Rutherford County Adult Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

Every adult booked by a Rutherford County agency goes to the Adult Detention Center on New Salem Highway in Murfreesboro. City officers bring their arrests there too, and the Sheriff's Office runs the housing and the release desk.

Search the name at Rutherford County Inmate Search. The record shows the booking, the charges, and the bond if one is set. A brand-new booking can take time to appear. For a question the search cannot answer, the Sheriff's Office at 615-898-7770 can direct you to the right desk.

Judicial Commissioners set bond for people brought to the jail, and the General Sessions judges and Circuit judges can change it later. Reach the Commissioners at 615-217-0054. Under Tennessee law each bond is decided for the individual person, so jail staff cannot release anyone on a pre-printed price list.

Ask for the Judicial Commissioner at 615-217-0054. If the bond is too high for your family, the next step is a request to the General Sessions Court judge, usually through a lawyer.

General Sessions Court at 119 West College Street handles misdemeanors and the first steps of felonies. Felonies then move to Circuit Criminal Court after the grand jury acts. The Circuit Court Clerk's office is at 116 West Lytle Street, Room 102, with Circuit Criminal at 615-898-7812 and General Sessions Criminal at 615-898-7831.

They look at how long the person has lived here, steady work, family ties, past court attendance, the charge, the likely sentence, and whether the person is a danger to anyone. Community members who vouch can help, but no person may vouch for more than two defendants at one time. Whether the person is lawfully present in the state also counts.

Yes, when the court finds a promise is enough. Tennessee law tells the court to consider release on the person's own signature or an unsecured bond first, then to choose the least demanding conditions that will bring the person back. Money bail comes only when lighter terms will not work.

A cash bond is the entire bond amount paid with no discount. The court holds it while the case is open. After the person is discharged and the case conditions are met, the clerk returns the deposit, but fines and court costs are taken first. A clerk may accept a debit card or payment app and may pass its fee to the payer.

A bondsman promises the court the full bond and charges the family a fee, about 10 percent for a Tennessee resident. On a $5,000 bond that fee would come to $500. For larger bonds the company often asks for collateral, and it must hand you a written receipt for every item.

State law allows a one-time $25 initiation fee and a $12 bail tax on top of the premium. Nonresidents may be charged 10 to 15 percent. Keep each receipt. The company cannot take the person back into custody without good cause.

Two approvals are needed. The Board of Professional Bondsmen issues the state license, and the court in the 16th Judicial District must approve the company to write bonds in this area. Ask to see the license card before you sign anything.

Yes. Tennessee allows real estate in the state as security, and it allows a written agreement by two sufficient sureties who are not bondsmen or lawyers. Property bonds take more paperwork. Ask the Circuit Court Clerk at 615-898-7812 for the court's forms before you collect deeds or tax records.

Some arrests carry a waiting period. For stalking, child abuse, abuse of an elderly or vulnerable adult, and certain domestic offenses, the person cannot leave within 12 hours of arrest unless an official finds no threat to the victim. The hold can stretch to 24 hours for aggravated assault with strangulation or a weapon.

Before release the court issues a written order. It can bar contact with the victim, bar weapons and alcohol, require a stay-away distance, and require GPS monitoring that the defendant pays for when able. A violation lets officers arrest the person again, and the bond can be revoked.

The Tennessee Constitution allows bail for every prisoner except those charged with capital offenses. For that reason a murder charge can mean no bond at all. Other serious charges carry bond, though the amount is often large and the conditions strict.

In many DUI cases the court may require an ignition interlock device, with proof of installation sent to the District Attorney within 10 days. A third or later alcohol DUI calls for transdermal alcohol monitoring, which the defendant pays for. A lawyer can tell you which rule fits the charge.

No. Commissary and phone deposits buy goods and calls only. The Visitation Lobby kiosk takes commissary deposits Tuesday through Sunday from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Warrants Lobby kiosk takes them on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nobody official asks for gift cards over the phone to free an inmate.

The arrested person must be taken before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. In a felony, the judge explains the charge and the right to counsel, and a preliminary hearing follows within 14 days for a jailed defendant or 30 days for a released one. A missed date can mean a forfeited bond and an arrest warrant.

The 16th Judicial District Public Defender serves Rutherford County and can be reached at 615-898-8020. Tell the judge at the first appearance that you want appointed counsel. A lawyer can argue for release on a promise or a lower bond.

Rutherford County Juvenile Detention Center is at 1710 South Church Street, Suite 4, Murfreesboro. The Juvenile Court Clerk, at 615-898-7972, gives court dates, and Youth Services, at 615-898-7850, reaches probation officers. Adult arrests by Smyrna officers may begin in that city's own holding cells before transfer to the county jail.

• County jail: Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, 940 New Salem Highway, Murfreesboro, TN 37129; 615-898-7770
• Bond guide: Jail bail and bond page
• Custody lookup: Rutherford County Inmate Search
• Judicial Commissioners: 615-217-0054
• Circuit Court Clerk: 116 West Lytle Street, Room 102, Murfreesboro, TN 37130; Circuit Criminal 615-898-7812
• General Sessions: 119 West College Street, Murfreesboro; Criminal Clerk 615-898-7831
• Public defender: 16th Judicial District; 615-898-8020
• Juvenile detention: 1710 South Church Street, Suite 4, Murfreesboro; Juvenile Court Clerk 615-898-7972

Bond amounts, fees, and hours can change with a court order. Court orders can change amounts, fees, and hours. Check your own case with the Judicial Commissioners or a clerk before you pay. For legal advice about one case, consult an attorney.