Iowa County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Iowa County bail and bond: the Dodgeville jail and how to pay a bond
People arrested in Iowa County are held at the Law Enforcement Center Jail, 109 East Leffler Street in Dodgeville, which the Sheriff's Office runs. Look up a person with Iowa County Inmate Search to see if he or she is in custody and what the bail is. Wisconsin does not allow paid bail bondsmen, so bail is paid by card on the jail's online site after a call to the bond line at 608-935-3314, extension 3. The answers below explain the Wisconsin rules.
Start here: is my family member held at the Dodgeville jail?
Enter the name in Iowa County Inmate Search. It shows the booking and the bail. The jail's front desk at 608-930-9500 answers anything the search leaves open.
If the search shows nothing, the booking may still be in progress, so try again later in the day.
What is the Law Enforcement Center Jail?
The Law Enforcement Center Jail is the county's jail, run by the Sheriff's Office at 109 East Leffler Street, Dodgeville, WI 53533. It is a newer building with 102 beds and six intake cells. The jail phone is 608-930-9500.
The Sheriff's Office also answers at 608-930-9506. Iowa County keeps its own prisoners and does not hand them to a state jail.
How do I pay bail for someone in Iowa County?
The county's instructions start with a call to the bond line, 608-935-3314, extension 3, to confirm the bail amount is still current. Then you go to the JailATM site, choose "pay a bond," and select Wisconsin and the facility name Iowa County Sheriff's Dept. You also enter the inmate's last name or ID and a credit card.
JailATM is a separate company, not the jail. Questions about the site go to the contacts on the county's jail page.
Can I just walk in with cash?
Online payment is by credit card through JailATM. For an in-person payment, call 608-930-9500 before you drive to Dodgeville and ask the desk how it takes bail.
State law lets an officer take bail only at a sheriff's office or police station and requires a receipt. Keep that receipt.
Why can't I use a bondsman in Wisconsin?
Paid bail bonding is outlawed here. Wis. Stat. 969.12 says a surety has to be a natural person who lives in the state, and that nobody may be paid for acting as a surety. That ends the idea of a ten percent fee to a company.
The money you send through JailATM or to the jail is the court's bail. If the case ends well, it can come back to the person who paid.
What does Wisconsin mean by bail, bond, and conditions?
Bail means money only. Conditions of release are the non-money rules, such as avoiding a witness or staying sober.
The judge can order any of these. Before money bail, the judge must find a reasonable basis to believe it is needed to bring the person back to court. For a violent charge, the judge may also weigh the danger to others and witnesses.
How soon will a judge hear the case?
A person arrested must be taken before a judge within a reasonable time. If there was no warrant, a judge must decide probable cause within 48 hours under case law. A video hearing is allowed.
For the date and courtroom, call the Clerk of Circuit Court at 608-935-0395. The clerk works at 222 North Iowa Street, Dodgeville.
Can the judge let my relative go on a promise to return?
Yes. In a misdemeanor, Wisconsin law lets the judge release a person with no bail, or with an unsecured appearance bond, which is a signed promise to pay only if the terms are broken. The judge may also require a cash deposit or a surety.
A felony case has the same range of options, plus the judge can set limits on travel, weapons, and contacts.
What if the bail looks too high?
Ask a lawyer to request a change. Bail on a misdemeanor cannot exceed the top fine for that offense. The judge may weigh the charge, the record, ability to pay, and the strength of the evidence.
A person still held 72 hours after the first appearance may ask the judge to review the conditions, and the judge must state reasons on the record if the conditions stay.
Are there cases with no bail?
Yes, but they are limited. Under Wis. Stat. 969.035 the district attorney must request it, and the case must be on the serious list or involve a violent charge with a prior violent conviction. A hearing is held within 10 days.
The state must prove its reasons by clear and convincing evidence, and any denial ends no later than 60 days after the hearing.
Can someone work or go to school from the Iowa County Jail?
People sentenced to the county jail can apply for Huber release. The county provides a Huber packet on its jail page. Huber allows a sentenced inmate to leave for work, school, treatment, or family care during set hours, and the court grants it. The jail also has a Jail Diversion Program, and 608-930-9500 can explain who may apply.
Huber is not a way out for a person waiting for trial.
What medicine and health items can be brought in?
The jail generally does not accept outside medications. If a medication is critical, the jail reviews it case by case and works with its medical provider to keep care going. A person who uses a CPAP machine can be accommodated. Call 608-930-9500 to explain a health need.
Giving the jail a clear list of needs early helps staff plan.
Who is the free lawyer for Iowa County?
The State Public Defender's Lancaster office serves Iowa, Richland, Crawford, and Grant counties. It is at 207 West Maple Street, Suite A, Lancaster, WI 53813, phone 608-401-2030.
Ask the judge for a lawyer at the first hearing if your family cannot pay.
What if the person is a teenager?
A juvenile case runs through the juvenile side of the circuit court, and the adult search may not show the child. Call the Clerk of Circuit Court at 608-935-0395 for the hearing date and the placement. The Sheriff's Office at 608-930-9506 can also help you find the right office.
Have the child's birth date ready.
What if a hearing is missed, and how is bail returned?
A missed hearing can mean forfeited bail, a warrant, and a separate bail jumping charge under Wis. Stat. 946.49.
If the case is dismissed or ends in acquittal, the money returns to the person who paid it. After a conviction, the court takes restitution out of the leftover deposit before it applies the judgment. The clerk at 608-935-0395 handles refund questions.
Iowa County bail contacts
- Jail
- Law Enforcement Center Jail, 109 East Leffler Street, Dodgeville, WI 53533; 608-930-9500
- Bond line
- 608-935-3314, extension 3
- Sheriff's Office
- 608-930-9506
- Custody lookup
- Iowa County Inmate Search
- Clerk of Circuit Court
- 222 North Iowa Street, Dodgeville, WI 53533; 608-935-0395
- Public defender
- State Public Defender, Lancaster, 207 West Maple Street, Suite A; 608-401-2030
- Juvenile court
- Clerk of Circuit Court, 608-935-0395
Payment steps, phone lines, and amounts may change, and a judge can order terms that differ from those described. Check with the jail or clerk before paying. Ask a lawyer for advice on a specific case.
Iowa County Jail
Address:
109 East Leffler Street
Dodgeville, WI 53533
Phone:
608-930-9500
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Iowa County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Iowa County?
Who can set bail in Iowa County?
When is bail set in Iowa County Wisconsin?
Does Iowa County have bail?
Yes, Iowa County imposes bail and conditions however Wisconsin is one of a few states that does not allow posting bail for profit, meaning that a court or bondsman cannot charge a percentage of the bond as in other states. There are no licensed bond agencies in Wisconsin.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Iowa County?
The Iowa County courts recognize cash bail or10% cash percentage bonds. In some cases, a property bond will be considered.
Who can set bail in Iowa County?
Bail is set by a judge in Iowa County however if the crime is a misdemeanor and a judge not available for an immediate bail hearing, a law enforcement officer can set bail using a bail schedule.
When is bail set in Iowa County Wisconsin?
Bail is set at the first appearance, within 1-2 days following arrest; however, misdemeanor bail is generally processed and released immediately in most cases.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Iowa 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 Iowa County 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 Iowa 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. In April of 2023, Wisconsin legislators voted on a bill that makes release on bail for certain offenses more difficult.
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 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.
Wisconsin courts are trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
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 Iowa County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge 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, clerk of court, bail 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 could 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 a family member or friend. 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 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 Iowa County have bail?
Yes, Iowa County imposes bail and conditions however Wisconsin is one of a few states that does not allow posting bail for profit, meaning that a court or bondsman cannot charge a percentage of the bond as in other states. There are no licensed bond agencies in Wisconsin.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Iowa County?
The Iowa County courts recognize cash bail or10% cash percentage bonds. In some cases, a property bond will be considered.
Who can set bail in Iowa County?
Bail is set by a judge in Iowa County however if the crime is a misdemeanor and a judge not available for an immediate bail hearing, a law enforcement officer can set bail using a bail schedule.
When is bail set in Wisconsin?
Bail is set at the first appearance, within 1-2 days following arrest; however, misdemeanor bail is generally processed and released immediately in most cases.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Iowa County Wisconsin?
Yes, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Iowa County Wisconsin, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail could be the defendant, 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 Wisconsin could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Iowa County Wisconsin?
Yes, Wisconsin does offer online bail payment. For misdemeanor cases, a law enforcement officer can accept bail and the clerk of court can process all bail/bonds. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Iowa County Jail for more information about the jails in Iowa County.
What options are there to pay bail in Iowa County Wisconsin?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Wisconsin accepts credit card payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Iowa County Jail for more information about posting bail in Iowa County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Wisconsin?
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.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Iowa 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin does not permit persons to secure a bond for profit so neither a bondsperson nor a court can charge a fee for executing a bond.