Search for him on Lafayette County Inmate Search. A very new booking may not appear for a while. If you still cannot find him, phone the Sheriff's Office at 608-776-4870 and ask whether he was booked here or is being held for another agency.

Have his legal name and date of birth in front of you when you call.

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The Sheriff's Office, 138 W. Catherine Street, runs the jail. The courthouse is at 626 Main Street, and its offices keep these hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Clerk of Circuit Court is on the third floor and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 608-776-4832.

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State law lets officers take bail at a sheriff's office or police station, and lets the clerk take it too. During clerk hours, call 608-776-4832. When the clerk is closed, call the Sheriff's Office at 608-776-4870. Ask what payment types the window takes and what a card costs.

Take photo ID, the case number, and the precise amount owed. Insist on a receipt.

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Yes. Lafayette County is one of the Wisconsin counties with a pretrial program, and the county's criminal justice coordinating committee has worked on pretrial risk screening. These programs run locally, and the court system tells defendants to ask their attorney about details.

A program can be offered as a way to be released on conditions instead of paying cash.

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No. A Wisconsin court ruling, State v. Wilcenski, says a judge cannot send every defendant into a pretrial program as a blanket rule. The choice has to fit the individual. If your relative was told to join a program, ask a lawyer whether the judge considered his or her own situation.

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No, because Wisconsin law bars paying anyone to act as surety (Wis. Stat. 969.12). A friend or relative can sign without pay if the judge accepts that person. Avoid a caller who asks for a fee to "get him out."

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A judge can release a person on a signed promise to appear, owing the stated amount only if the terms are broken. A judge can instead place the person in the custody of a responsible person or group, restrict travel or where the person stays, bar weapons, or require a return to jail at certain hours (Wis. Stat. 969.02 and 969.03).

These can be paired with cash bail or used by themselves.

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Yes, the law allows the first appearance to be held on the record by phone or live video, and a person may waive appearing in person. The date comes from the court, so ask the clerk at 608-776-4832. Release terms are usually decided at that hearing.

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Judges use the phrase when they decide whether release is safe. Under Wis. Stat. 969.001, serious harm covers physical pain, injury, illness, impairment, or death, including the emotional harm that goes with them. It also covers property damage over $2,500 and economic loss over $2,500.

The court weighs this when it sets conditions that protect the community.

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Only after a special hearing. The prosecutor must ask, then show the charge is on the short list in Wis. Stat. 969.035 and that no release terms can protect the community or stop witness intimidation. The person has the right to a lawyer, to confront witnesses, and to cross-examine. The standard of proof is clear and convincing evidence.

If the judge agrees, the hold lasts up to 60 days after the hearing.

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For any misdemeanor, bail may not be more than the maximum fine for that crime (Wis. Stat. 969.02(8)). Under the state's uniform misdemeanor schedule, someone arrested for a misdemeanor is released without cash unless the officer finds a reason such as no ID or past missed court dates.

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A required arrest in a domestic case means no release until bail is posted or a judge appears (Wis. Stat. 968.075). After release, he cannot contact the alleged victim or go to her home for 72 hours. Violating that rule is punishable by up to 9 months in jail and a fine up to $10,000.

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A lawyer can petition the court under Wis. Stat. 969.08 to lower bail or change conditions. If the person is still held 72 hours after the first appearance, he or she may ask the judge for a review, and the judge has to state reasons for keeping the same terms.

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After a conviction, the court subtracts bond costs, then pays restitution, then the judgment. If the charge is dropped or he is found not guilty, the money returns to the person who deposited it.

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The State Public Defender office at 1720 10th Street, Unit 106, Monroe, WI 53566 serves Lafayette and Green counties. Call 608-447-5170. Tell the judge at the first hearing that a lawyer cannot be afforded.

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Phone the juvenile clerk at 608-776-4811. That office can tell you the hearing date and the youth facility, if one is involved. Records about minors are private, so the adult search leaves a child out.

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The court can order the bond forfeited and notify the payer by mail. A released person must give the clerk a new address in writing within 48 hours (Wis. Stat. 969.10). Missing court can also be charged as bail jumping.

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Honest bail goes to the Sheriff's Office or the clerk. A request for gift cards or a wire is fraud. Call 608-776-4870 yourself to check.

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