Gordon County Arrest Records

There are a variety of offenses for which a person may be arrested and charged in Gordon County, ranging from felonies to misdemeanors and even simple traffic violations. Not everyone who is arrested in the county ends up being charged with an offense and required to attend a court hearing or trial to resolve the matter. Still, such incidents follow a similar pattern: the suspect will be read their rights, taken into police custody (unless the offense merits only a citation or summons), and their details and crime will be documented within an arrest report or record.

In Gordon County, arrest records are important for diverse criminal justice purposes, one of which is public notification. By creating records around arrest incidents, law enforcement agencies ensure that their policing activities remain transparent. This allows anyone to find out if an arrest occurred in their vicinity and scrutinize the underlying circumstances should it become necessary. Arrest records are also useful for monitoring offender activity and filing charges against a person in court.

Notably, the arrest record alone will not reveal the ultimate ending of a criminal case, such as whether a person was incarcerated, exonerated, or ordered to perform community service or pay a fine. Those interested in such information are better off reviewing the Gordon County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Gordon County?

Yes. Under Georgia's Open Records Act, members of society have the statutory right to examine public records maintained by law enforcement agencies, including arrest records. The law permits anyone to query such departments for arrest information in their custody, with certain exemptions effected to prevent the disclosure of confidential information.

Section 50-18-72 of the Open Records Act lists the many exceptions that affect the general public's access, including:

• Records exempt by federal regulation or statute
• Medical records and similar files
• Records tied to ongoing investigations or prosecutions of criminal or unlawful activity
• Sealed or expunged records
• Records that reveal a confidential informant's identifying details
• Records whose dissemination will imperil a person's safety or life

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The contents of a public arrest record in Gordon County include:

• The arrestee's name (and aliases), age, gender, and race
• The arrestee's physical description, including height and weight
• The arrest date and time
• The booking number, time, and date
• The arresting agency
• The charge, description, and statute violated
• Bond type and amount
• Custody status

Gordon County Arrest Statistics

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) publishes the Crime Statistics Summary Reports, which reveal yearly crime frequencies and rates in each Georgia county, including Gordon County. However, county arrest statistics are not compiled in these reports and may be sought directly from the agency supervising the applicable city, town, or community within a county.

Individuals can also access the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Crime Data Explorer to view statistics reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies nationwide, including those present in Gordon County. For example, in 2023, the Gordon County Sheriff's Office reported 921 arrests, and the Calhoun Police Department reported 49 arrests, resulting in a total of 970 arrests recorded by local police agencies in Gordon.

Of the Sheriff's 2023 figures, 695 arrestees were males, and 226 were females; the most popular offense category was drug/narcotic violations (201 arrests). Meanwhile, the Calhoun PD recorded 35 male and 14 female arrests, with simple assault being the predominant cause of arrest (11 incidents recorded that year).

Find Gordon County Arrest Records

An inquiry can be made to a police department in Gordon County to obtain an arrest record. Unless the inquirer is the subject of the record (who can simply get the document from their lawyer if involved in a criminal case) or a party authorized by law, the information released will be from the public arrest record.

Police agencies require requesters to provide some information about the record they seek to facilitate processing and retrieval. These details are usually the suspect's name and arrest date. A request can be submitted at a police agency's physical location during standard business hours or using other agency-recommended contact methods. A fee may be collected from the requester if their order involves the duplication of records.

If searching for someone who was who was arrested and subsequently taken into custody, the interested party can contact the Gordon County Sheriff's Office or search its Inmate Information database. This office administers the local jail facility where men and women awaiting trial or sentencing, as well as those incarcerated for a year or less, are confined. Where the suspect is a juvenile, the best place of inquiry is the youth detention center in Dalton or Rome.

However, suppose a person was transferred to a federal or state facility after their court proceedings. In that case, the Find an Offender portal run by the Georgia Department of Corrections (for state prisoners) or the Federal Inmate Locator operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (for federal prisoners) can be used to perform the search. These agencies can also be contacted for inmate queries.

Free Arrest Record Search in Gordon County

When seeking arrest information from a law enforcement agency under the Georgia Open Records Act, an individual may not be subject to fees if they only wish to inspect a record. However, they will incur any applicable costs for reproducing or printing a document.

Additionally, a person may be able to perform a free arrest record search on aggregator websites provided by independent companies. Some websites reveal basic arrest information at no charge but may require a fee to produce detailed information.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests are typically enduring components of a person's criminal record in Gordon County. Therefore, they may be seen by any interested party so long as the record is not confidential by state law. Nevertheless, certain record owners may be eligible to have their arrest records expunged, which offers them some relief from public scrutiny.

Expunge Gordon County Arrest Records

Under O.C.G.A. §35-3-37, former arrestees may be able to expunge their arrest records in Gordon County. This process is formally called "record restriction" and serves to limit (seal) the general public's access. However, the records are not permanently destroyed/deleted, and certain criminal justice agencies will be allowed to examine them. Further, because the restriction will only affect criminal history records maintained by the GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC), the record may be available elsewhere.

People who qualify to seal their arrest records are generally those who had their cases dismissed or nolle prossed, those who were arrested but had no charges filed, and those who the court acquitted.

The process to restrict an arrest record in Gordon depends on the date the arrest was executed. For arrests before July 1, 2013, the restriction can be requested at the county level through the agency that made the arrest. In such cases, the applicant should fill out Section 1 in the Request to Restrict Arrest Record form and submit it to the arresting agency, who will then fill out Section 2 and submit it to the prosecuting attorney's office. The attorney's office will complete Section 3 and, within 90 days, decide whether to approve or deny the request. Regardless of the final decision, the office will notify the applicant and arresting agency.

For arrests occurring on or after July 1, 2013, the applicant should contact the prosecuting attorney's office directly. Again, the office will grant or deny the request within 90 days.

Note that the arresting agency or prosecuting attorney's office may require fees of up to $50 to process a request. Such offices may also need additional documentation from the applicant, such as a certified copy of the court's final disposition or a copy of one's criminal history.

Where the prosecuting attorney's office denies the request, the applicant can appeal the office's decision in the Gordon County Superior Court within 30 days. However, if the restriction is granted, the prosecuting attorney will forward the completed application to the GCIC database. If the prosecuting attorney does not have access to the database, it will be the applicant's responsibility to mail the approved application to the GCIC at this address:

Georgia Crime Information Center Record Restrictions
P.O. Box 370808
Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808

The GCIC requires a $25 processing fee for such requests, payable by money order or certified check to the GBI. Once the GCIC processes the record restriction application, they will send a letter of completion to the applicant's mailing address.

Generally, it is advised to retain a copy of the completed application and letter of completion received from the GCIC for one's records.

Gordon County Arrest Warrants

A Gordon County arrest warrant is a legal document released by a magistrate or judge permitting peace officers to apprehend and detain a person suspected of a criminal offense. Such warrants can also be issued to arrest someone who failed to comply with a court order, such as failing to appear for a court hearing or violating a probation/parole condition.

According to O.C.G.A § 17-4-407, arrest warrants in Gordon specifically name the accused and their offense, state the issuing jurisdiction and date, identify the agency responsible for the execution, and clarify the warrant type.

To secure citizens and residents from unreasonable or arbitrary seizures, arrest warrants cannot be issued without "probable cause" (reasonable grounds for an arrest). Generally, the law places the responsibility of establishing probable cause on the law enforcement officer who applies for the warrant. Without satisfying this provision, the warrant is legally invalid.

Do Gordon County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants issued in Gordon County have no expiry date. These writs stay in full force until their subjects are apprehended, either by voluntary surrender or law enforcement efforts. Nonetheless, certain arrest warrants (usually bench warrants) may be resolved by complying with an initial court order, such as paying an outstanding court fee or attending a court hearing.