Adams County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Adams County bail and bond: arrests, contract jails, and the Ritzville and Othello courts
The Adams County Jail in Ritzville is closed, so adults arrested in Adams County are held in jails in other counties under contract. Start with Adams County Inmate Search, then call the Sheriff's Office at 509-659-1122 to learn which jail has the person. Bail is set by an Adams County judge but paid under the rules of the jail that holds the person. This page explains how bail works in that setup.
Where is someone arrested in Adams County held?
Adams County contracts with other counties for jail beds. The Benton County Jail in Kennewick and the Franklin County Jail in Pasco have both housed Adams County prisoners. The Sheriff's Office, 210 West Broadway Avenue in Ritzville, knows the current location. Its office line is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What if the name is missing from the roster?
Use Adams County Inmate Search first. If the name is missing, the booking may sit with the holding jail instead. Call 509-659-1122 and ask for the facility name, the booking number and the court date. Then call that jail directly, because its visiting, money and release rules are its own.
How can bail be paid when the jail is in another county?
An Adams County judge sets the amount, but the money goes where the person is held. The Benton County Jail, for example, takes bail at the court with the case in business hours, and at its after-hours entrance in cash, exact amount, when the courts are closed. For any other jail, ask its front desk. Do not mail cash.
How soon does a judge see a person arrested here?
After a warrantless arrest, a judge must decide within 48 hours whether there was probable cause, and weekends and holidays count. The first appearance happens as soon as practical and no later than the close of the next court day. Because the jail may be far away, hearings can run by video, and the court treats a video hearing as held in open court.
Which Adams County court hears what?
Felonies go to Superior Court at 210 West Broadway, 509-659-3257, open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Misdemeanors are heard by Ritzville District Court, 509-659-1002, and by Othello District Court, 425 East Main Street, Suite 300, 509-488-3935. Ritzville's city cases go to the Ritzville court.
What if the arrest happened in Othello?
Othello city cases are heard by Othello Municipal Court, 500 East Main Street, 509-331-2743. The court sets the date, but the person is still held in a contract jail unless released. Ask the court for the hearing time and whether the person will appear by video.
What are the options besides paying money?
Judges in Washington begin with release on a written promise to appear. If that will not do, they add conditions like check-ins, no contact, or monitoring. Money bail is meant to be the least restrictive tool that works, and the judge has to weigh what the person can afford. Ask the lawyer to raise your job and housing at the hearing.
Can bail be denied?
Yes, in narrow cases. The state constitution allows it for capital offenses and for offenses that can bring life in prison after a hearing, and the Supreme Court has said every class A felony qualifies. The judge must find, by clear and convincing evidence, a propensity for violence that creates a substantial likelihood of danger, and that no conditions can protect people.
Why was there a hold after a domestic violence or DUI arrest?
The jail holds a person arrested for domestic violence until a judge sees them, which must be within one judicial day. A DUI arrest with a prior offense in the last ten years is held until a judge releases the person. During that window, a bond at a window will not free anyone.
Can a bail bond company help when the jail is far away?
A licensed agent has to be able to post at the jail that holds the person, so ask before you pay anything. Agents hold a Department of Licensing license, and agents who write surety bonds also hold an insurance producer license. Verify the license at 360-664-1809 and get the fee and collateral terms in writing.
Can land or a house back a bond?
Property bonds exist in Washington, and agents who write them must list the courts that approved their property bonds. For a case in Adams County, call the Superior Court clerk at 509-659-3257 to ask whether the court accepts your property and what papers it needs before you pledge anything.
Who is my lawyer if we cannot pay?
The judge must provide a lawyer at the first appearance for anyone who qualifies. Ask the court that has the case: Ritzville District Court at 509-659-1002 or Superior Court at 509-659-3257. Do not wait for a letter. Tell the judge at the first hearing that you need appointed counsel.
What details should I gather before calling Ritzville?
Gather the full legal name, birth date, arresting agency, arrest date and any case number. With those, the Sheriff's Office, the district court clerk and the holding jail can each find the file quickly. Write down who you spoke with and when, since three different offices may touch one case.
Can I visit or put money on the account?
Visits, mail and account deposits follow the rules of the jail that holds the person, not Adams County's. Ask that jail before you travel. Money put on a commissary account buys phone time and store items. It is never bail and will not release anyone.
What about someone under 18?
The Adams County Juvenile Court is at 425 East Main Street, Suite 100, Othello, 509-488-5646. Detained youth are housed under contract at Martin Hall in Medical Lake, 509-565-8118, or at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center in Kennewick, 509-783-2151. Call the juvenile court for the youth's location and the detention hearing time.
What if a hearing in Ritzville or Othello is missed?
The judge can issue a warrant and declare any bond forfeited. A surety must receive written notice of the unexplained failure to appear within 30 days of the court date, or the forfeiture is void. Phone the lawyer and the bond agent the same day.
Who handles bail refunds?
The court that took the bail refunds it, not the jail. Ritzville District Court handles bail refunds for district court cases, at 509-659-1002. Keep every receipt with the case number.
How do I avoid being cheated?
Real bail is paid to a court, a jail, or a licensed bail agent. A caller who wants gift cards, wire transfers or app payments is running a scam. Hang up and call the Sheriff's Office at 509-659-1122 to verify.
Adams County bail contacts
- Sheriff's Office
- 210 West Broadway Avenue, Ritzville, WA 99169; 509-659-1122; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Adams County Jail
- Adams County Jail, Ritzville; adults are held in contract jails in other counties
- Custody lookup
- Adams County Inmate Search
- Bail guide
- Adams County bail and bond pages
- Superior Court and clerk
- 210 West Broadway Avenue, Ritzville; 509-659-3257
- District Courts
- Ritzville 509-659-1002; Othello, 425 East Main Street, Suite 300, 509-488-3935
- Othello Municipal Court
- 500 East Main Street, Othello; 509-331-2743
- Juvenile
- Juvenile Court, 425 East Main Street, Suite 100, Othello; 509-488-5646
Contract-jail locations, hours and numbers can shift, and the judge sets each amount individually. Call the Sheriff's Office or the holding jail before you travel or hand over money. This page gives general help, not legal advice.
Adams County Jail
Address:
210 West Broadway
Ritzville, WA 99169
Phone:
509-659-3331
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Adams County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Adams County?
Who can set bail in Adams County?
When is bail set in Adams County Washington?
Does Adams County have bail?
Yes, Adams County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Adams County?
Bonds in Adams County are available in several forms including release on own recognizance, citation release, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Adams County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is set according to a bail schedule. For more serious offenses a judge will set the bond following a hearing.
When is bail set in Adams County Washington?
For minor, non-violent offenses when bail is set according to a bail schedule the defendant will be informed of bail during the booking process. For more serious offenses a bail hearing will be scheduled, usually on the next court date not including weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Adams 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.
Washington State's suggested bail schedule, though a judge has the authority to set bail above or below the suggested amounts:
If a judge in Washington 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 Adams 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, Adams 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 Adams 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.
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 Adams County have bail?
Yes, Adams County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Adams County?
Bonds in Adams County are available in several forms including release on own recognizance, citation release, cash bail, property bond, and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Adams County?
For minor, non-violent crimes bail is set according to a bail schedule. For more serious offenses a judge will set the bond following a hearing.
When is bail set in Washington?
For minor, non-violent offenses when bail is set according to a bail schedule the defendant will be informed of bail during the booking process. For more serious offenses a bail hearing will be scheduled, usually on the next court date not including weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Adams County Washington?
Yes, your attorney can file a motion to reduce or modify bail.
In Adams County Washington, 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 Washington could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Adams County Washington?
Yes, Washington does offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Adams County Jail for more information about the jails in Adams County.
What options are there to pay bail in Adams County Washington?
Cash, cashier’s check, credit card, debit card, surety or via the inmate’s jail account. Contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted and fees involved: Go to the Adams County Jail for more information about posting bail in Adams County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Washington?
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 Adams County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
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.
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 to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Washington?
The Adams 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 at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.