Hart County Arrest Records

A Hart County arrest record is an official document that contains information about arrest incidents made by law enforcement officers in the county. It documents the circumstances of a particular arrest and the arrestee’s basic data. General information covered by arrest records includes charges, arrest date and time, the arresting agency’s name, the arrestee's name, date of birth, sex, height, fingerprints, and photographs.

Booking and court case information may also be found while perusing these records. Arrest records are typically created following an individual’s arrest. The arresting agency is responsible for creating them, which it then dispenses to other judicial bodies and enforcement agencies. Consequently, arrest information is usually featured within Hart County court records, criminal records, and related documents relevant to the county’s judicial process.

Are Arrest Records Public in Hart County?

Yes, The Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) provides that arrest records are public. In compliance with this Act, public officers in custody of these records are mandated to grant individuals access upon request. Under this Act, requesters may inspect or obtain copies of documents, although subject to certain limitations (§ 50-18-72). Record custodians are allowed to sequester records in part or whole if they fall under the following categories:

• The requested record pertains to a juvenile.
• Such records have been previously sealed or expunged by a court.
• Requested records contain information whose disclosure could interfere with the integrity of ongoing investigations by law enforcement.
• Sensitive personal information, such as license numbers and social security numbers.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following contents of arrest records are open to the general public:

• Name, gender, date of birth, and other non-sensitive arrestee personal data documented during booking
• Arrestee physical characteristics, including height, eye color, hair color, weight, etc.
• Charges that prompted the arrest
• Location, date, and time of arrest
• Bond information (if applicable)
• Name of arresting officer and/or agency
• Release information (for previously released persons and inmates with known jail time).

Hart County Arrest Statistics

There are no publicly available arrest statistics for Hart County. However, interested persons may view county crime data on the Georgia Bureau of Investigations’ annual Crime Statistics report. Arrest statistics on these reports are statewide. According to the 2023 crime statistics summary, the following crimes were reported in Hart County in the said year: rape (11), robbery (5), aggravated assault (73), burglary (51), theft (333), and motor vehicle theft (18), with a total crime index of 491.

Statewide arrest data reported 407 arrests for murder, 436 for rape, 928 for robbery, 7,917 for aggravated assault, 17,608 for theft, and 2,177 for burglary. Arrests were also made for human trafficking, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The total number of arrests made in Georgia in 2023 was 30,904. Juvenile arrests made in the said year included rape (92), murder/non-negligent manslaughter (92), aggravated assault (740), arson (20), motor vehicle theft (356), and burglary (324), among others. The total number of juvenile arrests made was 14,696.

Find Hart County Arrest Records

The Sheriff's Office may be considered a reliable resource for obtaining county arrest records. This office serves as a central repository for information about arrests, as most arrests in the county are executed by its officers. City police departments like the Hartwell Police Department typically record arrests made by their officers.

Both agencies are legally obligated to facilitate public access to arrest records. Record requests should ideally contain an inmate’s name and other relevant information to aid in the record identification and retrieval. These requests may be addressed to the Sheriff’s Office at:

Hart County Sheriff’s Office
890 Vickery Street
P.O. Box 886
Hartwell, GA 30643
Phone: (706) 376-3114
Email: sheriff@hartcountyga.gov.

For a statewide arrest search, utilize the "find an offender" page on the Georgia Department of Corrections website.

Free Arrest Record Search in Hart County

Record searches at any of the locations mentioned in the previous headers are usually free, except where a person requests physical copies. Alternatively, record seekers may utilize third-party websites. These private websites aggregate data from multiple sources, including Police Departments and Sheriff's Offices, and are not affiliated with government agencies.

Searches may be done using a person’s name. Additional information that may ease searches includes arrest date, arrestee date of birth, and booking number. An advantage of using these resources, compared to official alternatives, is their multijurisdictional coverage and the extra functionalities they offer. However, caution is advised, as records from some sites often contain inconsistencies.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely, There are no provisions under Georgia law that authorize automatic erasure of arrest incidents from a person’s records by the courts or law enforcement agencies. However, O.C.G.A. §35-3-37 provides for the restriction of certain criminal records, including arrests. Notwithstanding, the process must be initiated by the record’s subject. Note that certain eligibility criteria are required for this process.

Expunge Hart County Arrest Records

Individuals arrested in Georgia may have their arrests expunged from their records. This process allows eligible persons to "restrict access" to criminal records for non-criminal justice purposes. The idea is to grant former arrestees a fair chance at certain opportunities and privileges, which otherwise would have been inaccessible due to the public availability of an arrest or criminal record. Restricted records are not erased or destroyed; they remain accessible by authorized persons, such as persons in the criminal justice system.

As part of the requirements, arrests that qualify for expungement are those whose charges were dismissed, dropped, or resulted in a non-guilty disposition. For arrests made before July 1, 2013, record subjects must complete a Request to Restrict Arrest Records form and submit it, alongside any applicable fees, to the arresting agency. This form contains three sections, which must be filled as follows:

• Section 1 by the petitioner
• Section 2 by the arresting agency
• Section 3 by the prosecuting attorney (usually the district attorney).

The arresting agency shall complete its section of the form and forward it to the prosecuting attorney, who has up to 90 days to review the petition and either approve or deny it. For arrests made after July 1, 2013, record subjects should contact the prosecutor directly to request an expungement. If approved, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the applicant and the arresting agency of its disposition. Afterward, the applicant may send the approved request obtained from the prosecuting attorney with a $25.00 fee (payable by certified check or money order to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation) to:

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

Hart County Arrest Warrants

A Hart County arrest warrant is a judicial order that authorizes law enforcement officers to apprehend an individual resident in the county and bring them before the court on suspicion of committing a crime or disobeying a court order. Per GA Code § 17-4-40, entities authorized to issue arrest warrants include magistrates, judges, and municipal officers with the power of a magistrate. Under Georgia law, an arrest warrant must only be issued based on probable cause.

Probable cause refers to reasonable grounds that a person is responsible for a crime that has been committed. Notwithstanding, law enforcement officers are authorized to make arrests without approval (through a warrant) if an offense is committed in their presence. Per GA Code § 17-4-41, an arrest warrant must contain the following:

• Name and description of the suspect
• Description of the alleged crime
• Date of issuance
• Name and signature of issuing authority
• Bail or bond conditions (if applicable).

Do Hart County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, there are no explicitly stated validity periods for arrest warrants. Once issued, a Hart County arrest warrant remains effective until the suspect is arrested or voluntarily surrenders themselves to law enforcement. Otherwise, an arrest warrant can only be rendered invalid if:

• A court recalls or quashes it
• The suspect dies
• New evidence surfaces, revealing the likelihood of the suspect's innocence
• The prosecutor drops the charges.