Richmond County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Richmond County, Georgia, are created when prosecutors or police officers secure warrants to bring individuals before courts. In some cases, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office or local police officers can apprehend individuals without warrants, provided they have probable cause to execute the arrest.

The arrestee's name and other personal identifying information will be documented before their confinement, and a booking number will be assigned. The suspect's crime and other details about their arrest and detention will also be recorded in an arrest form or report. If the suspect is charged in court, the arrest record will be submitted to the court and become part of the Richmond County court records.

People who search for arrest records typically need them to secure their loved one's release and prepare for trial. Individuals also research arrest records as part of their background checks when evaluating whether a candidate is suitable for sensitive healthcare, security, and finance roles. Further, people who want to clear their arrest record through expungement proceedings must attach their arrest and criminal records to the court petition.

Are Arrest Records Public in Richmond County?

Yes. Richmond County arrest records are considered public information under the Georgia Open Records Act. This law requires law enforcement agencies to honor the public's right to inspect and request copies of arrest records.

However, members of the public must note that they do not have complete access to arrest records in the possession of law enforcement officers and other criminal justice agencies. That is because some information is protected by law and can only be viewed by permitted entities.

These restricted records are outlined in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 and include:

• Arrest data tied to ongoing and sensitive law enforcement investigation
• Information about certain victims and confidential informants
• Juvenile arrest records and criminal proceedings
• Personal details like Social Security, driver's license, and passport numbers
• Financial information the release of which can have damaging consequences
• Sealed and expunged criminal and arrest records
• Other records restricted explicitly by federal law or court rule

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Richmond County criminal justice agencies are permitted to release the following arrest records to members of the public:

• Arrestee's personal identifying information
• Arrest date, time, and location
• Arresting agency
• Alleged offenses
• Booking number
• Bond amount
• Next court appearance

Richmond County Crime Rate

According to the 2023 Crime Statistics Summary Report released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Augusta-Richmond County area recorded 8,074 crime incidents and a crime rate of 38.98 per 1,000 residents in 2023. The offense breakdown is as follows:

• Murder: 44
• Arson: 29
• Motor vehicle theft: 889
• Larceny-theft: 5,101
• Burglary: 866
• Aggravated assault: 878
• Robbery: 159
• Rape: 108

Richmond County Arrest Statistics

As seen with the offense statistics, specific arrest statistics covering Richmond County are unavailable online through the GBI. People can request such data through the Sheriff's Office by filling out a request form and emailing it to rcsointel@augustaga.gov. Requesters are required to indicate their name and contact information, the statistics' date range, the query's specific location (like a street address), and specific offenses (if applicable).

Find Richmond County Arrest Records

Arrest records are generally produced by local law enforcement and transferred to courts when individuals are charged. However, they can also be found in the possession of jails and correctional facilities.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office oversees the county jail, executes arrests, transports pretrial inmates to and from courthouses, and compiles arrest data created within the county.

People can use the office's Inmate Inquiry portal to search for individuals currently confined in the county's detention facility. The portal allows users to assess a list of recent bookings and search for inmates by name. Search results reveal details such as the charges, bond amount, and inmate biodata.

Apart from viewing inmate details online, individuals can contact the Sheriff's Jail Division directly to obtain details they cannot find on the portal. Another option is contacting the Sheriff's Office Records Bureau to find information not maintained by the Jail Division. The Bureau also processes personal criminal records checks and incident report requests.

Another option is using the Sheriff's Open Records Request method. It involves submitting the following details to the office via mail, email, or in person:

• Requesting party's name, return address, and phone number
• Type of information one wants to obtain
• Information that can help the office locate the record, such as case numbers, names, locations, dates, and pertinent descriptions
• Reference of the Georgia or federal law under which the request is being made

Georgia Department of Corrections

The Department of Corrections houses people who have been found guilty and serving a sentence. People can use the Offender Search tool to find information on inmates in its custody. They can search by name or case number to view an inmate's offense, conviction county, commitment date, correctional facility, and release information. The system also lists a state inmate's incarceration history if they have been arrested and convicted for multiple crimes.

People who want more details can submit Open Records Requests to the DOC.

Federal Agencies

Richmond County residents who are suspected of breaking federal laws can also be arrested by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau), DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), and ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs). Arrest details on such people will not be found through local law enforcement agencies or courts. Instead, information can be obtained by contacting the arresting agency or using the search option provided by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The U.S. Marshals Service sometimes executes arrests where federal arrest warrants are issued. Individuals may be unable to collect such arrest information as they are often restricted. However, persons who have been arrested can contact these agencies for their records. The FBI particularly runs criminal history checks at the request of eligible parties who want to verify their nationwide criminal records. ICE also allows people to find individuals in its custody using the Online Detainee Locator System.

Free Arrest Record Search in Richmond County

There are multiple ways to obtain arrest records for free, depending on the type of data one seeks. As long as the record is public and available online, people can inspect them for free. For example, the Sheriff's Inmate Inquiry tool and ICE's Detainee Locator system are free to the public.

Additionally, certain third-party websites that provide public records release arrest information to consumers free of charge. While these are not affiliated with criminal justice agencies, they compiled these records from them.

Get Richmond County Criminal Records

A person's criminal record in Richmond County includes arrest and court information generated during criminal justice proceedings. These records can be obtained from different offices.

For instance, the Clerk of Superior, State, and Juvenile Courts in Richmond provides online and offline methods for finding criminal court records. The online method involves using the office's Case Management Search. The tool allows individuals to look up criminal cases by case number, name, alias, or citation number. Site users can indicate whether they want to search superior or state court records and use a date range for specific cases. The database shows the case number, defendant and judge names, case status, filing dates, and next court date (if applicable). Expanding a specific case reveals the charges the person was arrested for, violation code, offense and arrest dates, sentence and fines (if applicable), and disposition type.

People who want to obtain copies of criminal case records or view documents can contact the clerk's office:

Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Court
735 James Brown Boulevard
Suite 1500
Augusta, GA 30901
Phone: (706) 821-2460
Fax: (706) 821-2448

Individuals can contact the Richmond Magistrate Clerk of Court for minor traffic misdemeanors to ask about inspecting the records.

Criminal history checks are another way to obtain comprehensive criminal records. The Georgia Crime Information Center primarily offers services under the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. However, individuals must go through the Sheriff's Office to process their background check requests.

Each background check costs $10. Requesters are required to appear in person and be Richmond County residents. The office requires a completed consent form and valid ID (including an original social security card).

The Sheriff's Office will run the checks for employment, volunteering (non-profits, recreational departments, churches, etc.), certain personal reasons (apartment or housing not included), and record restriction applications. Interested parties can call (706) 821-1010 for more information.

Richmond County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are different because of the depth of information they contain. Arrest records only cover details surrounding people's apprehension and confinement. These do not imply that the subjects were found guilty of committing the crimes they were accused of, nor do they contain evidence that proves such notions.

However, criminal records, also called criminal history information, contain arrest information and detailed documentation of each subject's court trial and outcome, sentences resulting from guilty verdicts, correctional supervision, and post-conviction activities (like parole).

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest information does not generally expire unless the subject applies to have it restricted or sealed. However, some records may only be retained for a specific period by local law enforcement agencies. This, however, does not mean that the records are erased from a person's criminal history or will not exist within the files of other agencies.

Expunge Richmond County Arrest Records

Expungement proceedings are called record restriction applications in Georgia. These processes are initiated to restrict criminal and arrest records from public access. Restricted information will not appear in criminal history searches but will be available to law enforcement agencies, criminal justice departments, and courts when required for certain criminal processes.

Most arrests that never resulted in convictions or guilty pleas in Richmond can be restricted, barring specific exemptions in O.C.G.A. §35-3-37. Only a small number of conviction records are eligible for record restriction.

If an individual's arrest occurred before July 1, 2013, they must contact the arresting agency to apply for the record restriction. In this case, they can complete the Request to Restrict Arrest Record form, which contains these three sections:

• Section 1: To be completed by the petitioner. They must provide their name, social security number, contact information, arresting agency, date of arrest, offense(s) arrested for, and their signature.
• Section 2: To be filled out by the arresting agency and forwarded to the prosecutor's office.
• Section 3: To be completed by the prosecutor after approving the petition. The prosecutor will also enter the disposition code into the Georgia Crime Information Center's (GCIC) system and notify the applicant. If the prosecuting attorney does not have access to the GCIC system, they may return the form to the arresting agency, which will then notify the applicant and advise them to apply directly to the GCIC.

Submitting the application to the GCIC involves mailing the approved form and a $25 check or money order addressed to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to:

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

If an individual's arrest occurred on or after July 1, 2013, they must contact the prosecutor's office directly to expunge the record.

Richmond County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a judicial order instructing the apprehension and detention of named individuals. These individuals may have been accused of breaking a law, violating a court order, failing to appear in court, or defying their parole or probation.

Arrest warrants can be issued by a magistrate or judge after reviewing affidavits submitted by law enforcement agencies or confirming that an individual has violated a court order. In Richmond, warrant applications are usually processed by the following civil court's office:

The Warrant Office
735 James Brown Boulevard
Suite 1400
Augusta, GA 30901
Phone: (706) 821-1051

Law enforcement affidavits seeking to secure warrants must contain the following:

• Name and description of the alleged offense
• Date and time when the offense was committed
• County where the suspect violated the law
• Victim, description, and value of stolen property
• Affected victim

Warrants typically name or describe the accused individual, state the alleged offense(s), display the issuing date, and contain the signature of the issuing judge.

Richmond County Arrest Warrant Search

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office is responsible for executing arrest warrants in the county. Individuals involved in court proceedings can contact the office by phone or in-person to check if they have warrants issued for their arrests. Richmond County residents can also contact the office to inquire about warrants issued for other people.

Do Richmond County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants stay active indefinitely; they do not expire. However, a judge can recall an arrest warrant if the subject is later found innocent.