Washington County Detention Center

Run the name through Washington County Inmate Search. The result gives the booking time, the charges, and a bail figure when a judge has set one. A person booked in the last hour or two may not appear yet.

Questions the search cannot settle go to the jail at 423-753-1701. Ask for the booking desk and give the full name and date of birth.

The Washington County Detention Center is at 114 West Jackson Boulevard, Jonesborough, TN 37659. The Sheriff's Office operates it, and the department's main line is 423-788-1414.

The county seat is Jonesborough, so the jail, the courthouse, and the Justice Center sit within a short distance of each other.

Yes for county charges. Washington County's jail is in Jonesborough, even when the arrest happened in Johnson City. Johnson City police can be reached at 423-434-6160 for questions about the arrest itself.

Once you have the officer's name and report number, look up the booking on Washington County Inmate Search and call the jail at 423-753-1701 to confirm.

It can. The county jail has an agreement that lets the U.S. Marshals Service house federal detainees there. A person held on a federal charge or hold is released only through the federal system.

If the search shows a federal agency as the holding authority, call the jail at 423-753-1701 and ask which court has the case.

A judge or an authorized magistrate sets bail for each person. Washington County's General Sessions judges can be reached at 423-913-8406. The Tennessee Constitution says prisoners are bailable by sufficient sureties unless the offense is capital.

The jail may release someone on bail only after an authorized officer has set bail for that person. If the search shows no amount, call 423-753-1701 to ask whether bail has been set.

The court weighs how long the person has lived in the area, work history and finances, family ties, character, past court attendance, the offense and likely sentence, and any risk to others. Responsible community members who vouch for the person count, though no one may vouch for more than two defendants at a time.

Lawful presence in Tennessee is also a factor. A lawyer's job at the bail hearing is to put those facts in front of the judge.

Cash bail is the entire amount the court set. It is paid to the clerk of the court, or to an officer authorized to take bail, and the person is released once the paperwork clears. The clerk may take debit cards or mobile payment apps and pass the processing fee along.

Ask the jail at 423-753-1701 where bail is taken at the hour you plan to come and which forms of payment it accepts. The Sessions Court clerk answers at 423-753-1737.

A professional bondsman charges about 10 percent of the bail for Tennessee residents, plus $37. On a $7,500 bail the premium is about $750, and it does not come back.

Washington County is in the 1st Judicial District. A bondsman needs a license from the Tennessee Board of Professional Bondsmen and the approval of the courts in the district. By law a bondsman must give you a receipt for any collateral beyond the premium and cannot return a client to jail without good cause.

Yes. Real estate in Tennessee can secure a bond, and so can a written agreement signed by two sufficient sureties who are not bondsmen or attorneys. A surety is not responsible for fines, costs, or restitution unless the bond says so and the surety agrees.

The court must approve the papers before the jail will release anyone. Phone the Circuit Court Clerk at 423-753-1736 for the documents the court wants.

The court is required to think about that first. A written promise to appear, or an unsecured bond, comes ahead of money bail, and the judge must choose the lightest conditions that still make a court appearance likely.

Bring proof of a local address and a job to the hearing, and ask the lawyer to raise them.

The state's Rule 5 puts every arrested person before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. On a felony, the magistrate explains the charge, the right to a lawyer, and the right to silence, and takes no plea.

A preliminary hearing comes within 14 days if the person stays in jail and within 30 days if released. Sessions Court staff at 423-753-1737 give hearing dates.

Washington County Sessions Court and the Circuit Court sit in Jonesborough, and the courthouse line is 423-753-7048. The Sessions Court clerk answers at 423-753-1737, the Circuit Court Clerk at 423-753-1736, and the County Clerk at 423-753-1622.

Jonesborough also has a municipal court for town ordinance cases, reached at 423-753-1053. Ask which court holds your relative's case before you travel.

In stalking, abuse, and domestic violence arrests, the law requires 12 hours in custody before release unless the official finds no threat to the victim. If a domestic aggravated assault involved a deadly weapon, serious injury, or strangulation, the hold can reach 24 hours, with a no-contact order and GPS monitoring before bond.

Probation, parole, and out-of-county warrants also hold a person. The jail desk at 423-753-1701 can say which one applies.

Common orders include no contact with a named person, no weapons, no alcohol or drugs, regular check-ins, curfew, and GPS monitoring, which the defendant pays for when able. A drunk-driving case with a crash, a child passenger, or a suspended license calls for an ignition interlock unless the judge records why not.

Repeat drunk-driving cases can bring transdermal alcohol monitoring that the defendant pays for. Any violation can end the release.

Juvenile cases go to Washington County Juvenile Court, whose judge's office is at 423-434-6200, and the file is private. The adult search may show nothing.

A juvenile who must be held can be placed at the Upper East Tennessee Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 307 Wesley Street, Johnson City, TN 37601, 423-282-2118. Call the juvenile court first for the hearing date.

Tell the judge at the first appearance that you cannot afford a lawyer. The 1st Judicial District Public Defender, whose office also serves Carter, Johnson, and Unicoi counties, answers at 423-434-6845.

A public defender can argue for lower bail and ask for a faster hearing.

A missed hearing lets the court declare the bond forfeited and order the defendant's arrest. Cash on deposit can be lost, and a bondsman may surrender a client who skips court.

Phone the Circuit Court Clerk at 423-753-1736 or the Sessions Court clerk at 423-753-1737 the same day, and ask a lawyer to request relief from the forfeiture.

After the case ends and the person has met all court conditions, the clerk returns the deposit. Unpaid fines and court costs are subtracted first. A premium paid to a bondsman is never returned.

Keep the clerk's receipt and ask at 423-753-1736 how to request the refund.

The Sessions Court clerk, 423-753-1737, gives hearing dates for new arrests. The Circuit Court Clerk, 423-753-1736, handles property bond papers, cash refunds, and missed-court calls. The courthouse line is 423-753-7048. Ask which court holds your relative's case before you travel to Jonesborough.

Gift cards, crypto, and transfers to a private person are never how a Tennessee jail or clerk collects bail. A caller who insists on payment within minutes is not from the court.

Use the numbers on this page: the jail at 423-753-1701 and the Sheriff's Office at 423-788-1414.

• Jail: Washington County Detention Center, 114 West Jackson Boulevard, Jonesborough, TN 37659; 423-753-1701
• Custody lookup: Washington County Inmate Search
• Sheriff's Department: 423-788-1414
• Courthouse: 423-753-7048
• Sessions Court: 423-753-1737
• Circuit Court Clerk: 423-753-1736
• County Clerk: 423-753-1622
• Juvenile Court: 423-434-6200
• Public defender: 1st Judicial District, 423-434-6845
• Municipal court: Jonesborough, 423-753-1053
• Johnson City Police: 423-434-6160
• Bail help: Washington County jail bail instructions

Prices, hours, and phone numbers are updated by the offices that own them, so confirm with the jail or a clerk before you move money. A judge decides each bail amount, and this page is not legal advice.

You may be trying to locate a loved one in Washington County while also worrying about bail, an attorney, and the next hearing. The county seat is Jonesborough, but the exact courtroom depends on whether the charge is a city ordinance violation, a misdemeanor, or a felony. The answers below follow the path from custody and first hearings through possible trial and sentencing, including federal charges and where to find legal help.

Circuit Court Clerk — court filings and hearing information

Washington County Circuit Court Clerk — Listed office address: 108 West Jackson Boulevard Suite 1212, Jonesborough, TN 37659.

Circuit Court Clerk telephone: (423) 753-1736

Circuit clerks handle many criminal and civil filings. Chancery Courts usually address civil and equity matters, while General Sessions Courts handle many initial criminal hearings. Call the applicable clerk for the specific courtroom assignment.

Washington County: the county seat is Jonesborough. Tennessee General Sessions Court ordinarily handles initial criminal appearances, misdemeanor proceedings within its authority, and felony preliminary hearings. Felony jury trials are heard in the Circuit or Criminal Court serving Washington County. The Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for criminal filings and records in courts assigned to that clerk; some Tennessee counties have separate criminal clerks.

Courthouse and court clerk contacts

Chancery Court generally hears civil matters such as certain family, property, estate, and business disputes; a Chancery clerk is not a substitute for the criminal clerk. The exact court named on a summons controls where the hearing takes place.

After a custodial arrest in Washington County, the arresting agency arranges booking and detention. The person may be housed in a county facility or another authorized jail under an established custody arrangement.

Booking may include identification, fingerprints, a photograph, a property inventory, and a medical or mental-health screening. The defendant is then brought before the proper judicial officer for a probable-cause and release decision as required by law. A family member should write down the full legal name, booking number if known, charges, and scheduled hearing.

A judge or authorized magistrate decides whether someone charged in Washington County can go home before trial and under what conditions. Release on recognizance means there is no up-front bond payment; other orders may require a cash deposit, surety, supervision, travel restrictions, or no contact with another person. Commercial bonding is permitted in Tennessee, but a bondsman cannot decide the court’s bond amount.

If the order allows payment, first establish whether the court or jail collects the money, the exact amount, and whether another hold prevents release. A paid bond does not erase the charges and missing court can lead to forfeiture and arrest.

Many less serious cases in Jonesborough begin in General Sessions Court. A prosecutor can discuss a plea, dismissal or diversion; not every offense qualifies. A defendant does not receive a full jury trial in General Sessions Court, and a final misdemeanor decision there requires appropriate consent or waiver under Tennessee law. The case may instead proceed in a court with jury-trial authority.

Maximum misdemeanor punishments

• Class A misdemeanor: up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.
• Class B misdemeanor: up to 6 months and/or a fine up to $500.
• Class C misdemeanor: up to 30 days and/or a fine up to $50.

These are the usual class limits under Tenn. Code § 40-35-111, not promised outcomes. DUI, domestic assault and other offenses can add required fees, treatment, jail minimums, or enhanced penalties based on earlier convictions.

A felony complaint arising in Washington County may start before a General Sessions judge for the initial appearance and preliminary hearing. That hearing tests whether there is enough evidence to continue; it does not decide guilt. A grand jury may indict and the case then moves to the county’s Circuit or Criminal Court. Tennessee also provides other lawful charging routes and waivers in limited circumstances.

After formal charges, the defense can obtain discovery, seek hearings on contested evidence, negotiate a plea, or request trial. A serious felony trial typically uses a twelve-person jury. Felony cases can take substantially longer than minor citations, so hearing notices and attorney communications matter.

A homicide, robbery, rape, or aggravated-assault accusation in Washington County brings particularly serious release and sentencing questions. Judges examine the actual charge and lawful detention criteria; no family should assume that paying a bond automatically means release if there are warrants or other holds.

For example, Tennessee treats many intentional aggravated assaults involving serious bodily injury or a deadly weapon as Class C felonies, with a statutory class range of 3–15 years. Some forms are Class B or D, and the aggravated-assault statute separately caps the ordinary offense fine at $15,000. Murder and other offenses have special sentencing statutes beyond the ordinary felony chart. Defense counsel should review the exact subsection charged.

For a child under 18 accused of wrongdoing in Washington County, the juvenile-court process is different from an adult prosecution. Police or an intake officer may refer the complaint for informal services or ask the juvenile court to hear it. Detention is a separate decision and does not necessarily mean the child has been found delinquent.

A juvenile judge can consider supervision, treatment, community services, restitution, and placement when legally authorized. In especially serious cases, Tennessee law permits transfer proceedings to adult criminal court after a hearing and required findings. Families should ask promptly about appointed counsel, the detention hearing and any restrictions on release of a minor's records.

The punishment depends on the precise statute, offense date, prior record, and any mandatory or alternative-sentence rules. For crimes governed by ordinary Tennessee classification ranges, the overall imprisonment and usual maximum fines are:

• Class A: 15–60 years; ordinary fine ceiling $50,000.
• Class B: 8–30 years; ordinary fine ceiling $25,000.
• Class C: 3–15 years; ordinary fine ceiling $10,000.
• Class D: 2–12 years; ordinary fine ceiling $5,000.
• Class E: 1–6 years; ordinary fine ceiling $3,000.
• Class A misdemeanor: up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine up to $2,500, or both.
• Class B misdemeanor: up to 6 months and/or a fine up to $500.
• Class C misdemeanor: up to 30 days and/or a fine up to $50.

A court may impose probation, diversion, restitution, treatment or a suspended sentence when the law permits. Tennessee’s felony offender-range rules narrow the sentence within the broader class range; special laws and prior violent convictions can change release eligibility. County jail and state prison are not interchangeable labels for every sentence.

Someone facing a criminal case in Washington County who cannot afford a private defense attorney may ask the judge for appointed counsel. The court reviews an affidavit or other proof about income, assets and ability to pay. An appointment can be through a district public defender or a conflict lawyer when the public defender cannot handle the case.

At the first hearing, the defendant should clearly say they want a lawyer and cannot afford one. A family member can help gather pay information and court papers but cannot waive the defendant’s rights for them. Tennessee has elected district public defenders, and their service areas can cross county borders.

Police in Jonesborough or another town in Washington County may issue a city citation rather than a county criminal warrant. Some Tennessee municipal courts handle ordinance violations and limited traffic matters; their powers depend on the local charter and state law. Serious criminal charges do not become city-court felonies merely because city police made the arrest.

Check the court name actually printed on the summons. If a charge carries criminal jail exposure, ask a lawyer whether the municipal court has authority over it and whether the case is before a General Sessions or state criminal court instead.

Washington County belongs to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee — Northeastern Division. The division’s listed courthouse is in Greeneville: 220 West Depot Street, Greeneville, TN 37743. A federal criminal case might involve interstate fraud, offenses on federal property, federal drug trafficking, some firearms offenses, or violations of federal criminal statutes. A state offense does not automatically become federal because it is serious.

Federal defendants may appear before a U.S. magistrate judge for detention and preliminary proceedings; felony cases usually proceed through indictment or another permitted federal charging process, followed by arraignment and trial or plea. Federal prison sentences are administered by the Bureau of Prisons. People awaiting trial or transfer may be held in a contracted or local detention center rather than a prison operated by BOP. Families can search the official Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for eligible federal inmate records.

This Washington County guide offers general criminal-court information, not advice for a particular defendant. Law and court operations may change; a lawyer can explain the charge and next steps in the actual case.