Walker County Arrest Records

Walker County law enforcement agencies may apprehend individuals caught or suspected of violating state laws. Depending on the crime, a suspect may be detained in the Walker County Jail, state or federal holding facility. In any case, the arresting agency will document the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

If an arrest results in court arraignment or trial, additional information will be available in Walker County court records and criminal history records. The relationship between Walker County arrest records, court records, and criminal records makes it easy for researchers to obtain a comprehensive report of a person's interactions with the criminal justice agencies in the county.

Are Arrest Records Public in Walker County?

Yes. According to the Georgia Open Records Act, Walker County arrest records are public records and may be obtained from the record custodian by interested members of the public. However, the public's right to inspect and copy Walker County arrest records is not absolute, as certain circumstances may call for the redaction or sealing of some arrest information and records.

Sensitive personal information, juvenile records, witness information, ongoing investigations, and sealed or expunged records are examples of arrest records and information that may be exempt. Access to these exempt records is usually by court order or a subpoena.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Walker County arrest records reveal vital information about an arrest, the arrestee, and the enforcement agency in charge of the arrest. A typical public arrest record in Walker County contains the following information:

• Complete name set, birth information, age, and race of the arrestee
• Aliases the suspect is known by if available
• Mugshots or photographs of the arrestee
• Physical descriptions of the arrestee - such as marks, tattoos, gender, height, weight, hair, eye or skin color
• Arrest date, time, and location
• Narrative of the events that necessitated the arrest, including probable cause and violated Statutes
• Charges brought against the arrestee
• Possessions or weapons retrieved during the arrest
• Information about the arrest warrant used for the arrest, if available
• Bond or bail information
• Booking and holding facility information, if applicable
• Name, title, rank, signature, and badge number of the arresting officer
• Details about the agency in charge of the arrest.

Walker County Arrest Statistics

The Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes arrest statistics and offense reports on the Crime Data Explorer website. This database contains arrest statistics collated from the law enforcement agencies in the various counties of the United States including Walker County.

From the most recent data published, Walker County had a total of 1,224 arrests between 2018 and 2019. Arrests for petty crimes (634) were most prevalent, followed by drug/narcotics offenses (405), simple assault (154), aggravated assault (92), and larceny (67). Most of the arrestees were within the age range of 25 to 55 and very few juvenile arrests were recorded.

Find Walker County Arrest Records

To obtain Walker County arrest records, one may need to query the law enforcement agency in charge of the arrest. The Walker County Sheriff's Office is usually the first point of call for reviewing arrest records within county limits.

The various law enforcement agencies in Walker County have different processes and fees for requesting arrest records, but the most common means of request are in-person, mail, and online.

Requestors may need to include the name of the arrestee, the birth date, or arrest information to facilitate an arrest record search. In addition, in-person requestors may be required to provide a valid means of identification at the custodial office. Requests for Walker County arrest records may be submitted to the Sheriff's Office at:

Walker County Sheriff's Office
105 South Duke Street
Lafayette GA 30728
Phone: (706) 638-1909

For arrests made at the state level, one may query the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC). Interested persons may find Walker County arrest records and information online on the GDC’s offender query portal. Inmate information can be obtained by entering a first/ last name, race, gender, age, ID/case number, and holding facility. Similarly, arrest information of federal inmates is available through the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Walker County

Residents of Walker County, under Georgia’s Open Records Act, have free access to arrest records just like other public records. Per the act, anyone may freely walk into a custodial office, such as the Sheriff's Office or local or state police departments, to inspect arrest records. While it may be possible to submit requests and inspect these records for free, retrieving copies of such records may incur fees.

The Sheriff's Office Automated Inmate Information System (AIS) may be used to obtain arrest and inmate information free of charge. In addition, there is an online daily jail intake log on the Sheriff's website. Researchers may examine these reports for free and extract desired arrest information.

Besides the government agencies, third-party online resources are another option for obtaining Walker County arrest records and inmate information. Many third-party sites allow users to look up arrest information for free. However, the results obtainable with a free search are limited as the bulk of the information is available to subscribers and paid users only. Hence to access a comprehensive report, one may need to subscribe or pay a one-time fee. Record seekers are to note that third-party websites are not government-affiliated. Hence, the authenticity, accuracy, completeness, and currentness of the information they contain may vary from official sources.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Walker County arrest records usually remain permanently part of a person's criminal history record unless a petition for expungement or sealing is granted. Without an expungement/sealing order, an arrest record created in Walker County will typically be open to the public for inspection and copying.

Expunge Walker County Arrest Records

Georgia Code §35-3-37 allows record subjects to file a petition to expunge (restrict) certain arrest records. However, Georgia laws prefer the term “restrict” to “expunge” because the affected records are not destroyed, but access to them is limited to enforcement agencies, prospective employers, and housing service providers. Walker County arrest records eligible for restriction include but are not limited to records of cases closed without a conviction or those related to certain misdemeanors.

The processing of an arrest record restriction depends on the arrest date, the arresting agency, and the prosecuting attorney. Restriction requests for arrests before July 1, 2013, are processed by the arresting agency. For arrests after July 1, 2013, there is no application process as the prosecuting attorney determines the restriction of such records. To request a restriction, eligible applicants may fill out a Request to Restrict Arrest Record form and submit it to the arresting agency, the prosecuting attorney, or a court of jurisdiction, usually the Walker County Superior Court. The prosecuting attorney or court of jurisdiction may grant or deny the petition after careful consideration. If a petition is denied, the petitioner may file an appeal with the Walker County Supreme Court within thirty days.

To ensure a successful restriction of a granted petition, the approved arrest record restriction form may be submitted alongside the necessary processing fees (payable by check or money order) to the Georgia Crime Information Center at:

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

Walker County Arrest Warrants

In Walker County, an arrest warrant is a court-issued legal document mandating a law enforcement agency to arrest and detain the subject of the warrant. An arrest warrant may also be issued for persons who fail to appear in court or breach probation rules. Per Georgia Code § 17-4-40, a Walker County arrest warrant is issued by any judicial officer with the legal powers of a magistrate.

To obtain an arrest warrant in Walker County, a law enforcement agent must present reasonable proof that the suspect committed or is about to commit the alleged criminal act. This reasonable proof, usually called a “Probable Cause,” must be submitted before the issuing official for review and approval. Once the probable cause is approved, an arrest warrant is issued for the arrest of the suspect. The contents of a Walker County arrest warrant as listed in § 17-4-41 include:

• The alleged offense
• The date, time, location and county the offense was committed
• The victim(s) of the crime
• An affidavit or statement describing the criminal offense
• The description of the stolen property, its value, and the name of the property owner (if the alleged offense is a theft).

Do Walker County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Walker County arrest warrants do not typically have statutes of limitation attached to them. Hence, an arrest warrant usually remains active until the suspect is apprehended or fulfills the bail conditions required in the warrant. Irrespective of the time it takes to make an arrest, a Walker County arrest warrant remains valid and enforceable. However, a court may decide to recall an issued warrant under certain legal conditions such as a willful surrender or the demise of the subject.