Trousdale County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Trousdale County bail and bond: the Hartsville jail, the clerk's office, and your options
Adults arrested in Trousdale County are held at the Trousdale County Jail, 315 East Main Street, Hartsville. The jail answers at 615-374-2114. The Circuit Court Clerk, who also serves General Sessions, Juvenile and Criminal Court, works at 303 East Main Street, Suite 2, and answers at 615-374-3411. Look up your person with Trousdale County Inmate Search to see the booking and the bond. Then follow the steps below to decide how to pay.
Is my relative in the Trousdale County Jail?
Check Trousdale County Inmate Search first. It shows the booking, the charges and any bond. You can also check custody status by phone with the statewide VINE line, 888-868-4631. For anything the search cannot answer, call the jail at 615-374-2114.
Is the Trousdale Turner prison the same as the county jail?
No. The county jail is at 315 East Main Street and holds people arrested in the county. Trousdale Turner Correctional Center is a private prison for men sentenced under a state contract. A person arrested by Trousdale County deputies goes to the county jail first, and bond questions go to the county's clerk and Sheriff's Office, not to the prison.
Where do I find the court clerk, and when is the office open?
The Circuit Court Clerk is at 303 East Main Street, Suite 2, Hartsville. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 615-374-3411. The same clerk handles records for General Sessions, Juvenile, Circuit and Criminal Court, so one call covers every court.
What does the General Sessions judge do about bail?
The Court of General Sessions handles criminal matters and can set bail and hold preliminary hearings. The judge's office is at 615-374-2418. Hearings take place at the county Justice Center. Ask the clerk at 615-374-3411 for your person's next date, and for the courtroom if the date has moved.
Can the jail change the bond amount?
No. Jail staff release someone only after a judge or magistrate sets bail, and staff cannot raise or lower it. The decision must fit the person in front of the judge, not a chart. A lawyer can ask the General Sessions judge to review the amount or to release the person on a promise to appear.
What will the judge consider?
Time lived in the area, work history, finances, family ties, past court dates, the charge, the likely sentence, and risk to others. People who vouch for a defendant may do so for no more than two defendants at once. A person's lawful presence in Tennessee is also weighed. Written proof of job and address strengthens a request for a lower amount.
What does a Hartsville bondsman cost?
The state expects about 10 percent of the bond from a Tennessee resident, and 10 to 15 percent from a nonresident. The bondsman may also add a single $25 fee and a $12 tax. The bondsman keeps this money at the end of the case. Ask for a receipt that lists each charge and any collateral you hand over.
How can I make sure a bondsman is approved here?
The bondsman needs a state license from the Board of Professional Bondsmen, plus the approval of the court in the 15th Judicial District, which covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. The bondsman needs good cause to surrender your relative later. Call the clerk at 615-374-3411 if you need to ask which companies the court accepts.
Can the family pay the full bail in cash?
Yes. A cash bond is the full bail amount. The clerk takes the deposit and may accept a debit card or a payment app, with the fee passed along to you. After the person is discharged, the clerk returns the money less any fines and court costs. For a payment after clerk hours, ask the jail at 615-374-2114 what is possible.
Can I offer land instead?
Tennessee real estate can secure a bond, and so can a written agreement by two people who are not professional bondsmen or lawyers. The process takes more time than a cash payment. Call the clerk at 615-374-3411 for the court's forms, and expect all owners to sign.
How fast does the person see a judge?
A magistrate must see an arrested person without unnecessary delay. At that hearing the person learns the charge, the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent and the release conditions. On felony charges the person enters no plea at that stage. The judge's office at 615-374-2418 can tell you when sessions are held.
What does "no bond" mean?
It can reflect a hold from another court or county, a probation violation, a bond not yet set, or a capital offense. Today only capital offenses sit outside the right to bail.
Why was a domestic case not released quickly?
In stalking, child abuse, elder abuse and certain domestic cases, release must wait 12 hours unless the official finds no threat to the victim. If there was strangulation or a deadly weapon in an aggravated assault, the hold can last up to 24 hours. A no-contact order is required, and GPS monitoring can be added.
Can a DUI release carry conditions?
Yes. Many alcohol-related driving cases allow an ignition interlock order, with proof of installation sent to the district attorney within 10 days. A third or later alcohol offense can bring alcohol monitoring at the defendant's cost.
Which office provides a public defender in Trousdale County?
The 15th Judicial District Public Defender covers Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. Call 615-443-2771. If the person cannot pay for a lawyer, tell the judge so at the first appearance.
What if the arrested person is under 18?
Juvenile Court is a division of General Sessions. Juvenile files are private, so Trousdale County Inmate Search may not list a minor. Call the jail at 615-374-2114 to ask where the young person is held, and the clerk at 615-374-3411 for the hearing date.
What happens after a missed court date?
The court can forfeit the bond and order an arrest. A surety does not owe fines, costs or restitution unless the bond states it and the surety assented. Call the clerk that same day and ask a lawyer about setting a new date.
Does money on a jail account free anyone?
No. Commissary and phone money is not bail. Anyone demanding gift cards or a wire to free your relative is running a scam. Call the jail at 615-374-2114 yourself.
Trousdale County bond contacts
- County jail
- Trousdale County Jail, 315 East Main Street, Hartsville, TN 37074; 615-374-2114
- Bond guide
- Jail bail and bond page
- Custody lookup
- Trousdale County Inmate Search; statewide notification line 888-868-4631
- Circuit Court Clerk
- 303 East Main Street, Suite 2, Hartsville; 615-374-3411; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- General Sessions judge
- 615-374-2418
- Public defender
- 15th Judicial District, 615-443-2771
- Juvenile cases
- Clerk 615-374-3411; jail 615-374-2114
Bond amounts, fees and office hours can change with a court order. Check each figure with the clerk or the jail before you pay. The information here is general and carries no legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Trousdale County Jail
The Trousdale County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Trousdale 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 Trousdale County, or in some cases the state of Tennessee, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Trousdale County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Tennessee 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 Trousdale County Jail, or the courthouse in Trousdale County where the offense took place.
Call 615-374-2114 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Trousdale County inmate locator.
Trousdale County Jail
Address:
315 East Main Street
Hartsville, TN 37074
Phone:
615-374-2114
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Trousdale County
Does Trousdale County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Trousdale County?
Who can set bail in Trousdale County?
When is bail set in Trousdale County Tennessee?
Does Trousdale County have bail?
Yes, Trousdale County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Trousdale County?
Trousdale County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Trousdale County?
Bail is set by a magistrate or judge.
When is bail set in Trousdale County Tennessee?
Bail is set during the defendant’s first court hearing, also known as a bail hearing. This court appearance will be scheduled within 72 hrs. of arrest not counting weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Trousdale 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 Tennessee 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 Trousdale 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, Trousdale 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 Trousdale 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.
A Transfer Bond is transferable across state lines but generally a bond company will only assume the loan to adjoining states. In addition to the 10% fee, there is a transfer fee owed to the bonding company between $50-$100.
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 Trousdale County have bail?
Yes, Trousdale County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Trousdale County?
Trousdale County recognizes most types of bonds. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Trousdale County?
Bail is set by a magistrate or judge.
When is bail set in Tennessee?
Bail is set during the defendant’s first court hearing, also known as a bail hearing. This court appearance will be scheduled within 72 hrs. of arrest not counting weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Trousdale County Tennessee?
Yes, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Trousdale County Tennessee, 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 Tennessee could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Trousdale County Tennessee?
Yes, Tennessee does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Trousdale County Jail for more information about the jails in Trousdale County.
What options are there to pay bail in Trousdale County Tennessee?
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 Trousdale County Jail for more information about posting bail in Trousdale County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Tennessee?
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 Trousdale County?
No, unless released on own recognizance you will be required to pay some money down to secure bail.
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.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Tennessee?
The Trousdale 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.