Wayne County Arrest Records

The local law enforcement officers and agencies create Wayne County arrest records when they take someone into custody. The Wayne County Sheriff's Office is primarily responsible for law enforcement in the county. Other agencies that can carry out arrests in the county include the Georgia State Patrol, while the Jesup Police Department has jurisdiction within Jesup City. These enforcement agencies detain arrested persons at the Wayne County Jail.

Law enforcement officers make arrests in Wayne County, Georgia, when there is probable cause that a person has committed a crime. If the arrest leads to formal legal proceedings, the arrest record may become part of Wayne County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Wayne County?

In Wayne County, the Georgia Open Records Act, § 50-18-70, et seq, grants the public access to public records, including arrest records. However, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 exempts certain arrest-related records from being provided. Agencies may exempt the following records when requested:

• Records connected to an active criminal investigation
• Arrest records that are related to juvenile records
• Records that have been sealed or expunged
• Personal identifying information within the records

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office maintains the records at:

Wayne County Sheriff's Office
266 East Walnut Street
Jesup, GA 31546
Phone: (912) 427-5970
Fax: (912) 427-5972

Wayne County Arrest Statistics

The Wayne County Sheriff's Office compiles crime records in the county for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. These records show that there were 602 arrests made in 2023. Fifty-seven of these arrests were for violent crimes, 31 were for property crimes, and the others were for other crimes. Violent crimes included 54 simple assaults, two homicide offenses, and one sex offense. There was one murder and negligent homicide-related arrest during this period, but no robbery-related arrests. The property-related arrests included 14 for larceny and 4 for property destruction, damage, or vandalism.

Find Wayne County Arrest Records

Persons trying to locate inmates in Wayne County can use the Georgia Department of Corrections Offender Search. Users can query offenders by name, gender, race, age range, and the most recent institution they were held in, in this case, the Walton County Jail.

Persons looking for inmates in Wayne County can use the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator to find inmates in the Federal Correctional Institution, Jesup, which is located in the county.

Wayne County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Wayne County arrest records show the arrests of persons by law enforcement officials in the state. They detail the time, location, date of the arrest, and charges or suspected offenses. Arrest records include the mugshots of the arrested person, which the Wayne County Sheriff maintains.

Arrest records indicate when law enforcement takes an individual into custody, not whether a court finds them guilty of a crime. For example, a person can be arrested on suspicion of burglary but later released without being charged. However, the arrest will still appear on the person's record.

Criminal records, however, detail a person's history with the state or county's criminal justice system. They will show convictions, sentencing, arrest records, corrections or jail information, and court records of legal proceedings. Criminal records are also called "rap sheets". State or federal agencies typically maintain them.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Wayne County, per Georgia law, arrest records are not permanently destroyed or deleted and are continually available to criminal justice agencies and judicial officials. However, certain arrest records may be sealed or hidden from the public. Persons with restricted records (previously called expunged) can apply for licenses, jobs, and housing without their records showing up on background checks.

Records that qualify for restriction include certain misdemeanors and cases closed without a conviction. For arrests made on or after July 1, 2013, but dismissed before charges are filed, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) automatically imposes a restriction once notified that the case has been closed. Restriction is not automatic for arrests made before July 1, 2013. A request can be made to the GCIC using the Request to Restrict Arrest Records Instructions and Request Form.

While felony charges are discharged after a person pleads guilty to a misdemeanor, charges are restricted for four years. First-time felony offenders who may be sentenced to confinement or placed on probation do not have a criminal conviction under Georgia law § 42-8-62(a) after discharge.

Juveniles can seal their records under Georgia Code Ann. § 15-11-701. For cases discharged against juveniles, the records are automatically sealed. Juveniles adjudicated as unruly or delinquent must petition to have their records sealed.

Drug possessors and youthful misdemeanants (considered a juvenile when convicted) with no prior convictions can petition the courts to restrict their records. Their records will be available only to judicial officials and law enforcement, not employers running background checks. As of 2020, pardoned felons and adult misdemeanors can also apply for the restrictions and sealing of their conviction records, except in the case of sexual offenses and some serious violent felonies. Petitioners must file in the court where they were convicted. The prosecuting attorney is informed, and the court may request a hearing within 90 days. The court will grant a restriction if it determines during the hearing that harm to the individual is greater than the public interest in opting not to restrict the records.

For additional information on the process, the interested person can contact the Wayne County Clerk of Courts at:

Wayne County Clerk of Courts
174 North Brunswick Street
Jesup, GA 31546
Wayne County, Georgia
Phone: (912) 427-5930
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Wayne County Arrest Warrants

The Wayne County Magistrate Court typically issues Wayne County arrest warrants. They are legal documents that authorize law enforcement officers to detain a person suspected of committing a crime. Arrest warrants are based on probable cause, meaning there must be a reasonable basis to issue one, stating that the person named in the warrant is involved in a crime that has occurred. Or a planned crime is about to happen. Wayne County Arrest warrants include:

• The person's name in full and additional descriptions to aid identification
• Details of the crime for which they are suspected
• Description of the offense
• Probable cause statement
• Date and time of the issue of the warrant
• Issuing a law enforcement authority

Do Wayne County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Wayne County Arrest warrants do not expire. Once issued, they are valid indefinitely unless withdrawn, recalled by the judge, the person is arrested or turned over to the authorities, or the charges leading to the warrant are dropped or resolved in court. Note that where there are statutes of limitations, they are typically for the time frame between committing a crime and the start of criminal proceedings for the offense.

Persons who suspect a warrant for their arrest can consult an attorney for guidance or contact the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.