Madison County Arrest Records

An arrest becomes necessary when law enforcement believes an individual has committed an offense. This arrest may be carried out with or without a warrant. According to Georgia Law, a police officer can arrest an individual without a warrant if they committed a crime in their presence or if they have reasonable cause to think the person committed it. After an arrest, the police take the apprehended individual to the Madison County Jail. At the county jail, the arrestee is booked and processed. This booking process is what creates an arrest record.

Madison County arrest records are official documents created by law enforcement after someone is arrested. They typically include information about the arrestee's physical attributes, the arresting body, and the duration. Arrest records serve several vital functions in the criminal justice system, such as promoting transparency in law enforcement operations and giving law enforcement a resource to identify and monitor criminal activity.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office produces and maintains arrest records. Record seekers can also find arrest records in Madison County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Madison County?

Georgia's Open Records Act allows for the dissemination of certain documents, including arrest records. The Act permits individuals to request and access public records from record custodians. However, as stated in § 50-18-72 of the Act, there are several exemptions to the arrest records people are allowed to request. The following are some instances of information or records that are exempt under the Georgia Open Records Act:

• Records of Juvenile Arrests
• Records specifically prohibited by a federal, state, or local law
• Documents about ongoing legal actions or police investigations
• Arrest records that are sealed or expunged
• According to O.C.G.A. Section 35-1-19, mugshots
• Sensitive personal data, such as a victim's name, address, or Social Security number.

Individuals can access arrest records at the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Madison County residents can also visit the office at the following address to obtain these records.

Madison County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff: J. Michael Moore
1436 Highway 98 West
P.O. Box 65
Danielsville, GA 30633
Phone: (706) 795-6202
Fax: (706) 795-2999

Madison County Arrest Statistics

In 2021, law enforcement agents made 347 arrests in Madison County. All arrests are classified as either violent or property-related. Madison County had 256 property crimes and 91 violent crimes in 2021.

Find Madison County Arrest Records

Interested parties can find Madison County inmate records at the County Jail. The county jail houses all arrested persons in Madison County. Interested parties can visit the County Jail at:

Madison County Jail
1436 Highway 98 West
Danielsville, GA 30633
Phone: (706) 795-6211

According to the Georgia Open Records Act, inmate records are regarded as public records in Georgia and are accessible through the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). Therefore, residents of Georgia State are permitted to see and copy inmate records within the state. Record seekers can locate inmates in the County Jail through the GDC’s offender search tool.

Madison County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Criminal records and arrests are both crucial in criminal proceedings. Every document depicts a distinct aspect of the criminal justice process. An arrest record, for example, details how a person was taken into custody by law authorities. It contains information about the charges against the individual and the arrest's date, time, and location.

On the other hand, a criminal record is much more thorough and contains information about every encounter a person has had with the criminal justice system. They contain information on a person's prior criminal history. It details crimes for which a person was convicted or entered a guilty plea. A criminal record also proves that the individual has been officially found guilty of a crime by a court. Record seekers can find information about convictions, punishments, and sentencing in criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Madison County, arrest records last forever. Georgia law does not allow for the automatic removal of arrests from a person's record after a predetermined period or meeting specific requirements. Furthermore, the law forbids the physical destruction of arrest records, and the two methods authorized to lessen the impact of an arrest record are "sealing" (for juvenile records) and "record restriction" (for adult records).

The record holder must ask for relief to either seal or restrict their record. If this request is approved, the record is hidden, as if the incident never happened. In other words, an arrest stays on a person's record indefinitely in Madison County.

Record limitation also prevents law enforcement from accessing those records for criminal justice purposes. Record limitation rules in the state are outlined in O.C.G.A. §35-3-37. According to Georgia law, arrest records that are eligible for restriction often result in no conviction or are eligible for misdemeanors. The date of an individual's arrest and the prosecutor's office or law enforcement agency that handled the case determine the process for obtaining a record restriction in Georgia.

Requests for record restriction should be directed to the arresting agency if the arrest occurred before July 1, 2013. There is no application procedure in cases where the arrest occurred on or after July 1, 2013. The record holder must contact the prosecuting attorney's office in the county where the arrest occurred. This office may be the solicitor, district attorney, or attorney general.

Madison County Arrest Warrants

In Madison County, police can detain someone they suspect of committing a crime by obtaining an arrest warrant from a court of jurisdiction. However, before the court can grant a warrant, the police must show probable cause with an affidavit and supporting paperwork. The warrant contains details on the suspected offense, physical attributes, full name, birth date, and the issuing judge.

People can visit the Madisons County Sheriff's Office to determine who has an outstanding warrant:

Madison County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff: J. Michael Moore
1436 Highway 98 West
P.O. Box 65
Danielsville, GA 30633
Phone: (706) 795-6202
Fax: (706) 795-2999

Do Madison County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Madison County arrest warrants remain valid indefinitely unless the person listed on the warrant is brought into custody, the judge or magistrate revokes the warrant, or the accusations against the accused are withdrawn.

To check if an arrest warrant is still pending, residents of Madison County can visit the Sheriff's Office website. As an alternative, customers might see the office at:

Madison County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff: J. Michael Moore
1436 Highway 98 West
P.O. Box 65
Danielsville, GA 30633
Phone: (706) 795-6202
Fax: (706) 795-2999