Ferry County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Ferry County bail and bond: the Republic jail and a small-county court calendar
Ferry County runs its own jail in Republic, at 165 N. Jefferson, next door to the courthouse. The Ferry County Jail desk is staffed around the clock at 509-775-2906. The Sheriff's Office is at 175 N. Jefferson, 509-775-3132, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Start with Ferry County Inmate Search. Then read how a small-county court calendar changes the way release and bail work here.
Is my loved one in the Republic jail?
Use Ferry County Inmate Search, then call 509-775-2906 if the name does not appear. The jail also holds people for other agencies, including state Department of Corrections community custody violators and neighboring counties. A person held on another agency's hold may have no Ferry County bail at all, so ask the desk which agency owns the hold.
When can I visit?
Visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The jail desk at 509-775-2906 confirms the visit rules, so call before you drive.
District Court meets on Wednesdays. Do I wait until then?
No. Regular District Court days are Wednesdays, with criminal dockets starting at 9 a.m., but the arrest rules do not wait. A judge must find probable cause within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, and weekends count. The first appearance must happen as soon as practicable and no later than the close of business on the next court day.
What can the judge decide at the first appearance?
The judge may let the person go on a promise, set rules, set bail, or order the person held. The law starts from release. To move off that starting point the judge must find that the person will not come back or is likely to commit a violent crime or threaten a witness, and must pick the mildest rules that work. Before setting a bond the judge must look at the person's finances.
How do I post bail?
Phone the jail at 509-775-2906 with the full legal name and ask for the amount, the court, and the accepted ways to pay. District Court answers at 509-775-5225, ext. 2504 weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look over the county bail guide, and keep every receipt. The court, not the jail, holds the money during the case.
Do I need a bail bondsman in Ferry County?
You can pay bail yourself. The bondsman route costs a fee but needs less cash up front. Licensed agents, regulated by the Department of Licensing under chapter 18.185 RCW, guarantee the full amount to the court. Write down the fee, the collateral, and the missed-court terms before you sign. The state constitution protects the surety option.
Can land or a house secure the bond?
A property bond lets land or a house stand behind the promise. The judge must approve it, and property bond agents are licensed by the Department of Licensing. Call the County Clerk at 509-775-5225, ext. 2505 before collecting deeds.
How can we get the bail changed?
Only a judge can change it, and a lawyer is the usual way to ask. The judge considers the charge, past court dates, work, family, and residence. Failure to appear is the most common reason people are booked before trial in Ferry County, so proof of a plan to attend every date helps. Bring it to the hearing.
What should I have ready when I call the jail?
Write down the full legal name, the birth date, the arresting agency, and any booking or case number. Ask three things: what the charges are, whether a judge has set bail, and which court will hear the case. Write down the name of the person who answers. A short list makes the call easier for the staff and for you.
What if the jail says no bail?
A hold from another agency is the most common cause. Otherwise the charge itself may bar bail: capital crimes, or crimes carrying a possible life sentence once a judge, after a hearing, finds clear and convincing proof of a propensity for violence. All class A felonies are in that group. The District Court clerk can tell you which applies.
How are domestic violence and DUI arrests handled in Ferry County?
Assault bookings in Ferry County are often domestic violence cases. Police must arrest in many of them, a judge sees the person by the next judicial day, and the judge can order no contact. A DUI arrest with a prior offense in the past ten years keeps the person in custody until a judge acts.
Where are the Ferry County courts?
All sit at 350 E. Delaware Avenue, Republic. District Court is Suite 6, 509-775-5225, ext. 2504. The County Clerk is Suite 4, 509-775-5225, ext. 2505. Juvenile Court is Suite 10, 509-775-5225, ext. 1108. Republic does not have a separate municipal court; District Court handles those cases.
How do I get a public defender in Ferry County?
Anyone charged with a crime who wants a public defender should contact District Court at 509-775-5225, ext. 2504. A judge must provide a lawyer at the first appearance. For felonies, the County Clerk at 509-775-5225, ext. 2505 can point you to the right court office.
Where does Ferry County hold arrested teens?
Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Center, 201 S. Pine, Medical Lake, 509-565-8113. Visits are Saturday 10 to 11:30 a.m., Sunday 3 to 4:30 p.m., and Tuesday 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., for parents or guardians with photo ID. Ferry County Juvenile Court, 509-775-5225, ext. 1108, handles the case.
Can I appear by phone if I live far away?
District Court offers a call-in line for remote appearances. Contact the court office before the date, at 509-775-5225, ext. 2504, and ask whether the judge will allow a remote appearance. Do not assume permission. A missed date can bring an arrest warrant.
What happens to the bond if he misses court?
After an unexplained absence the court may declare the surety bond forfeited and enter judgment against the defendant and the surety. The surety gets thirty days' written notice or the whole forfeiture falls away. Contact the court the same day.
How do I recover cash bail?
After the case closes, the court sends cash bail back. The County Clerk, 509-775-5225, ext. 2505, explains the refund request. Account money for phone time or store items is a different thing and does not free anyone. A bond agent's fee is the agent's to keep.
Key contacts
- County jail
- Ferry County Jail, 165 N. Jefferson, Republic, WA 99166; 509-775-2906
- Bond guide
- Ferry County jail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Ferry County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- 175 N. Jefferson, Republic; 509-775-3132; weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- District Court
- 350 E. Delaware Avenue, Suite 6; 509-775-5225, ext. 2504
- County Clerk
- Suite 4; 509-775-5225, ext. 2505
- Juvenile Court
- Suite 10; 509-775-5225, ext. 1108
- Juvenile detention
- Martin Hall, Medical Lake; 509-565-8113
Court days, hours, and bail amounts can change. Call the jail or the court office before you pay. This page gives general information, not legal advice.
Ferry County Jail
Address:
165 North Jefferson
Republic, WA 99166
Phone:
509-775-2906
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Ferry County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ferry County?
Who can set bail in Ferry County?
When is bail set in Ferry County Washington?
Does Ferry County have bail?
Yes, Ferry County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ferry County?
Bonds in Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry 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, Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry County have bail?
Yes, Ferry County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ferry County?
Bonds in Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry County Washington?
Yes, your attorney can file a motion to reduce or modify bail.
In Ferry 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 Ferry County Washington?
Yes, Washington does offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Ferry County Jail for more information about the jails in Ferry County.
What options are there to pay bail in Ferry 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 Ferry County Jail for more information about posting bail in Ferry 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 Ferry 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 Ferry 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.