Stewart County bail and bond: Cedar Street in Dover and the court offices on Donelson Parkway
Stewart County keeps its own jail. The Stewart County Detention Center is at 314 Cedar Street in Dover, and the Sheriff's Department answers there at 931-232-4053. Put the person's name into Stewart County Inmate Search to see if they are booked and what bail has been set. Money for a release is never paid to a deputy on the road; it goes through the court clerk, a licensed bondsman or an approved property bond. The clerks work from a separate building at 225 Donelson Parkway.
She was arrested in Dover last night. How do I confirm she is at the Cedar Street jail?
Search her name in Stewart County Inmate Search. You will see whether she is in custody, the charge and the bail. If the booking is only a few hours old, the record may not be up yet.
The Sheriff's Department at 314 Cedar Street can be reached at 931-232-4053. Sheriff Charles Gray's office runs the jail, so questions about a booking go to that line.
Who picks the bail amount in Stewart County?
The judge or magistrate does, case by case. Tennessee Code 40-11-105 gives an arrested person the right to be admitted to bail on a bailable charge, and the Attorney General has read the law to require an individual decision, not a fixed price list. Under 40-11-106, a sheriff or officer can accept bail only after it is set.
The General Sessions judge can be reached at 931-232-5376.
Where does the money go for a cash bond?
To the court clerk. Section 40-11-118 lets a defendant with bail set deposit the whole figure with the clerk, and the clerk may take a debit card or mobile app and pass on its fee. General Sessions cases are handled by the clerk at 931-232-8474, and Circuit Court cases by the Circuit Court Clerk at 931-232-7042. Both are on the second floor at 225 Donelson Parkway.
Cash comes back at the end of the case, less any fines and costs, so it costs less than a bondsman's fee.
What if we cannot find the whole amount?
Then a professional bondsman is the usual choice. Under 40-11-151, a Tennessee resident should expect to pay about 10 percent of the bond as the premium, plus a $25 one-time initiation fee and a $12 bail tax. A nonresident's premium can run 10 to 15 percent. Demand a receipt that lists each charge.
A bondsman may not surrender the defendant arbitrarily. Good cause can include a failure to keep the promises in the contract, so read the contract first.
How can we tell if a bondsman is approved for the 23rd District?
Stewart County is in the 23rd Judicial District, along with Cheatham, Dickson, Houston and Humphreys counties. A bondsman needs a license from the Board of Professional Bondsmen (40-11-321) and approval from each judicial district's courts. Ask to see both, and ask the Circuit Court Clerk at 931-232-7042 whether the company is approved to write bonds in the district.
Can I use my land to secure the bond?
Tennessee permits real estate in the state to secure a bond, and a written bond signed by at least two sufficient sureties who are not bondsmen or attorneys is another route. Both take longer than cash because the court reviews the papers.
Start with the Circuit Court Clerk at 931-232-7042. Bring the deed, a tax bill and photo ID for each owner.
What does the judge look at before setting bail?
The factors in 40-11-118(b) are the person's length of residence, work history and finances, family ties, character and mental condition, past record and appearances in court, the offense, and any danger the record shows. A responsible person in the community may speak up for the defendant, but may not do so for more than two defendants at a time.
The judge must keep the bail at the lowest level that will reasonably protect the community and make the defendant return.
Can he be released with no money at all?
In many cases, yes. A court begins with release on the person's own recognizance or an unsecured bond (40-11-115(b)), looking at community ties, work and record. If that is not enough, it moves to the least onerous conditions that will assure the person comes back (40-11-116). Money is the last resort under 40-11-117.
Put the request to the judge at the first appearance, and bring proof of a job and a home address.
Why does the roster show no bond?
One reason is a capital charge, which Article I, section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution leaves unbailable. Another is a hold from a different court or agency. A third is the waiting period after an arrest for domestic abuse or stalking: the official may not release the person within 12 hours unless there is no threat to the victim, and in an aggravated assault with strangulation or a weapon the hold can go to 24 hours.
The Sheriff's Department at 931-232-4053 can say which one applies.
The arrest involved a protective order. Is that handled differently?
Yes. Section 40-11-150 covers stalking, child and elder abuse, domestic offenses and protection-order violations. The magistrate reviews the threat to the victim, then sets written conditions such as no direct or indirect contact, staying away from the victim's home, no weapons and no alcohol. A copy goes to the jail, and the defendant gets one at release.
A violation lets officers arrest the person again and the bail can be revoked.
Who is the lawyer if the family cannot hire one?
The judge appoints one if the person cannot pay. The public defender for the 23rd Judicial District can be reached at 615-792-1308. At the first appearance the magistrate explains the charge, the right to counsel and the right to remain silent (Tenn. R. Crim. P. 5). For a felony, a preliminary hearing follows within 14 days for someone in jail and within 30 days for someone out on bond.
Where is a teenager held, and who handles juvenile matters?
Stewart County Juvenile Court has a Youth Service Officer at 112 Natcor Drive in Dover, 931-232-6322. Call that office to learn whether a child is in custody, which facility holds the child, and when the court will hear the case. Juvenile records are private, so the adult search will not show a minor.
Do the clerks sit in the same building as the jail?
No. The Circuit Court Clerk and the General Sessions clerk are on the second floor at 225 Donelson Parkway, with the Chancery Court Clerk and Master on the first floor at 931-232-5665. The jail is a short drive away on Cedar Street. Call the right clerk before you go so you walk to the correct counter.
My brother's account at the jail is empty. Can I pay his bail the same way?
No. Money for phone calls and commissary goes into an inmate account and is never applied to bail. Real bail goes through the clerk, a bondsman or a property bond. Be careful of a caller who says to pay at once by app or gift card.
What happens if he misses a court date?
The court can declare the bond forfeited (40-11-139 and 40-11-201) and order his arrest. A surety is not responsible for fines, costs or restitution unless the bond says so, and never without consent (40-11-118(c)). If a bondsman writes the bond, tell him right away so the surrender process under 40-11-132 can start.
How do I get a deposit back?
The clerk refunds the deposit once the bond conditions are met and the defendant is discharged (40-11-119). Fines and court costs come out first (40-11-121), so expect less than the full amount if costs were ordered. A bondsman's premium is not refundable.
Stewart County bail contacts
- Jail
- Stewart County Detention Center, 314 Cedar Street, Dover, TN 37058; 931-232-4053
- Custody lookup
- Stewart County Inmate Search
- Circuit Court Clerk
- 225 Donelson Parkway, 2nd floor, Dover, TN 37058; 931-232-7042
- General Sessions clerk
- 225 Donelson Parkway, 2nd floor; 931-232-8474
- Clerk and Master
- 225 Donelson Parkway, 1st floor; 931-232-5665
- General Sessions judge
- 931-232-5376
- Juvenile Court
- 112 Natcor Drive, Dover, TN 37058; 931-232-6322
- Public defender
- 23rd Judicial District, 615-792-1308
- Bond help
- Stewart County bail and bond instructions
Fees, hours and numbers change over time, and a judge may impose different terms. This is an overview, not legal advice.