing must happen by the second court day after the arrest, and it can be combined with the first court appearance. If he is still held and has no lawyer, he gets a second hearing two court days later, with a lawyer appointed at state expense if he is poor.
Arrests late in the week stretch this out, because Saturday and Sunday do not count.
Does Ohio let me pay just part of the bond?
Yes, in one form. The court can accept a deposit of ten percent of the bond amount, and ninety percent of that deposit comes back once every condition has been met. The court may also accept an unsecured promise, a surety bond, a pledge of real estate or securities, or the full amount in cash.
Ask the court which of these it will take in the case, since the judge sets the type and amount.
Is there a standard amount for a misdemeanor?
Each Ohio court has to keep a misdemeanor schedule so that people can leave before the first appearance. The schedule exists for that one purpose and says nothing about guilt. Courts must review it by January 31 of every even-numbered year.
Ask the municipal court at 937-547-7340 whether the charge on the booking sheet falls under the schedule.
How should I pay, and what proof do I need?
Learn first which office will take the money. The jail division at 937-548-2020, extension 2 can say whether payment goes through the jail or the clerk. Every municipal and county court in Ohio must have a rule allowing bail by credit card, so ask about cards before bringing cash.
Take photo ID, the person's full name and the case number. Keep the receipt, and write the case number on it.
What does a bail bond agent do in Darke County?
The agent posts a surety bond for a fee. Agents are licensed by the Ohio Department of Insurance, and they must charge the approved rate and disclose any added expense fee. The fee is not refunded.
An agent cannot require a deed to your home as a condition of the bond, and cannot solicit people at the jail or the courthouse.
Can I use my farm or house for the bond?
Real estate can secure a bond under Ohio law. The owner swears out an affidavit that lists the property, the mortgages and liens, and the other bonds the owner has backed. The court must find the owner financially able to cover at least the whole bond. An attorney may not serve as a surety.
The Common Pleas clerk at 937-547-7335 can explain how the court handles the forms.
Why might the court refuse to set bail at all?
The Ohio Constitution permits denial for a capital offense with strong proof, or for a felony with strong proof when the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm to anyone or to the community.
Before denying bail, R.C. 2937.222 calls for a hearing. The judge must find each point by clear and convincing evidence, and the accused may call witnesses and have a lawyer.
Does Darke County pay for a lawyer?
The Darke County Public Defender, 507 S. Broadway, Greenville, OH 45331, defends adults and juveniles who cannot afford a lawyer. The office phone is 937-548-1157.
Tell the judge you cannot afford counsel at the first hearing, and the judge decides whether you qualify.
Where do teenagers go when they are held?
Darke County sends youth who must be detained to the West Central Juvenile Detention Center in Troy, Miami County. The county has a contract for beds there, and the center also serves Auglaize, Clinton, Mercer, Miami, Preble, Shelby and Van Wert counties. Its control desk answers at 937-440-3485.
A juvenile case is private and will not show on the adult search. The Common Pleas clerk can point you to the juvenile court office that sets the hearing.
What happens if a bonded person misses court?
The judge can issue a warrant and begin forfeiting the bond. A surety is freed from the bond by bringing the defendant into court or asking for a warrant before the date.
Money posted by someone else cannot go toward the defendant's fines or court costs unless that person agrees. The person who posts a bond for a friend should understand this first.
How do I stay safe from fake bail calls?
Courts and jails do not ask for gift cards, crypto or app payments. Check the booking on Darke County Inmate Search, then call 937-548-2020 yourself and ask who is authorized to take the money.
Darke County bail contacts
- Jail
- Darke County Correctional Facility, 5185 County Home Road, Greenville, OH 45331; 937-548-2020, extension 2
- Custody lookup
- Darke County Inmate Search
- Municipal Court
- 504 S. Broadway, Suite 7, Greenville, OH 45331; 937-547-7340
- Clerk of Courts
- 504 S. Broadway, Suite 10, Greenville, OH 45331; 937-547-7335
- Public defender
- 507 S. Broadway, Greenville, OH 45331; 937-548-1157
- Juvenile detention
- West Central Juvenile Detention Center, Troy; control desk 937-440-3485
- Bond help
- Darke County bail and bond pages
Darke County fees, hours and phone numbers can change, and a judge may order an amount that differs from any schedule. Call the jail division or the clerk before sending money. This page is not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Darke County Jail
The Darke County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Darke 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 Darke County, or in some cases the state of Ohio, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Darke County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Ohio 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 Darke County Jail, or the courthouse in Darke County where the offense took place.
Call 937-548-2020 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Darke County inmate locator.
Darke County Jail
Address:
5185 County Home Road
Greenville, OH 45331
Phone:
937-548-2020
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Darke County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Darke County?
Who can set bail in Darke County?
When is bail set in Darke County Ohio?
Does Darke County have bail?
Yes, Darke County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Darke County?
Bail in Darke County is available in several different types including personal bond (aka own recognizance), cash bond, 10% bond, surety bond, and property bond.
Who can set bail in Darke County?
A judge usually sets bond. In some counties the County Court has established a bail schedule, which outlines the bail for many non-violent or minor crimes. If a charge is not part of the bail schedule a hearing will be necessary.
When is bail set in Darke County Ohio?
Bail is set in Ohio the first time the accused is brought into court. Although this hearing is set as soon as possible based on court availability, it can take up to 3 days not including weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Darke 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 Darke 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 Darke 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, Darke 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 Darke 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 Darke County have bail?
Yes, Darke County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Darke County?
Bail in Darke County is available in several different types including personal bond (aka own recognizance), cash bond, 10% bond, surety bond, and property bond.
Who can set bail in Darke County?
A judge usually sets bond. In some counties the County Court has established a bail schedule, which outlines the bail for many non-violent or minor crimes. If a charge is not part of the bail schedule a hearing will be necessary.
When is bail set in Ohio?
Bail is set in Ohio the first time the accused is brought into court. Although this hearing is set as soon as possible based on court availability, it can take up to 3 days not including weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Darke County Ohio?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the judicial officer know. The accused can ask for bail reduction or a change in bail conditions.
In Darke County Ohio, 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 Ohio could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Darke County Ohio?
Yes, Darke County does offer online bail payment. In Ohio, bail payment is made to the Clerk of Court.
What options are there to pay bail in Darke County Ohio?
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 Darke County Jail for more information about posting bail in Darke County. An alternative would be to contact the Clerk of Court.
Will I get all my bond money back in Ohio?
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 Darke 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 Ohio?
The Darke 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.