Three counties. Three different jails. Three different bonding-hearing schedules. So whether a loved one is just arrested in Golden, Castle Rock, or Aurora, the clock is already ticking and the actions you take in the next two hours could mean the difference between a night at home or a night in a cell. Each of the three counties (Jefferson, Douglas, and Arapahoe) has its own detention facility and the time to book a defendant into the facility differs from county to county. Also, the time and manner of release from the facility, as well as the requirements for approval for bond release, varies from county to county. This guide cuts through all three so you are not learning the system from scratch while your loved one waits.
Golden: Jefferson County Detention Facility
The Jefferson County Detention Facility, 200 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden, is the location for processing arrests in Golden and throughout Jefferson County such as Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge and Evergreen. Built in 1986 and with a floor space of 388,000 square feet, it is designed to house about 1,300 inmates in minimum, medium and maximum security units. Bond may be held at the Jefferson County Detention Facility, around the clock, seven days a week and amounts are determined by the court.
How Booking Works in Jefferson County
Someone who has been arrested in Jefferson County should be listed in the jail booking system 4-12 hours after arrest. In that time frame, the defendant is photographed, fingerprinted and medically screened. Charges are logged, warrant status is reviewed, and bail is determined by the court schedule once booking is complete.
New bookings are added to the Jefferson County system every 15 minutes and is one of the more frequent update systems of any county facility in Colorado. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office inmate lookup system is a way for families to check the status of custody, as is the facility’s phone number of 303-271-5444.
The 1st Judicial District Court conducts bond hearings in Jefferson County. In addition to the monetary amount of bond, judges here routinely impose terms and conditions on bond, such as check-ins with pretrial supervision, travel restrictions, and an “in domestic cases” no-contact order immediately upon release. It’s important to know those conditions before your loved one leaves, and as important as posting the bond.
Castle Rock: Douglas County Detention Facility
The Robert A. Christensen Justice Center at 4000 Justice Way in Castle Rock, CO is located approximately 30 miles south of Denver and 40 miles north of Colorado Springs, where arrests are made throughout Douglas County. The facility serves detainees from Castle Rock, Parker, Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch and other communities throughout Douglas County.
How Booking Works in Douglas County
If arrested, a suspect will be in court by 8:30 a.m. the business day after he or she is booked into the Douglas County jail in most cases. That’s one of the quicker bond hearing times on the Front Range, a fact that could mean the difference between a rapid pace if a bondsman is willing to do everything they can at the time the bond is set and a slower one if they aren’t.
Bonds can be paid in person to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office any time of day, in cash, money order or credit card. A $30 booking fee will be required, as will a $10 non-refundable cash fee for every bond. The release and processing time is faster with online bonding, which is a great convenience for families that are unable to physically be at the centre at the time of bonding.
Bail and bonds may be posted for the Douglas County Jail in the form of a surety bond or cash bond. Usually the bonding agent’s funds are used for a fee of 10 to 15 per cent of the amount of the bond. Ankle monitors are an order issued by the court that some families may not be expecting as a condition of release, but the set up fees for the monitor need to be paid to Pretrial Services in order to have the bond posted.
Aurora: Arapahoe County Detention Facility
Aurora arrests are booked into the Arapahoe County Detention Facility located at 7375 South Potomac Street in Centennial, CO 80112. This facility is serving the entire jurisdiction of Arapahoe County including Aurora, even though it is located in Centennial. It is open 24 hours a day for intake and release and public enquiries, processing about 17,000 bookings a year.
How Booking Works in Arapahoe County
A typical hold at Arapahoe County is 4 to 8 hours. If a person is not released on bail within the first day, he or she must appear before a judge. The judge tells the person who has been arrested what he or she is charged with and sets the amount of the bond in this initial appearance, which may be in person or over the phone.
A booking fee of $30 and a $10 filing fee must be paid at the detention center for anyone who is booked into Arapahoe County. Bond may be posted online at the TouchPay portal, on the TouchPay kiosk in the detention center lobby or by calling 1-866-232-1899. Cash bonds and surety bonds need to be paid in person at the detention center during business hours.
Arapahoe County DUI cases and criminal cases are prosecuted in the 18th Judicial District Court at the Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial. The bond hearing date is also delayed if the arrest is on a weekend or holiday, such as a Friday night arrest which could be held over the weekend and a hearing could not take place until Monday morning, even for the most minor of charges.
What Bail Bonds Cost Across All Three Counties
The amount for the bail premium in Colorado ranges anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent of the bail amount. That money will not be returned to the bondsman, no matter whether the case is dismissed, a not-guilty verdict is rendered, or a plea deal is negotiated. The difference in the three counties isn’t the premium rate, but rather the bail amounts judges are setting, which are based on the severity of the charge, criminal history, flight risk assessment and community connection.
Typical Bail Ranges in Colorado
- Misdemeanor charges: $500 to $5,000 bond premium of $50 to $750
- Class 4 and Class 5 felonies: $5,000 to $25,000 bond premium of $500 to $3,750
- Class 2 and Class 3 felonies: $25,000 to $100,000 bond premium of $2,500 to $15,000
- Serious violent offenses: Bond amounts are set at full judicial discretion and can reach six figures
In most cases, for higher bond amounts, collateral in the form of real estate equity, vehicle title or other assets is needed before a bondsman will post. At the end of the case the collateral will be returned to the defendant if he or she has fulfilled the court appearance requirements.
Flexible Payment Plans: What to Know
Not every family can produce the full bond premium in a single payment especially when the arrest happens without warning and the bail amount is significant. Many Colorado bail bond companies accept payment plans for bail bonds that cannot be paid all at once, and the terms are based on the bail amount and the cosigner’s financial situation.
The key to payment plans is transparency. A good bondsman will verify the full amount of the premium, the payment terms, any interest or charges for the bond, and what will happen to any collateral placed under the bond if the defendant fails to appear in court at a scheduled date, all prior to paperwork being signed. Any agency that doesn’t have a clear answer to those questions before that you hire should be taken with a grain of salt.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
The faster you have the following information ready, the faster the bondsman can begin the process:
- The full legal name of the person arrested and their date of birth
- Which facility is holding them Jefferson County (Golden), Douglas County (Castle Rock), or Arapahoe County (Centennial/Aurora)
- The booking number if available this speeds up verification significantly
- The bail amount if it has already been set by the court
- The charges as listed at booking
Even if the bond is not heard yet, a bondman can still confirm the facility, prepare documents and be ready to post bond as soon as the amount is determined, as opposed to after the bond hearing.
Conclusion
Jefferson, Douglas and Arapahoe counties operate separate systems, which have different booking schedules, bond hearing schedules and release procedures. A bondsman who is familiar with all three the courthouses, the pretrial conditions judges typically impose, and the facility-level procedures that impact release speed is greater than a bondsman who’s playing catch-up with the county system as you are.
Fast & Easy Bail Bonds is on call 24 hours a day and has the local knowledge in all three counties, Golden, Castle Rock and Aurora to ensure that your loved one gets home as fast as possible within the system’s parameters.