Jackson County Arrest Records

Arrest records are official entries documenting the details of people taken into custody. Law enforcement agencies maintain these records to provide historical references for arrests.

Members of the public search for arrest logs and information to locate recently apprehended loved ones, learn about release conditions, and research crime data. Prosecutors also use arrest records to charge alleged offenders, and defense attorneys use them to prepare defense strategies. Further, if a person wants to restrict their records from public access, they may need to review or provide their arrest records when submitting their petitions.

Jackson County arrest records can be obtained from law enforcement agencies at the local level. Individuals can also use resources dedicated to accessing Jackson County court records to obtain arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Jackson County?

Yes, Jackson County arrest records are public information. Georgia's Open Records Act permits members of the public to request these records from custodians, such as law enforcement departments. Ga. R. Super. Ct. 21 also declared that the public can review and copy court records, which may carry arrest information.

Notwithstanding, some arrest details are considered too sensitive to be released to the general public. These records include juvenile arrest records, medical records, details that expose certain victims and confidential sources, and records that jeopardize national or state security. Some documents can also be sealed by court order when courts determine that restricting such information outweighs the public interest in releasing it.

Be that as it may, case parties and their representatives, courts, and criminal justice agencies often have access to restricted records for investigative, administrative, and legal processes.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Custodians of Jackson County arrest records generally release the following details to the public:

• Arrestee's personal information, including name, sex, height, and weight
• Arrest date and time
• Booking number
• Detention status (whether in custody or released)
• Arrest date and time
• Arresting officer
• Total bond amount
• Number of days in custody
• Warrant number
• Offense details, including charges, the statute violated, counts, offense type, and charge description
• Court of appearance

Jackson County Arrest Statistics

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and other criminal justice agencies in Georgia do not post comprehensive arrest statistics online. However, members of the public can contact the Sheriff's office and local police departments to obtain these figures. People can also contact the GBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by fax at (404) 270-8463 or by email at ucrweb@gbi.ga.gov

Find Jackson County Arrest Records

One can access arrest records using methods offered by courts with criminal jurisdiction and local/state law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff's Office

The Sheriff's Office is the county's main law enforcement authority. It maintains arrest, inmate, and warrant records. The office's jail and administration divisions provide inmate and police records that may contain arrest details.

• Jail division: The Sheriff's jail division maintains information about recently arrested individuals in the office's custody. Most of these inmates are transferred to the county jail after being arrested by the Sheriff's Office and other local police departments. One can use the jail division's offender search webpage to find and look up an inmate's arrest information. The website, accessible from the jail division's Inmate Information page, contains booking statuses, number of days spent in jail, total bond amounts, arrest dates and times, and arresting officer information. Site visitors can also verify each inmate's charges, the violated statute, and the description of alleged offenses.

Those who want more details about detained individuals can visit or contact the jail division.

Further, open records requests can be made under Georgia's Open Records Act (O.C.G.A 50-18-71) to the Sheriff's Administration Division to retrieve arrest information. While copies cost 10 cents per page, requesters may incur other charges, such as covering staff time for the hours it takes to find requested records.

Jackson residents can also request their criminal history records, which bear arrest information, from the Sheriff's Administration Division. The process is completed in person, requires a photo ID, and costs $10.

Local Police Departments

Municipal police departments execute arrests within the boundaries of certain cities. These departments create records of people in their custody before transferring them to the county jail. For example, one can submit an open records request to the Jefferson City PD to obtain arrest information.

Georgia Department of Corrections

As explained, the state's Department of Corrections houses inmates serving prison sentences. The department allows members of the public to request sentencing information related to an offender using its Open Records Request portal. The portal is available through the department's website and is operated by a third-party vendor. Documents cost 10 cents per page. Requesters will also be expected to cover the hourly rate of the department staff that conducts the search.

Further, one can use the DOC's Find an Offender web platform. The site allows name and ID or case number searches. Search filters like gender, race, age, offense, conviction county, and physical descriptions are also available when searching by name. Results from the portal include the offense(s) and date(s) of occurrence, inmate's details, correctional institution, and conviction county.

Judicial System

Criminal case records show how an arrestee's case was resolved. They also contain details about ongoing trials for people charged by prosecutors. However, one can also access pertinent arrest information and details in a criminal court record.

Criminal cases are handled by local superior, state, and magistrate courts in Jackson County. The county's Superior Court has jurisdiction over serious criminal offenses such as felonies, the State Court handles traffic and misdemeanor violations, and the magistrate court hears lesser criminal cases like ordinance violations.

While these courts have different jurisdictions, their records are maintained by the county's Clerk of Courts. One can visit the clerk's office to request access to criminal trial documents or use the online criminal case search system.

The system's criminal search option allows site visitors to input case numbers, names, aliases, or citation numbers to initiate searches. The database shows case numbers, charges, offense description and violation code, offense and arrest dates, case disposition, judge, and court date. Individuals can also view certain documents, such as citations. However, printing and ordering certified copies of documents requires opening an account and paying assigned fees.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation

The Georgia Crime Information Center, a division of the GBI, is the state's repository for criminal records. Per O.C.G.A § 35-3-35, the GCIC is responsible for providing fingerprint-based criminal history record information to eligible employers, public agencies, and law enforcement bodies. These records contain arrest information generated about a particular subject across Georgia. Additionally, members of the public can use the Georgia Felon Search system to query the GCIC database for anyone's felony conviction records. The Felon Search requires a subject's full name, sex, date of birth, and race.

Federal Agencies

While local law enforcement authorities execute most arrests in Jackson County, federal agencies can also take suspected federal offenders into custody. Some suspects may be handed over to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Individuals can locate these suspects using the BOP's federal inmate search website. People can also visit the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website to locate individuals who have been held for immigration offenses.

Free Arrest Record Search in Jackson County

Individuals seeking free arrest records in Jackson County can access online resources provided by the Jackson County Clerk of Courts and Jackson County law enforcement departments. People looking for a suspect's holding facility can also use the free detainee or offender search systems operated by ICE, BOP, and the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Further, members of the public can visit third-party public records websites that offer arrest information for free. Most platforms collect these records from local law enforcement agencies and publish them online. One can search for arrestees by name or case number using these websites.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. While Georgia's expungement process allows an arrested person to limit public access to their records, most convicted individuals do not have access to the same relief. Also, expungement does not guarantee the destruction of records, as public agencies may acquire such records in the future.

Expunge Jackson County Arrest Records

Georgia law (O.C.G.A § 35-3-37) provides pathways for limiting public access to certain arrest records. Under these provisions, former arrestees can hide or seal their arrest records to apply for licenses, housing, and jobs without failing background checks. However, their records will not be permanently deleted from the state's criminal database, as certain agencies will still have access for criminal justice purposes.

Only the following individuals can restrict their records under the state's law:

• Persons who were arrested but never charged
• Individuals who were charged but had those charges dismissed or indefinitely postponed
• People whose criminal charges were dropped by prosecutors

Having a conviction within the last five years or an ongoing criminal case can disqualify those who meet the above conditions.

Expunging arrest records is a tripartite procedure if the arrest occurred before July 1, 2013. The first step involves completing the first section of the Request to Restrict Arrest Records form and sending it to the arresting agency. Individuals may have to provide details of their arrests and attach their criminal records at this stage.

The arresting police agency will complete the second section and send it to the prosecutor's office. Upon receiving the form, the prosecuting attorney will complete the third section and approve or reject the request within 90 days. If the prosecutor grants the petition, they will make the required entry into the GCIC database and notify the petitioner. However, the applicant may have to apply to the GCIC and pay a $25 fee if the prosecutor cannot access the database.

Anyone arrested after July 1, 2013, can apply directly to the prosecutor's office. In this case, the petitioner will use a form provided by the prosecuting attorney, such as the Jackson County District Attorney's office, Jackson County Solicitor's office, or Georgia's Attorney General's office.

Jackson County Arrest Warrants

Jackson County arrest warrants are legal documents issued by magistrates or judges authorizing police officers to take accused persons into custody. These documents are issued after law enforcement submits a complaint or a judge determines that an individual has violated a court order. Victims can also request the issuance of arrest warrants under O.C.G.A 17-4-40 if law enforcement did not arrest their alleged offenders.

Each warrant contains the date and county of issue, the suspect's name, the alleged offense, the executing agency, and the type of warrant (misdemeanor, felony, failure to appear, etc.).

Arrest warrants can be discovered through the Jackson Sheriff's Warrants division. The Sheriff's Most Wanted page lists alleged violent offenders with warrants for their arrests in Jackson County. Court records maintained by the clerk's office also contain arrest warrant details.

Do Jackson County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Jackson County arrest warrants remain active until named suspects are taken into custody or they clear their warrants. Judges can also squash warrants whenever suspects are exonerated.