Bledsoe County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

The Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, at 1045 Horsehead Road, is a state prison run by the Tennessee Department of Correction. It houses people who were convicted and sentenced to state time, and it has its own phone line apart from the county's.

For a person arrested in Bledsoe County, the Sheriff's Office is the first call, and it can tell you which facility holds him. Search the name in Bledsoe County Inmate Search, then phone 423-447-2197 if you cannot find it.

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Sheriff James Morris leads the department at 235 Allen P. Deakins Road, Pikeville, TN 37367. The department works with the Pikeville Police Department, which also takes arrests inside the city limits. Phone 423-447-2197 for the Sheriff's Office.

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A judge or a magistrate. Tennessee Code 40-11-105 gives a person arrested on a bailable charge the right to be admitted to bail, and the Attorney General has said the amount must come from an individual decision, not a posted schedule. Officers can take bail only after the amount has been set (40-11-106).

The Circuit Court Clerk, 423-447-6488, can tell you the next court date.

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To the court clerk. Under 40-11-118 a defendant with bail set may deposit the whole bail amount, and the clerk may accept a debit card or mobile payment app and pass on its processing fee. The Circuit Court Clerk answers at 423-447-6488, and the Clerk and Master at 423-447-2484.

Because clerks keep day hours, ask the Sheriff's Office how an after-hours payment is received. Keep every receipt.

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The consumer notice in 40-11-151 says the premium should be about 10 percent of the bond for a Tennessee resident, and 10 to 15 percent for a nonresident. A one-time $25 initiation fee and a $12 bail tax may be added. That is the whole price unless the bondsman holds collateral, in which case a written receipt must describe each item and how to get it back.

The premium is the cost of the service and is not refunded.

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Yes. The Board of Professional Bondsmen issues the license under 40-11-321, and each judicial district's courts also approve the bondsmen who work there. Bledsoe County is in the 12th Judicial District, along with Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Rhea and Sequatchie. If a bondsman cannot show both, do not pay. The Board can suspend or revoke a license under 40-11-125.

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Tennessee permits real estate in the state to secure a bond. Another allowed form is a written bond signed by at least two sufficient sureties who are not bondsmen or lawyers. Land takes longer than cash, because the court has to review the title. Bring the deed and photo ID to the Circuit Court Clerk, and ask first what else is required.

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Yes, and the law tells the judge to think about it first. Section 40-11-115(b) puts release on recognizance or an unsecured bond at the front of the line, weighing ties to the community, work and record. If that is not enough, the court uses the least onerous conditions (40-11-116). Money bail comes last (40-11-117).

The public defender for the 12th District answers at 423-942-3235.

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Ask for a hearing and bring proof. The judge considers how long the person has lived here, work history, finances, family ties, character, prior record, past court appearances, the charge and any danger shown by the record (40-11-118(b)). The court must hold bail to the lowest level that will protect the community and bring the person back.

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A capital offense cannot be bailed under Article I, section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution. Holds from other courts or agencies keep a person in custody even after bail is paid. Stalking and certain domestic arrests carry a 12-hour wait before release unless the official finds no threat to the victim (40-11-150); an aggravated assault with strangulation or a deadly weapon can mean up to 24 hours.

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The magistrate writes them into a release order sent to the jail. They commonly include no contact direct or indirect, staying away from the victim's home, no weapons, no alcohol or drugs, and GPS monitoring in serious cases. The defendant has the right to ask for a prompt hearing, and a violation can bring immediate arrest.

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Rule 5 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure requires a magistrate to see the arrested person without unnecessary delay. The magistrate explains the charge, the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent. In a felony, the preliminary hearing falls within 14 days if the person is held, or 30 days if released.

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The Pikeville Police Department, 25 Municipal Drive, 423-447-2919, takes arrests inside the city. Ask for the report number and the name of the facility. Then check Bledsoe County Inmate Search. The Sheriff's Office handles the rest of the county.

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Juveniles do not appear in the adult search. Call the Sheriff's Office at 423-447-2197 for the location of the child and the court contact. The Circuit Court Clerk at 423-447-6488 can direct you to the proper juvenile court office.

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No. Money on an inmate account pays for phone calls and store items and cannot be turned into bail. Bail goes only to the clerk, a bondsman, or a property bond. A caller who demands gift cards is running a scam.

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The court can declare it forfeited (40-11-139 and 40-11-201) and order his arrest. A bondsman may also turn him in under 40-11-132. A surety is not liable for fines, costs or restitution unless the bond says so with the surety's consent (40-11-118(c)). Call the clerk the same day.

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When the conditions are met and the defendant is discharged, the clerk returns the deposit (40-11-119). Fines and court costs are taken out first (40-11-121).

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