Knox County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Knox County bail and bond: from the Upper Gilchrist Road jail to the Mount Vernon courts
A person arrested in Knox County is held at the Knox County Jail, 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, which the Knox County Sheriff's Office operates. The quickest way to see who is booked and what the bail is: Knox County Inmate Search. Call the Sheriff's Office at 740-397-3333 for anything the search does not answer. Misdemeanors are heard in Mount Vernon, and felonies go to the county courthouse downtown. The answers below show how to pay bail the right way.
How can I tell if my sister is in the Knox County Jail?
Put her name into Knox County Inmate Search. You will see whether she is booked, the charge and the amount. If a booking is still being processed, wait a bit and run the search again.
The Sheriff's Office takes calls at 740-397-3333 when the search leaves something out.
Where do I send mail or find the building?
The jail and Sheriff's Office are at 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050. Check the search first so you do not make a wasted trip.
Which court handles a misdemeanor in Mount Vernon?
The municipal court in Mount Vernon hears misdemeanor and traffic cases. Its bailiff is at 5 North Gay Street, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 740-393-9545. The bailiff can point you to the clerk for a specific case.
The Clerk of Courts line for the county is 740-393-6788. Felony cases are heard in the Knox County Court of Common Pleas at the courthouse, 111 E. High Street.
How quickly must a judge see him?
Ohio law sets the first bail hearing no later than the second court day after the arrest. If he is still held and has no lawyer, the court must hold another hearing two court days later and appoint a lawyer at state expense if he cannot afford one.
Can the jail release him on a schedule amount?
For a misdemeanor, the court keeps a bail schedule so that a person can be released before the first appearance. The schedule serves no other purpose, and the judge may change the amount or add conditions afterward. Ask the court at 740-393-9545 whether the charge has a schedule amount. Felony bail is set by a judge or magistrate.
What are my choices for posting bond?
The court names the amount, and the defendant picks how to meet it: sign an unsecured bond, deposit ten percent of the amount, or choose a surety bond, a bond backed by real estate or securities, or a full cash deposit.
The ten percent deposit comes back at 90 percent after the case ends and all conditions were met.
Does the court take credit cards?
Ohio requires every municipal and county court to adopt a rule allowing bail to be paid by credit card. Ask the clerk at 740-393-6788 or the bailiff at 740-393-9545 which cards and any added charge.
What is the catch with a bail agent?
The Ohio Department of Insurance licenses agents, and the agent must charge the approved premium rate and disclose expense fees. That fee is not returned. Agents cannot require title to your home, and they may not hand out cards or approach families at the jail or courthouse.
Could our farmland back a bond?
Real estate can secure a bond in Knox County courts. The owner swears to the details of the property, every lien, and other bonds backed. The court must find the owner financially able to cover at least the full bond. A lawyer cannot be the surety. Ask the clerk at 740-393-6788 how the paperwork is filed.
What does it mean when there is no bond?
Ohio allows no bail only for a capital offense, or for a felony where the proof is strong and the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm. The judge has to hold a hearing and find the facts by clear and convincing evidence. A hold from probation or another county has a different cause.
Who defends someone who cannot pay?
The Knox County Public Defender is at 110 East High Street, Mount Vernon, and the phone is 740-393-6734. It represents adults and juveniles who cannot afford a lawyer. You can also ask the judge for appointed counsel at the first hearing.
Where is a juvenile taken?
Juvenile arrests are confidential and do not appear on the adult search. Call the Clerk of Courts at 740-393-6788 and ask which juvenile court office schedules the hearing and where the youth is held.
What will the judge look at when setting the amount?
The statute lists the charge and any weapon, the strength of the evidence, family ties, work, money, character, mental condition, where he lives, his record, whether he showed up before and whether he has run before. Public safety and the seriousness of the offense also count under the Ohio Constitution.
Collect proof of a job, a stable address and relatives in Knox County, and give it to the public defender at 740-393-6734 or a private lawyer before the hearing.
Can a friend post the bond instead of a relative?
Yes, anyone willing to sign can post it. Money a friend posts cannot be applied to the defendant's fines or court costs without the friend's consent. A friend who backs a surety bond is released if the defendant is turned in before the court date. Make sure the friend understands that a missed hearing can cost the whole amount.
What if he misses a hearing?
The judge can issue a warrant and begin forfeiture of the bail. A surety who brings him in before the date, or who asks for a warrant so the Sheriff holds him, may be released from the bond. Call his lawyer immediately.
What conditions can come with release?
A judge may order no contact with a victim, travel or residence limits, treatment, monitoring or house arrest. The statute calls for the least restrictive conditions that still protect people and secure his return.
How do I get the deposit back, and avoid scams?
Ask the clerk at 740-393-6788 about refunds after the case ends. A refund comes from the court, never from a caller. Do not pay anyone who asks for gift cards or a payment app. Check Knox County Inmate Search and call 740-397-3333 yourself.
Knox County bail contacts
- Jail
- Knox County Jail, 11540 Upper Gilchrist Road, Mount Vernon, OH
- Sheriff's Office
- 740-397-3333
- Custody lookup
- Knox County Inmate Search
- Municipal court
- Bailiff, 5 North Gay Street, Mount Vernon, OH; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 740-393-9545
- Common Pleas
- Knox County Courthouse, 111 E. High Street, Mount Vernon, OH
- Clerk of Courts
- 740-393-6788
- Public Defender
- 110 East High Street, Mount Vernon, OH; 740-393-6734
- Bond help
- Knox County bail and bond pages
Hours, fees and phone numbers shift over time, and a judge may order terms that differ from this overview. Verify with the clerk or the Sheriff's Office before sending money. Nothing on this page is legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Knox County Jail
The Knox County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County Jail, or the courthouse in Knox County where the offense took place.
Call 740-392-5245 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Knox County inmate locator.
Knox County Jail
Address:
11540 Upper Gilchrist Road
Mt. Vernon, OH 43050
Phone:
740-392-5245
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Knox County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Knox County?
Who can set bail in Knox County?
When is bail set in Knox County Ohio?
Does Knox County have bail?
Yes, Knox County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Knox County?
Bail in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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, Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County have bail?
Yes, Knox County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Knox County?
Bail in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County Ohio?
Yes, Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County Jail for more information about posting bail in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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.