Hot Springs County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

The courts set bail and bond amounts. Sometimes the arrested person has to see a judge before they can be released. Wyoming law lists which judges can set bail (W.S. 7-10-104(a)). Most new cases begin in the Circuit Court of the 5th Judicial District, in the same building as the jail at 417 Arapahoe Street, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-5161.

Arrests without a warrant start a clock: a judge has 72 hours to confirm probable cause. That means a sound reason to think a crime happened. If that doesn't happen in time, the person is released (W.R.Cr.P. 5(a)). Felony bail set in Circuit Court carries over to District Court until a district judge changes it (W.S. 7-10-103).

After reading the person's written request (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(a)(1)), the judge chooses how they can leave:

• A signature bond. The person promises in writing to come to court. No money is paid.
• Release with conditions. Rules like no alcohol, a curfew or no contact with the victim.
• Cash bail. The full amount is paid and held by the court.
• Surety bond. A registered bondsperson guarantees the full amount for a fee.
• Other security. Wyoming law allows "cash, appearance bond or other security" (W.S. 7-10-103).

Breaking a condition can lead to a new arrest and higher bail.

For lower-level charges, Circuit Court follows the Uniform Bail and Forfeiture Schedule that the Wyoming Supreme Court set for the whole state. Court costs and fees are part of each amount:

• Category A charges: $85
• Category B charges: $100
• Category C charges: $150. Driving with no license and carrying an open container in a moving car are both here.
• Category D charges: $250. Careless driving is here.
• Category E charges: $450. Driving under suspension or revocation is here.
• Fishing without a license, age 14 and over: $250
• Skipping court when a charge requires you to show up: $250

Bigger charges aren't on the schedule, so a judge sets the bail. Examples are DUI, drug possession, theft, battery and domestic battery. For felonies, the judge weighs the charge, the person's past and how connected they are to the community.

The county gives three ways to pay bail:

• In person: cash, credit card or debit card.
• Online: through the bail payment link on the county's Detention Center page, using the county code A0055F.
• By phone: 888-604-7888, with the same county code.

Before paying, call the Detention Center at 307-864-3951. Get the bond amount, the case number and the court that set it. Ask where in-person bail is taken, what hours it's accepted and whether any fee is added for card payments. Deputies are on duty around the clock.

The Circuit Court is in the jail's building at 417 Arapahoe Street, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-5161. Call the clerk to ask if a bond can be paid there.

The District Court is next door in the county courthouse, 415 Arapahoe Street, Thermopolis, WY 82443. Its clerk is on the third floor, west side, turning right from the main staircase, 307-864-3323. The clerk handles felony cases and collects criminal fines, fees and restitution. Call before you pay anything there.

Thermopolis city court fines are handled by the town clerk at Town Hall, 420 Broadway, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-3838. The town takes credit cards for court fines.

A card works in person, online and by phone, so families who live far away can still post bail. Keep the county code, A0055F, handy for online and phone payments. Save the confirmation number and call the jail to make sure the payment went through.

The Wyoming courts payment website handles some traffic tickets. It's for tickets only, not bail.

The county says surety bonds must go through a registered bondsperson. A bondsperson promises the court the whole bail amount in case the person skips court. They charge a fee for this promise. State law lets the Wyoming Supreme Court write the rules that decide if a bondsperson can really cover the bail (W.S. 7-10-102). Any insurance company that backs a bond must hold a Wyoming license.

• Dropped charges don't bring the fee back. It's kept.
• A bondsperson may want collateral, like a title to a vehicle.
• Anyone who co-signs could be on the hook for the whole amount after a missed court date.

To see if a license is real, ask Consumer Affairs at the state Insurance Department, 106 E 6th Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7402.

Paying bail clears just one case. A person may stay in jail because of:

• Another charge, such as a Thermopolis city case.
• Another county's warrant somewhere in Wyoming. If a judge from there sets a bond over video, family gets one day, 24 hours, to post it in Thermopolis. After that the person may be driven to that county (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(g)).
• A probation or parole hold.
• A federal or immigration hold.

Call 307-864-3951 and ask about holds before you pay. Note that anyone out on bond can't use the jail's video visiting kiosks.

Hardly ever. Under the state constitution, every person can get bail except in capital cases when the proof is evident or the presumption great, and bail can't be excessive (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14; W.S. 7-10-101(b)). If a judge has safety concerns, the bail usually goes up or more rules are added.

At bail hearings, the County Attorney speaks for the state. You'll find that office at 415 Arapahoe, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-2004.

Use the written request from jail to show the person will return. Point out steady work, a place to live, family in town and a ride to court.

A lawyer may ask the judge in writing, called a motion, for a smaller amount or easier rules. Once District Court has a felony case, its judge can take a fresh look at bail (W.S. 7-10-103). The District Court clerk can be reached at 307-864-3323. People who live far away can email the clerk at least 24 hours ahead to ask for a remote hearing.

The State Public Defender represents people who can't pay a lawyer. Call its main office, the Rogers Building, 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519, and ask which lawyers cover Thermopolis. A judge decides who qualifies (W.S. 7-6-106):

• Below 125% of the federal poverty level: eligible.
• From 125% to 218%: the judge makes the call.
• Over 218%: usually not eligible.

Make the request at the first hearing.

• Circuit Court, 5th Judicial District: 417 Arapahoe Street, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-5161. Handles misdemeanors, bail and a case's first hearing.
• District Court, 5th Judicial District: 415 Arapahoe Street, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-3323. Hears felonies and cases involving youth.
• Thermopolis Municipal Court: clerk at Town Hall, 420 Broadway, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-3838.
• U.S. District Court: Ewing T. Kerr Federal Building, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

Cash bail is returned after the case ends, as long as the person went to all their court dates. Fines and costs may be paid out of it first. Make sure the court has your current address.

Ask the court that has the money when the check will go out. For the Circuit Court, dial 307-864-5161. For the District Court clerk, dial 307-864-3323. If bail is lost after a skipped court date, the money goes to the county's public schools (W.S. 7-10-105).

Three options are listed by the county:

• Online, through the deposit link on the Detention Center page.
• At the lobby kiosk in the Law Enforcement Center, with cash, debit or credit.
• By mail, with a U.S. money order, cashier's check, certified check or U.S. government check made out to "Hot Springs County Detention Center." Put the inmate's name in the memo line. Personal checks are refused.

Belongings taken at booking can be picked up Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the inmate's written permission. After someone is transferred, their things are held 30 days, then may be destroyed. See our deposit guide for more tips.

Federal cases from Thermopolis are filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. The Casper office is the closest: Ewing T. Kerr Federal Building, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

Release depends on a detention hearing at the start of the case. Short delays are allowed, up to five days at the defense's request or three at the government's, while the person stays held (18 U.S.C. 3142(f)). The judge also gets a report from U.S. Pretrial Services, 111 South Wolcott, Room 300, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2670. After sentencing, look for the person in the BOP inmate locator.

No, bail doesn't cancel an immigration detainer. The usual steps:

1. ICE sends the jail Form I-247A.
2. The person can be held up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Officers transfer the person to immigration custody.
4. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator by A-number or by name, along with country of birth.

This county falls under ICE's Casper check-in office, 150 E. B Street, Room 1014, Casper, WY 82601, 307-261-6590.

Misdemeanor sentences are served in the Thermopolis jail. Anyone given felony prison time is turned over to the Wyoming Department of Corrections, where staff assess the person and pick a prison.

Search the WDOC locator by name or inmate number, and see our Wyoming prisons section. Department headquarters: 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

Wyoming would rather release an arrested child to a parent, guardian or another trusted adult. Locking a child up is allowed only when it protects other people or keeps the child from fleeing. A parent must be called as soon as possible (W.S. 14-6-206). If held, the child gets a hearing within 48 hours, weekends and holidays excluded, and stays away from adult inmates (W.S. 14-6-207 and 14-6-209).

Juvenile cases are filed with the Clerk of District Court and kept confidential. To learn where a teen is being held, call the Sheriff's Office at 307-864-2622. Family Services has an office in town at 403 Big Horn, Thermopolis, WY 82443, 307-864-2158.