Meriwether County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Meriwether County, Georgia, document arrests made by law enforcement agents in the county. These records are generated and maintained by the arresting agents in Meriwether, such as the county sheriff's office. Those detained by the county sheriff in Meriwether are housed at the Meriwether Detention Center in Greenville.

Although Meriwether County arrest records are maintained by the sheriff's office, they may also be found at other agencies. Arrest records and information may also be found as part of Meriwether County Court Records, maintained by the county Clerk of Courts, and criminal histories handled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Are Arrest Records Public in Meriwether County?

Under Georgia's Open Records Act, Meriwether County arrest records are classified as public records unless the information is specifically restricted by the records act. The Public Records Act also permits record custodians to charge a reasonable fee for copies of records supplied to the requester.

Records exempt from public access by the Act may include the following:

• Records of arrests involving juveniles or minors
• Medical records and other private records, the release of which would cause an unwarranted invasion of privacy
• Records detailing ongoing criminal investigations
• Records that are restricted by federal and state laws
• Records that fall under attorney-client privilege

Meriwether County Arrest Statistics

The Meriwether County Sheriff's Office sends yearly arrest statistics to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program. According to the data for 2023, the sheriff's office reported 254 arrests that year. The total includes 28 arrests for drug possession, 19 arrests for DUI offenses, 17 arrests for simple assault, 11 arrests for disorderly conduct, nine arrests for larceny, eight arrests for aggravated assault, six arrests for burglary, two arrests for rape, and one arrest each for weapons violation, fraud, and murder.

Find Meriwether County Arrest Records

Record seekers may be able to find Meriwether County arrest records by contacting the Meriwether County Sheriff's Office Jail Division. Requests may be made by visiting the office in person at:

Meriwether County Sheriff
17400 Roosevelt Hwy
Greenville, GA 30222

Requests may also call the office ahead of their request at (706) 672-6656 for information about records availability, request procedure, and copy fees. The sheriff's office also provides a link to the Sex Offender Registry, where visitors may look up offenders registered in the county.

Record seekers seeking inmates held in state-run facilities may be searched online using the Offender Search tool maintained by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) also provides an online Inmate Locator that record seekers may use to search for offenders housed in federal prisons.

Meriwether County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Meriwether County arrest records document a person's arrests in the county. They generally contain information about the arrest, including the suspect's description, crime committed, charges filed, arresting agency/agents, and booking information. Arrest records do not prove guilt but show a person was once detained on suspicion of a crime.

On the other hand, criminal records prove a person's guilt as they are generated when the offender fully passes through the legal system, including trials and sentencing. A criminal record will detail a person's full criminal history, including arrests, case details, trial verdicts, sentencing, prison time, and any other supervision such as probation or parole.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Meriwether and the rest of Georgia, arrest records typically remain on a person's record indefinitely unless steps are taken to remove them. Georgia law offers people the option to remove certain offenses from their records via a process called expungement. If a person's arrests meet certain criteria, such as dismissed cases or acquittals, they may petition to have the offense expunged from their record. Expungement in Georgia does not destroy a record; it restricts it from public access, though law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies may still have access to it.

Meriwether County Arrest Warrants

Merriwether County arrest warrants are legal documents or court orders authorizing law enforcement to apprehend and detain a person accused of a crime. To obtain an arrest warrant, law enforcement or private citizens typically must apply to the court by providing a sworn statement showing evidence that a crime was committed by the accused named in the statement. Victims of a crime may also request an arrest warrant.

The judge of the court will review the application and evidence provided to determine if there is probable cause/belief that the accused committed the crime. If necessary, the judge may order a pre-warrant hearing to determine if a warrant is necessary. If satisfied with the evidence provided in the application, the judge will issue the arrest warrant for the accused.

Arrest warrants issued in Meriwether County will contain the following:

• The full name and description(physical description and biometrics) of the accused
• Information about the applicant who obtained the warrant
• The crime the accused committed and the Georgia statute it breaks
• The evidence and probable cause that led to the issuance of the warrant
• The time, date, and location where the warrant was issued
• The name, title, and signature of the magistrate or judge who issued the arrest warrant

Do Meriwether County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in Meriwether and the rest of Georgia remain active permanently. There is no statute of limitations for warrants, and they remain in effect until the subject of the warrant is apprehended, voluntarily surrenders, or the warrant is cancelled by a judge at the issuing court.

Expunge Meriwether County Arrest Records

Expungement is a process where offenses on a person's record that meet the criteria may be removed from public access. In Georgia, expungement and sealing are the same thing. An applicant in Meriwether may apply for an expungement if the offence qualifies, they complete the waiting period, and have no convictions or pending cases during that time. Some criteria and waiting periods for expungement include the following:

• If the charges from the arrest were dismissed or not prosecuted for any reason, applicants may apply for expungement after 2 years for misdemeanors and 4 years for felonies.
• Up to two misdemeanor convictions may be sealed four years after completing the sentence and all supervision and probation.
• Felonies that qualify may be sealed 7 years after completing the sentence and any supervision.

To apply for an expungement for an arrest before July 2013, the applicant typically must contact the arresting agency. They fill out the Request to Restrict Arrest Form and send it to the agency to fill in their section and forward it to the prosecutors' office in Meriwether to complete the final section to approve or deny the request. If the request is approved, the prosecutor's office will send the form to the Georgia Crime Information Centre to circulate it to all concerned parties so the record is sealed.

Sometimes the prosecutor may return a completed and approved request to the applicant. The applicant typically must mail the approved form and a $25 fee in a certified check or money order payable to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to:

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

The GCIC will contact all concerned parties and circulate the expungement approval. The applicant will be notified by mail when it takes effect. For arrests after July 2013, Expungement approvals are made at sentencing and will be noted in the court documentation at the time. The applicant simply contacts the prosecutor's office directly and requests that the expungement take effect.