How much does an attorney cost?
How do I find out if someone I care about is in jail or custody?
How do I visit someone who is in jail?
How do I find out what my criminal charges are?
What can I do about reducing or cleaning up my criminal record?
What if my fines have been been turned over to State Debt Collections?
Deciding whether or not you hire an attorney may just be the most important decision you make. In almost all cases, an experienced attorney can get better results than a lay person. An experienced attorney can and will advise you about the long-term effects a criminal or civil legal matter may have in areas of your life you may not have even considered.
Here are a few tips to think about when choosing your attorney – Shop around, treat this just as you would any other high ticket item you are purchasing. Prepare a list of relevant questions prior to calling to set an appointment (such as: How many cases or legal matters like yours has the the attorney handled AND won at trial? How much trial experience do they have? Are they familiar with the prosecutor and the judge/commissioner and clerks who will hear your matter? Does the attorney offer free consultations? What documentation should you bring to your consultation?). Make sure you are comfortable speaking frankly with the attorney your hire, they are handling very important and personal information about your life and you want to be able to work together to make the right decisions…ask yourself whether you feel they care about your legal matter, never ignore your gut instincts. Lastly, is your attorney going to call you back when you need them – are they available to spend the time and attention your legal matter requires?
While there are many options out there, as with anything in life, you get what you pay for. It’s important to find an attorney who is experienced enough to streamline your case saving you money and time. Attorney costs/fees vary depending on the type of legal issue you have and the level of difficulty/time it may take to find a good resolution for you, whether that resolution is to take your case to trial or to get you the best result from a settlement or plea agreement.
I offer a Free Consultation session upfront so the expectations of services are clear at the outset and I accept credit card payments.
Each Jail/Inmate Housing Facility provides an online prisoner database search engine that can be accessed by the public. Your search may be expedited if you have the correct spelling of the first and last name of the person you are looking for.
Please see the links below for major facility searches:
Salt Lake County Metro Jail: http://iml.slsheriff.org/IML
Toole County Detention Center: https://inmate.tooelecountysheriff.org/
Summit County Utah Corrections and Jail: https://www.summitcountysheriff.org/corrections-jail-division/
Utah County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Bureau (Utah County Arrested Persons Search) :
https://sheriff.utahcounty.gov/corrections/inmateSearch
Davis County Jail: https://www.daviscountyutah.gov/sheriff/inmate-roster
Each Jail/Inmate Housing Facility has it’s own strict visitation rules regarding timeframes, number of visits allowed, who can visit, etc., so a quick visit to the jail website often saves you time and frustration.
Please see the links below for major facility searches:
*** NOTE: the information contained on this page is for your CONVENIENCE ONLY and was taken at a set time period and is what was published on the respective Jail/Inmate Facility Housing websites at the time it was taken. THIS SITE DOES NOT UPDATE the information on the LINKS PROVED or THE INFORMATION provided below. The information is believed to be accurate as of the date originally published on this site, BUT Jail/Inmate Housing Facility rules AND schedules ARE subject to change without notice. To verify the current policies and rules YOU should contact the jail/inmate housing facility directly.***
Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office – Metro Jail: http://www.slsheriff.org/metro-jail/visit-a-prisoner
Visit a Prisoner – Visitation Rules
You must arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the start of your visit. If visiting at Oxbow, you must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your visit.
Visitors are responsible to remember the date and time they are pre-scheduled.
Prisoner workers (kitchen, server, etc.) will not be allowed visits during their scheduled work hours. The prisoner is responsible for notifying visitors of housing location changes and/or work assignments.
Prisoners are permitted two (2) visits per week and three visitors will be allowed to visit a prisoner. (At Oxbow, due to space limitations, only two visitors are permitted per visit). Children 17 years and under must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian. An adult must accompany a child wanting to visit their parent or legal guardian.
Every visitor 16 years of age or older must have a government issued ID (Drivers License or State ID), Driving privilege cards and school ID’s are not acceptable forms of identification.
No visiting is permitted during meal times beginning at 11:00 AM through 12:30 PM and from 4:00 PM through 5:30 PM.
Visits may be pre-scheduled up to seven days in advance by calling 743-5000 or you may pre-schedule a visit in person at the Visiting counter.
Visiting reservations must be made no later than 11:00 PM the day prior to the day of the visiting reservation. No same day telephone reservations will be scheduled.
Cancellations and/or changes to existing visiting reservations must be made no later than one hour prior to the scheduled visit.
Requests to visit outside of normal visiting hours and/or days will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
There will be times when a prisoner is unavailable or refuses a visit. Visits also on occasion may be delayed or cancelled due to operational incidents in the jail.
Tooele County Detention Center: https://inmate.tooelecountysheriff.org/roster/search
As of March, 2012, the Tooele County Detention Center will be changing its visitation program. The new visitation program, implemented by the Detention Center, will be provided courtesy of iWebVisit.com. …The Tooele County Detention Center is proud to offer this service and is dedicated to helping connect loved ones from around the world to those entrusted in our custody.
ON-SITE VISITATION PROGRAM RULES:
The Detention Center will offer an On-site Visitation Program utilizing the iWebVisit.com Video Visitation System. Video Visits will be conducted on Video Terminals that are located within the Correctional Facility’s lobby. It should be noted that participating in the On-site Visiting Program is not a guarantee of availability as booking times and space are limited.
The following steps are required to participate in the On-site Visitation program:
There are two ways in which you can register.
You may go to the Visitation Lobby and provide a valid Government issued picture ID, showing a current photograph and date of birth along with, but not required, a valid e-mail address if you have one. You will then be registered into the iWebVisit.com System.
You may also go directly to http://www.iwebvisit.com and create an account online in advance to save time.
You must be over the age of 18 years old with a valid ID in order to register via the Lobby method. A documented legal guardian must accompany any minor requesting to visit with an inmate. Additional, multiple visitors can register for the same inmate via the Lobby method.
Once you are registered, you will receive an e-mail (if one was provided at the time of registration) welcoming you to the iWebVisit.com Remote Video Visitation System. At this time you will be provided with further instructions and information about the benefits of remotely visiting your loved one.
The Visitation Rules and Regulations for an On-site Terminal reservation is subject to the following policies and procedures:
Engaging in illegal or illicit (to include disrobing and/or sexual behavior) will result in the visit being terminated. This visitor will be blocked from any further visits to any inmate confined in the Tooele County Detention Center with the visitor being subject to criminal prosecution. The inmate may also be charged with violation of the visiting rules and may have their visiting privileges terminated for the duration of their incarceration.
Visitors must dress appropriately; all clothing must cover from neck to the kneecaps.
Should the conduct of any person during a visit become disorderly the visit will be terminated.
Persons under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol will be denied a visit and must leave the building.
Any unattended children will cause the visit to be terminated.
ON-SITE VISITATION HOURS:
Monday through Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Each 20-minute visit can have a total of Two (2) visitors per terminal.
Each inmate has a limited number of visits allowed each week regardless of whether they are on-site or remote.
This limit is determined by the Detention Center guidelines.
Participation in the On-site Visitation Program is based on availability directly influenced by the terminal activity for that day.
There is no guarantee that an On-Site visit will be granted. Space is limited and is scheduled on a first come first serve basis.
Summit County Utah Corrections and Jail: https://www.summitcountysheriff.org/corrections-jail-division/
Visiting is a privilege and may last between 15 and 30 minutes.
Visiting is canceled on state and federal holidays.
Prisoners may be moved at any time to a different housing unit or denied visiting because of disciplinary problems. Prisoners on lock down will not be allowed visiting privileges.
Visitors must be listed on the prisoner’s visiting list in order to visit. You will need to bring 2 forms of ID with you at the time of the visit, one of which must be a picture ID.
Visitors who are Probationers or Paroles, Convicted Felons, Former Employees, individuals who have released from jail within the past 90 days, or persons who violate jail visiting rules and regulation will be denied visiting.
No one under 18 years of age will be allowed to visit unless they are the child of the prisoner. A birth certificate must be presented at the time of visit and must show that the prisoner is the parent of the juvenile. Juveniles must be accompanied by and adult at all times.
Visitors may deposit cash, money orders or cashiers check in the prisoner’s commissary account during visiting.
Utah County Jail: http://www.co.utah.ut.us/dept/Sheriff/Corrections/visiting.asp
Visiting An Inmate in the Utah County Jail:
Question: Do inmates get visits, and what are the visiting rules and regulations, who can visit?
Answer: Inmates are allowed two, 30-minute visitation periods per week. Appointments for visiting are preferred and can be made by calling 801-851-4300. All visitors, except those under the age of 16, must show photo identification including their date of birth, current address, and signature. A warrants check will be done on all visitors. A maximum of three persons may visit at one time. This will count as one visitation period. Visitors age 12 to 17 must be accompanied by a person 21 years of age or older, unless the visitor is a spouse.
A spouse under the age of 18 must show a marriage license and photo identification to be admitted for a visit. While in the visiting area, you are expected to remain seated and to use only one telephone. You and your visitors are monitored. Inappropriate behavior from either party is prohibited and may result in termination of the visit.
Children under the age of 12 may only visit during the first five weekdays/evenings of each month. Children must be accompanied by an adult. A total of only three visitors, in any combination of adults and children may visit at one time. Children must be controlled while visiting or the visit will be terminated. Children may not be left unattended in the public lobby or on jail grounds.
Inmates have the right to refuse a visitor. If there is someone the inmate wishes not to see, the visit will not count towards their weekly two visits.
Attorney and Clergy visitation: Attorneys and clergyman may visit during visiting times. Attorney’s and clergy must bring documentation identifying their position. Attorney and Clergy visits do not count against the two visits per week allowed to inmates.
Visiting Times – Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 10:30 am, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Canyons 1: Monday – Friday 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm and 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.
No one may visit who has been booked into the county jail in the previous five years or who is currently on probation or parole. (The only exceptions will be the immediate family and must be approved by the jail administration.)
Davis County Jail (FAQ): http://www.co.davis.ut.us/sheriff/divisions/jail/jail_faq.cfm
Visitation Guidelines:
Each Inmate will be allowed 2 – thirty minute visits weekly.
Visitors will be limited to 2 adults or 1 adult and two children…NO EXCEPTIONS.
Visitation will be first come first serve.
All visitors 16 or older are required to present valid government identification prior to visiting.
There may be delays in visitation due to meal pass, clothing exchange, court, security issues or other required movement.
Visitation may be terminated at any time without prior notice.
No visitor who has been sentenced and incarcerated in the Davis County Jail during the past calendar year may visit. Persons who have been arrested and bailed out of jail must be released for at least 30 days prior to any visitation of any other person currently in jail.
Exceptions will be made for spouses, children and parents.
Minors must be accompanied by a parent or documented legal guardian.
Minors not related to the inmate will not be allowed to visit.
It is the inmate’s responsibility to inform visitors of times they are available to visit. Inmates will not be removed from class, work, or any program for visiting.
Inmates under pre-hearing segregation or other restrictions are not eligible for visitation.
All visitors must wear shoes…Visitor’s clothing must comply with proper dress standards. Indecent exposure, bare midriffs, low cut tops, mini skirts, see through or revealing clothing will not be permitted.
Children must be with an adult at all times and must be kept under control.
People under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be allowed to visit.
No personal possessions are allowed in the visiting area. This includes purses, diaper bags, cell phones, cameras, and strollers. There are lockers provided that require $0.25 (refundable) Food and drinks are not allowed in the visiting area.
It is not uncommon that BOTH the police agency and the prosecutors office will sit on your case/charges for several weeks or even months before taking any action – before deciding what criminal charges they will file on you AND what Court they will file those charges in. Unfortunately, it’s your responsibility to keep an eye out for what charges might be filed and where.
Often times a person is issued a simple citation with a notice to appear at the local Justice Court only to find out the Justice Court doesn’t actually have an active case because the officer took it to the prosecutors office and it’s now being screened for more severe charges.
A good attorney can foresee and often negotiate on your behalf at the very outset of the process so that you are informed of what charges you might expect the prosecutor will file. A good attorney can also foresee possible improper or excessive charging concerns beforehand AND work hard to help mitigate excessive or improper charging by communicating at the outset with the police agency AND/OR the prosecutors office.
The sooner you get an advocate on your side, the better, fighting a criminal matter doesn’t begin on your first court date. As with anything that requires preparation, a little work upfront often saves you time, money, and your RAP/Record from having higher level of charges than it should have.
With a good job, custody, immigration status and/or other important benefits in life you deserve. Often times people give up on the expungement process because it is complicated and time consuming.
A good attorney knows the system and how to maneuver through it quickly on your behalf…even when you don’t think you can do anything about a “Felony” conviction that BCI (Bureau of Criminal Identification) has told you they won’t expunge, your attorney may be able to take other routes to get your felonies reduced to misdemeanor charges and/or pardoned.
Meet with an attorney for a free consult about getting your record expunged and/or cleaned up so that you CAN get a good job, or start fighting for custody or benefits.
Often times court fines/fees/judgments are turned over to State Debt Collections AND harassing collection agencies who want their fees in addition to the accrued interest. I can help to determine whether, in the first place, your fines/fees/judgments should have even been turned over to State Debt Collections Department AND help you negotiate with them.
