Sheridan County Detention Center

Most of the time, a Circuit Court judge does. Setting bail is one of that court's main jobs, along with felony preliminary hearings. The Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial District is at 224 South Main Street, Suite B7, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2940. The same court also covers Johnson County.

Once a felony moves up, the District Court can change the bail. For city ticket cases, the city's municipal court sets the bond. Within four hours of being booked, the person must be told they can ask for release in writing. The jail has to give them paper and pen to do it (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(a)(1)).

A judge picks one of these, or a mix:

• Own recognizance. The person promises to come back. Nothing is paid.
• Conditions only. No money, but rules like no alcohol, no contact with someone, or staying in the area.
• Cash. The whole amount is paid before release.
• Surety. A licensed bail company backs the bond for a fee.

State law says bail may be "cash, appearance bond or other security" (W.S. 7-10-103).

For many small offenses, the amount is already set. All circuit courts in Wyoming follow the Supreme Court's Uniform Bail and Forfeiture Schedule. The latest version started September 22, 2026. Amounts on it range from $85 to $450 and already include court costs.

Anything not on that list, like DUI, assault, drug cases and every felony, gets an amount from the judge. To find out what a particular person owes, call the jail at 307-672-5623.

Only outside regular court hours. The Sheriff's Office accepts bonds after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at any hour on Saturday and Sunday. It takes three kinds of bonds:

• Bonds set by the Circuit Court
• Bonds set by the District Court
• Bonds from other counties

City bonds are not paid at the jail. You can also pay a bond online through the payment link on the Sheriff's pre-trial release page. Before you head over, call 307-672-5623. Ask how much is owed, which payment types are taken, and whether any other hold exists.

On weekdays before 5 p.m., go to the clerk of the court that set the bond. Both clerks are in the county courthouse on Main Street:

• Circuit Court clerk: Suite B7, 224 South Main Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2940.
• District Court clerk: Room B-11, 224 South Main Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2960. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

The District Court clerk takes criminal fees and restitution only in cash or money order. Personal checks aren't accepted there. Phone the clerk first to ask what it takes for bonds.

A bond on a city charge is handled by the municipal court. Pay it at City Hall, 55 East Grinnell Plaza, Sheridan, WY 82801, in business hours. After hours, take it to the Dispatch Center, 45 West 13th Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-672-2413.

The court clerk's office is on the third floor of City Hall. Its hours are 8 to 5 Monday through Thursday, and 8 to 4 on Friday. Call the senior clerk at 307-675-4225 or the assistant clerk at 307-675-4223. City fines can be paid by card on that second line. The court meets Mondays and Thursdays at 9 a.m.

The court handling the charges keeps the list of approved bail bond companies. Ask the Circuit Court or District Court clerk for it. With a surety bond:

1. The company charges a fee, and you don't get the fee back.
2. It may ask for collateral, like a title or a deed.
3. If you cosign and the person skips court, you may owe the full bond.

Anyone selling bonds backed by an insurer needs a state producer license. The Wyoming Insurance Department's Consumer Affairs unit can look up an agent: 106 E 6th Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7402.

Paying one bond doesn't clear everything. Ask the jail at 307-672-5623 whether any of these apply:

• Charges in more than one court, such as city and county
• A warrant from Johnson, Campbell, Big Horn or another Wyoming county
• A warrant from Montana or any other state
• A probation or parole violation
• A U.S. Marshals hold or an ICE detainer

Some people are arrested here on another county's warrant. When a judge from the other county sets a bond over video, families get one day to post it here. After that, the person may be transported (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(g)).

That almost never happens. Under the state constitution, everyone can get bail except in a capital case where the proof is evident or the presumption great. Bail set unfairly high is off-limits too (Wyo. Const. art. 1, sec. 14). When a judge worries about safety, the usual answer is tighter conditions.

Prosecutors from the County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office argue the state's side when bail is debated. It's at 148 S. Brooks St, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2580.

Yes, it can be asked for. Start with the written release request the jail must offer. Focus on facts that show the person will come back to court:

• A steady job, or classes at the local college
• Years living in the county
• Family who count on them
• A treatment plan, if alcohol or drugs played a part

A defense lawyer can then file a motion to lower bail. For felonies, the District Court can review it once the case arrives there (W.S. 7-10-103). The county also runs adult and juvenile drug courts. Call 307-674-2935 to ask if a case might qualify.

Ask the judge at the first hearing. Whether the court appoints one depends on household income (W.S. 7-6-106):

• Below 125% of the federal poverty line: the person qualifies.
• Between 125% and 218%: the judge decides.
• Over 218%: usually doesn't qualify.

To learn which public defenders take cases here, call the State Public Defender's office at 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519.

• Circuit Court, 4th Judicial District: 224 South Main Street, Suite B7, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2940. Misdemeanors, bail and the early steps of felony cases.
• District Court, 4th Judicial District: 224 South Main Street, Room B-11, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2960. Felony cases, juvenile cases and appeals.
• Municipal court for the city: City Hall, 3rd Floor, 55 Grinnell Plaza, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-675-4225. City ordinance cases.

Ranchester, Dayton and Clearmont have no court page of their own. A ticket marked "Circuit Court" goes to the courthouse on Main Street.

If every court date was kept, the cash comes back once the case closes. Before sending it, the clerk can subtract what's owed, like fines or restitution. Make sure the clerk has your mailing address, and ask when the check will go out.

Call the clerk of whichever court has the bond: Circuit Court 307-674-2940, District Court 307-674-2960, or the city court 307-675-4223. Skipping court can cost the whole bond. Wyoming sends forfeited bail to public school funds (W.S. 7-10-105).

There are three ways to put money on an inmate's trust and phone accounts:

• Online, using the deposit link on the jail's inmate funds page
• At the lobby kiosk inside the Sheriff's Office, which takes cash and debit or credit cards, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays except holidays
• Through the phone and video company's app

You may also drop off prescription glasses, dentures and medicine approved by jail medical staff. Jury clothing is allowed only after a jury trial is scheduled. Label every item with the person's full name. For mail rules and more, see our money guide.

Federal charges go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. Its main clerk works at the Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Center, 2120 Capitol Avenue, Room 2131, Cheyenne, WY 82001, 307-433-2120. The closest full clerk's office is in Casper, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

Federal court has no bail schedule. A judge holds a detention hearing and decides on release with conditions or custody (18 U.S.C. 3142). Pretrial Services in Casper prepares a report first: 307-232-2670. If the person is later sentenced, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Not by itself. Here's the order of events:

1. Immigration officers file a request with the jail, known as an I-247A detainer.
2. Deputies are allowed to keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Officers collect the person before that time runs out.
4. To learn where they went next, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You'll need an alien number, or a name with the country of birth.

This area reports to ICE's Casper office, 150 E. B Street, Room 1014, Casper, WY 82601, 307-261-6590. Check-ins are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Short sentences stay at the county jail. Some people serve time through work release, and some come in on weekends only. Prison terms are handled by the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

The state's WDOC inmate locator shows where a prisoner is housed. For details on each prison, read our Wyoming prisons pages. The department is based at 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

Wyoming wants kids released to a parent when it's safe. A child can be held only if they're a danger or likely to run off (W.S. 14-6-206). Parents must be told quickly, and a detention hearing has to happen within two business days (W.S. 14-6-209).

The county doesn't lock up children at its adult jail. It contracts with a secure juvenile detention center, and also uses a 48-hour hold, ankle monitors and a youth home. If you don't know where your son or daughter was taken, phone the Sheriff's Office at 307-672-3455. The county's juvenile justice programs answer at 307-674-2935.

The type of charge sends a case to one of three courts. In Wyoming, a felony is any crime with a possible prison term longer than one year. A misdemeanor carries less (W.S. 6-10-101).

• Circuit Court handles misdemeanors, plus protection orders for family violence and stalking. It sets bail and holds preliminary hearings in felony cases.
• District Court handles felony cases after they move up. Juvenile court is part of it too. It also hears appeals from the lower courts.
• Municipal Court is for city ordinance violations inside city limits.

• Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial District: 224 South Main Street, Suite B7, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2940. No other circuit court branch operates in the county.
• District Court, 4th Judicial District: 224 South Main Street, Room B-11, Sheridan, WY 82801. Phone that clerk at 307-674-2960, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. For jury questions, dial 307-674-2969.

For criminal fees and restitution, that office wants cash or a money order. Checks are turned away. Staff there will point you to the right form, but they won't advise you on the case.

The city court sits on the third floor of City Hall, 55 Grinnell Plaza, Sheridan, WY 82801. You can enter in a wheelchair through the east door, and an elevator goes to every floor. Court is held each Monday and Thursday at 9 a.m., except on city holidays. Trials happen on the last Monday of the month, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The senior clerk is at 307-675-4225. The assistant clerk, at 307-675-4223, also takes card payments over the phone. Fines can be paid in person on the first floor, online or by mailed money order. A ticket that says "Circuit Court" goes to the courthouse instead.

Ranchester has a Town Marshal, reachable at 307-655-2283. Deputies patrol Dayton, Clearmont and the country areas. Those cases usually land in Circuit Court.

Every new arrest is first heard in Circuit Court. At that hearing, the judge will:

1. Name each charge and the biggest sentence it can bring
2. Explain that the person can stay quiet and is entitled to a lawyer
3. Set bail and any release rules (W.R.Cr.P. 5)
4. Either take a plea on a misdemeanor or schedule a felony preliminary hearing

If no warrant was issued beforehand, a judge must agree within 72 hours that police had good grounds. Without that ruling, the jail must release them. Hearings are usually open to the public. Ask the clerk at 307-674-2940 what time to come.

Misdemeanors start and finish in Circuit Court. Many end with an agreement on the charge or sentence. Some cases get dropped. If there's a trial, the defendant can ask for a jury. A person may plead guilty, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of mental illness. A no contest plea needs the judge's okay (W.R.Cr.P. 11).

Top penalties for some charges people see often:

• Ordinary misdemeanor: a cap of 6 months locked up and a $750 fine (W.S. 6-10-103)
• Battery: 6 months and $750 as well (W.S. 6-2-501)
• Domestic battery: a first offense carries 6 months and $750. Repeat it inside five years, and the cap becomes a year plus $1,000 (W.S. 6-2-511)
• Theft under $1,000: up to one year and $1,500 (W.S. 6-3-402)

Some people sentenced to jail time here serve it through work release or as weekend inmates. Ask the defense lawyer if that could be an option.

1. Initial appearance. In Circuit Court, the judge reads charges and decides bail.
2. Preliminary hearing. Still in Circuit Court, the prosecutor has to show probable cause. It must happen within 10 days if the defendant is jailed. The limit is 20 days for a defendant who is free. Defense lawyers can choose to skip it (W.R.Cr.P. 5.1).
3. Bind-over. The file moves down the hall to District Court.
4. Arraignment. In District Court, the defendant says guilty or not guilty.
5. Trial. Twelve jurors hear the evidence, and a verdict needs every one of them. The rule sets 180 days from arraignment as the target (W.R.Cr.P. 48(b)).
6. Sentencing. The defendant stands in front of the judge in person.

Some felonies may be steered to the county's adult drug court. It's been running since 1998. Call 307-674-2935 to learn how it works.

• Aggravated assault and battery: as much as a decade. The most serious kinds carry 5 to 25 years (W.S. 6-2-502).
• Aggravated burglary: 5 to 25 years if a weapon was used or a person was hurt, plus fines up to $50,000 (W.S. 6-3-301(c)).
• Domestic battery, a third offense inside 10 years: this becomes a felony with a top sentence of 10 years.

Even here, a defendant keeps the right to bail, unless it's a capital case with strong proof. Teens 14 and older facing violent felony charges might be tried as adults. These cases move fast and carry long sentences, so a defense lawyer should be involved from day one.

The Sheridan County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office files felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases. It's at 148 S. Brooks St, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2580, open weekdays from 8 to 5.

When the family can't cover legal fees, the defendant can request a public defender. Income is the test (W.S. 7-6-106). The State Public Defender's office in Cheyenne can tell you who handles local cases: 316 West 22nd Street, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7519. Need a private attorney? The Wyoming State Bar has a referral line at 307-632-9061.

Calling is the way to go. Have the defendant's name and birth date ready when you call:

• Circuit Court, for misdemeanors and felonies that haven't been bound over: 307-674-2940
• District Court clerk, for youth cases and felonies that have moved up: 307-674-2960
• City court, for municipal tickets: 307-675-4225

For a case appealed to the Wyoming Supreme Court, try its public case search.

The Sheriff's Office and city police both serve warrants here. To ask if a person is wanted, call the Sheriff's Office at 307-672-3455 on weekdays, or Dispatch at 307-672-2413 after hours. Because Wyoming has no statewide warrant search, a clerk can run a name over the phone instead. The safest step on a warrant is surrendering with an attorney present. You can also ask the clerk about getting a new court date. Circuit Court clerk: Suite B7, 224 South Main Street, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-674-2940.

Federal crimes are charged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. That court's clerk has an office in the Joseph C. O'Mahoney Federal Center, 2120 Capitol Avenue, Room 2131, Cheyenne, WY 82001, 307-433-2120. Another clerk's office is in Casper, 111 South Wolcott, Room 121, Casper, WY 82601, 307-232-2620.

Instead of a bail amount, the judge holds a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142). After a federal sentence, check the BOP inmate locator to see where the person was sent.

An ICE detainer is a request to keep someone after their local case would let them go. It works like this:

• Immigration sends the jail its Form I-247A.
• Staff can hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
• Federal officers then take over custody.
• The ICE Online Detainee Locator shows where they were moved.

For this county, ICE check-ins happen at 150 E. B Street, Room 1014, Casper, WY 82601, 307-261-6590. A plea can affect immigration status, so non-citizens should speak with an immigration lawyer first.

Misdemeanor sentences are served at the county jail. People given felony prison time are moved into the Wyoming Department of Corrections, which decides which prison fits each person.

Find a state prisoner with the WDOC locator. You can also browse our Wyoming prisons listings. Corrections central office: 1934 Wyott Drive, Suite 100, Cheyenne, WY 82002, 307-777-7208.

Youth cases go to District Court, where the records stay private. The county's Justice Office runs juvenile probation, diversion and a juvenile drug court that started in 1999. You can reach that office at 307-674-2935.

Age shapes which court can hear a youth's case (W.S. 14-6-203):

• Children under 13 accused of a felony stay in juvenile court.
• Kids 14 to 16 can go to adult court for violent felonies or a third case.
• Seventeen-year-olds can be charged as adults for any felony.

A judge can send a case either way after weighing the charge, the youth's maturity and their record (W.S. 14-6-237). The state's Wyoming Girls' School is also in Sheridan, but it's a treatment facility, not a jail.

Victims in Wyoming have rights set out in W.S. 1-40-201 to 1-40-210, including:

• A call or message when the accused is released ahead of trial or sentencing
• The chance to attend any hearing where the defendant appears, unless the judge has a strong reason to bar it
• Giving a statement to the judge about the crime's impact before sentencing

The Advocacy and Resource Center runs the victim-witness program at 136 Coffeen, Sheridan, WY 82801, 307-672-7471. Its crisis line is 307-672-3222. Sign up for free custody alerts through VINE, or by calling 866-994-8463.