Cannon County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Cannon County

Tennessee • Cannon County • Bail & bond help

Cannon County bail and bond: the Woodbury jail, the courthouse clerk, and your options

People arrested in Cannon County are held at the Cannon County Jail, which shares a building with the Sheriff's Office at 110 Alexandria Drive, Woodbury. The Sheriff's Office non-emergency line is 615-563-1000. Court paperwork is handled across town at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in the basement of the courthouse at 200 West Main Street. Start with Cannon County Inmate Search to see whether your person is booked, what the charges are, and whether a bond has been set. Then use the answers below to decide how to pay and whom to call.

1. Is my family member inside the Cannon County Jail right now?

Open Cannon County Inmate Search first. It shows who is booked and the charges. A brand-new arrest can take a little while to appear, so check again later in the day. If the name still is not there, call the Sheriff's Office at 615-563-1000 and ask whether another county or agency picked the person up.

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2. Which phone number do I use for what?

For the jail and anything about a person in custody, call the Sheriff's Office at 615-563-1000. The county's general contact line is 615-563-2320. For court dates, court costs and bond paperwork, call the Circuit Court Clerk at 615-563-4461. Keep the full legal name and birth date handy so the staff can find the right file.

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3. Where is the courthouse, and when is the clerk's office open?

The Cannon County Courthouse is at 200 West Main Street, Woodbury. The Circuit Court Clerk's office is in the basement. It opens 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. Plan any in-person trip around that short Wednesday.

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4. When does Cannon County court meet?

General Sessions Court sits on the first four Tuesdays of each month, starting at 8:30 a.m. and running until the docket is done. Criminal Division of Circuit Court meets on the first Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. The General Sessions judge also hears juvenile cases. Call the clerk at 615-563-4461 to learn which date applies to your person.

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5. Who decides how much bond is required?

A judge or magistrate sets bail after reviewing the arrest. The jail staff can release someone only after a bail amount exists, and they cannot raise or lower it. If the amount is too high for your family, a lawyer can ask the court to review it. Only the court can decide that a charge carries no bail.

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6. What do Cannon County judges consider before they set the amount?

State law lists the length of time a person has lived here, work history, family ties, past court appearances, the seriousness of the charge, and any danger to others. Whether the person is lawfully in Tennessee counts as well. A responsible community member may vouch for the person, but no one may vouch for more than two defendants at one time. Bring proof of a job and a stable address to the first hearing.

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7. What is the bondsman's fee on a Cannon County bond?

Tennessee expects a licensed bondsman to charge a resident about 10 percent of the bond, and a nonresident 10 to 15 percent. The bondsman may also add a one-time $25 fee and a $12 tax. That charge is the price of the service. You do not get it back when the case ends. Ask for a receipt that spells out every dollar.

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8. How can I tell that a bondsman is allowed to work in Cannon County?

Two approvals are required. The state Board of Professional Bondsmen issues the license, and the court in the 16th Judicial District, which covers Cannon and Rutherford counties, must approve the bondsman to write bonds there. A bondsman who takes collateral beyond the fee must give you a written receipt that describes it and explains how to get it back.

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9. Can I pay the whole bond in cash instead?

Yes. A cash bond is the full amount of the bail, and nothing less. In Tennessee the clerk takes the cash deposit, and the clerk may accept a debit card or a payment app and pass the processing fee along to you. The Circuit Court Clerk is the office to ask, at 615-563-4461. For a payment outside clerk hours, call the Sheriff's Office at 615-563-1000 and ask how the jail handles it.

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10. Can land or a house secure the bond?

Tennessee real estate can be put up as security, and so can a written promise from two people who are neither professional bondsmen nor lawyers. These bonds take longer than cash. Call the clerk at 615-563-4461 before you collect deeds, because the court sets the paperwork it requires. Everyone who owns the property will need to sign.

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11. What happens at the first appearance?

State rules send an arrested person to a magistrate promptly, without unnecessary delay. The magistrate explains the charge, the right to a lawyer and the right to stay silent, and the general conditions of release. On a felony, the person enters no plea at that stage. Ask the clerk when the hearing will be held, because Cannon County General Sessions meets on set Tuesdays.

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12. The record says no bond. Does that mean no release?

Not always. Under today's constitution only capital offenses are shut out of bail. The entry can also mean a hold from another county, a probation violation, or a bond that has not been set.

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13. Why was a domestic-violence arrest not released right away?

For stalking, child abuse, elder abuse and some domestic offenses, the official must hold the person for 12 hours unless a finding shows no threat to the victim. In an aggravated assault where there was strangulation or a weapon, the hold can stretch to 24 hours. Release then comes with a no-contact order, and GPS monitoring can be part of it.

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14. Who is the public defender for Cannon County?

The 16th Judicial District Public Defender serves Cannon and Rutherford counties and answers at 615-898-8020. Ask the judge for appointed counsel at the first court date if the person cannot afford a lawyer. A lawyer can request release on a promise to appear, which the court must consider before it demands money.

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15. What if the person is under 18?

Juvenile cases go to the General Sessions judge, who also serves as juvenile judge. Call the clerk at 615-563-4461 for the hearing date, and ask the Sheriff's Office at 615-563-1000 where the young person is being kept. Juvenile files are private, so Cannon County Inmate Search may not show a minor at all.

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16. What if the person skips a Cannon County court date?

The court can declare the bond forfeited and issue an arrest warrant. A surety does not owe fines, costs or restitution unless the written bond says so and the surety consented. If a date has been missed, call the clerk at 615-563-4461 the same day and talk to a lawyer about getting a new date.

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17. Will I get my cash back?

Cash held by the clerk is returned when the case is finished and the person is discharged, after fines and court costs are subtracted. The clerk, not the jail, keeps that record. Save the receipt with the case number. A bondsman's fee is never returned.

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18. Is paying court costs online the same as paying bail?

No. The clerk's website offers online payment for court costs, and that tool does not release anyone from jail. Money put on a jail phone or commissary account is not bail either. If a stranger asks for gift cards or a wire to free someone, hang up and call 615-563-1000 yourself.

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Cannon County bond contacts

County jail
Cannon County Jail, 110 Alexandria Drive, Woodbury, TN 37190; 615-563-1000
Bond guide
Jail bail and bond page
Custody lookup
Cannon County Inmate Search
Sheriff's Office
110 Alexandria Drive, Woodbury; 615-563-1000; county contact line 615-563-2320
Circuit Court Clerk
Courthouse basement, 200 West Main Street, Woodbury; 615-563-4461
General Sessions
First four Tuesdays, 8:30 a.m.; clerk 615-563-4461
Public defender
16th Judicial District, 615-898-8020
Juvenile cases
General Sessions and juvenile judge; clerk 615-563-4461

Bond amounts, fees and office hours can change with a court order. Before you pay, check the numbers for your own case with the clerk or the Sheriff's Office. Reading this page does not make you a client of any lawyer.

Cannon County Jail

Address:
110 Alexander Drive
Woodbury, TN 37190

Phone:

615-563-5934

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Cannon County