Jefferson County bail: the jail on South Center Avenue and cash bonds on warrants
Jefferson County's Jefferson County Jail is a division of the Sheriff's Office at 411 South Center Avenue in the city of Jefferson, and it holds adults arrested anywhere in the county. Check Jefferson County Inmate Search to see whether a person is booked and what bail is set. The jail line is 920-674-7336. Wisconsin bans bail bondsmen, so a bail payment is cash paid to the court system, not a fee to a company.
Is the person in the Jefferson County Jail tonight?
Search the full name in Jefferson County Inmate Search. Once the booking is entered, the record carries the charge and the bail. A booking only minutes old may not appear yet, so look again later.
To reach the jail itself, dial 920-674-7336. The Sheriff's Office main line is 920-674-7310.
Which jail takes arrests from Fort Atkinson, Watertown, and Lake Mills?
The Jefferson County Jail at 411 South Center Avenue, Jefferson, WI 53549, is the county's jail for adults. City police make the arrest, and the booking leads to the county jail unless the person is released at the station.
The city of Watertown sits partly in Dodge County. The county where the offense took place decides which jail and which court handle the case, so ask the arresting officer for the report number.
I have a warrant. Can I pay a cash bond to clear it?
If the warrant is bondable, a cash bond satisfies it. Go to your local law enforcement agency or the county jail. Call the Sheriff's Office at 920-674-7310 to learn what type of warrant you have.
A body-only warrant cannot be cleared by money. The person must be seen by a judge on that case.
Can a bail bondsman post bond in Jefferson County?
No. Wisconsin makes it illegal to be paid as a surety, and the statute says a surety must be a person, not a company, who lives in the state. No licensed bonding agents exist here.
Online sellers who promise a Jefferson County agent cannot legally take a fee for bail. Send money only to the court system or jail.
How does the jail take bail payments?
Ask the jail desk at 920-674-7336 for the payment steps for that booking. Bring photo ID and the booking number, and get a numbered receipt.
Under Wis. Stat. 969.07 an officer may take bail only at a sheriff's office or police station and must give a receipt, then deposit the money with the clerk. A clerk can also take a card.
What is the difference between bail and release conditions?
Bail means money. Everything else, such as staying away from a person, a curfew, or no weapons, is a condition of release. A judge may order conditions with no bail.
The court can require money bail only after finding a reasonable basis to think it is needed to assure appearance, or in a violent-crime case after weighing the totality of the circumstances.
Does Jefferson County let people out without paying?
A judge can release a person on a signed promise to appear or on an unsecured appearance bond. The person owes money only if the terms are broken.
Officers also release most misdemeanor arrests without cash unless the person lacks identification, is dangerous, has no community ties, failed to appear before, or the case needs further investigation. Misdemeanor bail cannot top the maximum fine.
At what point does a judge name a Jefferson County bail?
Bail is set at the initial appearance. Wisconsin requires a hearing within a reasonable time, and a judge must make a probable cause finding within 48 hours of an arrest without a warrant.
The Clerk of Circuit Court at 920-674-7150 can tell you the date and room. Arrests on weekends often move to Monday.
Can a relative in Jefferson County sign as surety?
An unpaid adult who lives in Wisconsin. The judge may require a sworn statement that the signer can pay the bond and sets what proof is enough.
The statute has no set mortgage or lien routine, so ask the Clerk before offering a deed or a signature.
Can a judge say no bail at all?
In limited situations. A prosecutor can ask to hold a person accused of listed serious crimes, or of a violent crime with a past violent conviction. The hearing begins within 10 days.
The state must prove the grounds by clear and convincing evidence. If it does, bail can be denied for up to 60 days after the hearing.
Does a domestic abuse arrest delay a Jefferson County release?
State law requires an arrest in many cases, and the officer cannot let the person go until bail is posted or a judge appears. The person must sign release terms.
For 72 hours the person has to avoid the victim's home and any contact. On-purpose violations are punishable by up to $10,000, up to nine months in jail, or both.
How does Huber work for people serving a sentence?
The Huber division of the jail houses people with work release privileges who were sentenced through the Jefferson County courts. Three deputies track work schedules and help unemployed inmates look for jobs.
Applicants need a work letter on company letterhead giving hours, pay rate, days off, and payday, plus driver information. Huber is not a way around bail. Call 920-674-7336 with Huber questions.
When does Jefferson County return bail money?
Cash returns to the payer if the case is dismissed or ends in acquittal. After a conviction, restitution is paid first, then the judgment, and leftover funds are returned.
A forfeiture can follow a broken bond term, with notice by mail and judgment possible after 30 days.
What if the date in Jefferson passes without an appearance?
Bail jumping is charged as a Class A misdemeanor when the release was on a misdemeanor, and as a Class H felony when it was on a felony. A warrant and a forfeited bond are both possible.
Report a new address to the clerk in writing within 48 hours.
Who is the public defender?
The State Public Defender's Jefferson office is at 110 West Linden Drive, Unit C, 920-674-2800. Ask the judge at the first hearing for a public defender if you cannot pay a lawyer.
A person still held 72 hours after the first appearance may ask the judge to review the release terms.
Where do I call when a teenager is arrested?
Call Jefferson County Human Services Intake at 920-674-3105. Intake handles police referrals for children and is staffed around the clock at 1541 Annex Road, Jefferson.
Children are not in the adult search. Only twelve county-run secure juvenile detention centers exist statewide, so a youth could be sent out of the county.
Jefferson County bail contacts
- County jail
- Jefferson County Jail, 411 South Center Avenue, Jefferson, WI 53549; jail 920-674-7336
- Bond help
- Jefferson County bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Jefferson County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- 411 South Center Avenue, Jefferson; 920-674-7310
- Clerk of Circuit Court
- 311 South Center Avenue, Jefferson, WI 53549; 920-674-7150
- Public defender
- 110 West Linden Drive, Unit C, Jefferson, WI 53549; 920-674-2800
- Juvenile intake
- Human Services, 1541 Annex Road, Jefferson, WI 53549; 920-674-3105
Rules, fees, and phone numbers change from time to time, and a judge may set a bail you did not plan for. Check with the jail or the Clerk before paying. Treat this as a guide, not a legal opinion.