Monroe County Arrest Records

In Monroe County, Georgia, law enforcement officers are authorized by law to arrest people suspected of committing a crime. Monroe County arrest records are official records documenting the arrests within the county. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency in the county. Suspects arrested in Monroe County are usually held in the Monroe County Jail until they are arraigned before a judge.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office generates arrest records and answers public records requests. Arrest records and information may also be found in criminal histories in the custody of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or Monroe County Court Records held by the Clerk of Courts.

Are Arrest Records Public in Monroe County?

According to Georgia's Open Records Act, Monroe County arrest records are considered public information unless specifically exempt by the Act. This means such records may be obtained from their custodians by members of the public who make a request.

Records that may be restricted from public access by law include the following:

• Records under attorney-client privilege
• Records of ongoing criminal investigations
• Records that are exempt under state and federal statutes
• Arrest records concerning juveniles and minors
• Personal records, such as medical records, disclosure of which would be an invasion of privacy

It should be noted that restricted records may still be accessible if the requester obtains authorization, such as a court order.

Monroe County Arrest Statistics

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office compiles and submits crime data, such as arrest statistics, to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System. According to the data for 2023, the sheriff's office reported 368 arrests in total that year. The following details are included in the total. 73 arrests for drug offenses, 20 arrests for disorderly conduct, 19 arrests for simple assaults, 19 arrests for stolen property, 12 arrests for weapons violations, three arrests for aggravated assaults, three arrests for larceny, two arrests for motor vehicle thefts, two arrests for vandalism, and one arrest for burglary.

Find Monroe County Arrest Records

Monroe County arrest records and information may be found by contacting their custodians in the county, namely the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the Monroe County Jail. Inmate records may also be found on the Search Current Inmates section of the county jail website.
Offenders serving sentences in state facilities may be searched online in the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Offender Search database.

Information about inmates in federal prisons may be found using the Inmate Locator Tool managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Monroe County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Monroe County arrest and criminal records are both records that document an individual's experiences with law enforcement. An important difference between them is that arrest records are not proof of guilt, rather, they show that a person was taken in on suspicion of a crime. Criminal records, on the other hand, are only generated when a person passes through the full legal system, including court trials and jail time.

An arrest record is generated by the arresting agency and contains details of the arrest, such as descriptions of the suspect, crime, laws violated by the crime, booking information, bond details, and the arresting agency. Criminal records will show the suspect's full criminal history, and include all arrests, court trial details, verdicts, sentences, jail time, and any supervision terms like parole or probation.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Georgia, an arrest record will remain on a record indefinitely unless the record holder takes the steps to remove it. Georgia law offers interested parties a process to remove or seal records called expungement. If an individual's arrests meet certain criteria, then they may apply to have the arrest expunged or sealed. Expungement in Georgia does not destroy a record, but it seals it from public view or access.

Monroe County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants in Monroe County are official documents or court orders that instruct law enforcement to take into custody someone accused of a crime. For an arrest warrant to be issued, a law enforcement officer must apply to the court for the warrant, providing a sworn statement showing evidence that a crime was committed by the subject of the warrant. Warrant applications may also be made by private individuals or the victim of a crime.

A judge will review the application and the evidence to determine if there is a reasonable belief (probable cause) that the subject of the application committed the crime. Sometimes, the judge may put together a pre-warrant hearing to determine if the warrant is necessary. If the judge finds sufficient probable cause in the application and evidence, they will issue the warrant.

Warrants issued in Monroe County will include the following information:

• The full name and identifying information of the subject to be apprehended(physical description, date of birth, etc)
• The crime they are accused of and the specific statutes they broke
• It will show the evidence and probable cause that led to the warrant
• The time, date, and location where it was issued
• Information about the applicant who obtained the warrant
• The name, title, and signature of the judge or magistrate who issued the warrant

Do Monroe County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in Monroe County and the rest of Georgia do not expire. The warrant remains in effect until the subject gets arrested, surrenders, or the warrant is quashed or recalled by the judge at the court. For this reason, arrest warrants may be executed at any time, no matter how long it takes.

Expunge Monroe County Arrest Records

Expungement is the process that removes criminal records of arrests and convictions from an individual's public record. Expungement in Georgia is also known as record restriction or sealing. An applicant in Monroe County may qualify for expungement of arrest records if they meet the following criteria:

• The charges were dismissed
• The applicant was acquitted at a trial
• The prosecutor chose not to bring charges or prosecute the case

For arrests before July 2013, interested parties are required to apply for restriction with the arresting agency. They must fill out the Request to Restrict Arrest Form and forward it to the arresting agency to fill out section two, and finally to the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor will fill out the final section and approve or deny the application. If approved, the Prosecutor circulates the form to all parties concerned via the Georgia Crime Information Centre.

In some cases, the prosecutor will return the completed and approved form to the applicant to submit to the Georgia Crime Information Centre(GCIC). The approved form and $25 fee in money order or certified check payable to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation should be mailed to:

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

The GCIC will circulate the restriction approval and notify the applicant by mail when the restriction takes effect.

For arrests that occurred after July 2013, there is no application process. The applicant may directly contact the prosecutor's office. The restriction may be approved by the prosecutor at sentencing and will be noted in the documentation sent to the court at that time.