Hot Spring County Arrest Records

According to A.C.A. § 16-81-107, a qualified law enforcement official or a private individual may conduct an arrest within county limits. Under A.C.A. § 16-81-106, an arrest can only be made either pursuant to a warrant or without one. Arrests without warrants are permissible when there is probable cause to believe the individual has committed a felony and when a public offense is committed in the officer's presence.

Each time someone is arrested in Hot Spring County, the arresting officer records every detail of the incident, including the individual's personal information and the circumstances leading up to the arrest. These records are often available online and in person through the law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest, which also serves as the custodian of those records. The official documentation process creates what is known as arrest records.

County law enforcement agencies primarily manage Hot Spring County arrest records. However, if relevant to the judicial process, arrest information may also be featured within Hot Spring County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Hot Spring County?

Yes, arrest records are public in Hot Springs County in agreement with the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The act permits access to any criminal history information record created by law enforcement institutions in the state. The FOIA gives strict rules on how to store arrest records and make them available to the public. Members of the public have the right to request arrest records from any institution where they are stored. However, there are exceptions to the FOIA, certain types of arrest records are exempt from public disclosure, and they include:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Arrest records that are part of an ongoing criminal investigation
• Arrest Records of undercover Cops in cases of mistaken identity
• Medical records
• Arrest records of individuals involved in a witness protection program
• Personnel documents whose release would amount to an unjustified violation of privacy

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

An arrest record created by a booking department of law enforcement offices in Hot Spring County usually contains the following information:

• The name of the person who has been arrested.
• The last known address of the arrestee
• The date of birth of the arrested individual
• Gang affiliations of the arrestee
• The race, height, and skin color of the arrested person
• The time and date of the arrest
• Cause of the arrest
• A report of circumstances leading to the arrest
• The charges against the arrested persons
• Warrant number
• List of prior arrests and charges
• Booking ID
• Bail and bond information

Find Hot Spring County Arrest Records

Individuals can find Hot Spring County arrest records at any police department or law enforcement office in the county. Law enforcement in Hot Springs County operates a county-wide database that can be used to look up arrest records from law enforcement offices regardless of where the initial arrest was made. The departments within the offices that are in charge of these records are called records divisions or service bureaus. The Records Division is in charge of storing all court-related documents and criminal records. They assist citizens in obtaining information such as police and accident reports and process and enter all of the material produced by officers into digital databases.

Individuals can access arrest records by submitting a written request for the documents either in person or through the mail to any law enforcement office in the county. Requests must contain the following information, which will be used to search for the needle record.

• The name of the arrested individual.
• The date and time of the arrest.
• A notarized copy of the requester's ID card.

Law enforcement charges a fee of $2-$5 to access arrest records, which is determined by the number of copies requested. Individuals can also look up any person recently arrested by law enforcement in Hot Springs County using the inmate roster on the county sheriff's portal. This portal can also search for persons released from the Hot Spring County Sheriff's Office Detention Center within the last 48 hours.

Free Arrest Record Search in Hot Spring County

Anyone can perform a free arrest records search using third-party web platforms. Third-party websites are operated by privately owned companies that collect arrest records from different sources to provide access to these records as an online service. The appeal of third-party sites is that they are hosted on easy-to-use interfaces and available online, making them very convenient. Anyone can search for arrest records from these sites using only the person's name on the arrest document.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests will remain on a person's record forever until they take legal steps to have them erased. However, juvenile arrest records in Arkansas are sometimes automatically sealed when the offender turns 21, but this is only valid for one-time offenses and non-violent crimes. Expungement provides a way for individuals to remove arrest from their personal criminal history.

Expunge Hot Spring County Arrest Records

In Arkansas, expungement is the process of removing court and police records from the public domain. Expunged records from Hot Springs County will be sealed and handled as confidential; they won't be physically destroyed.

Anyone who wants to expunge their arrest records in Hot Spring, Arkansas, must first confirm their eligibility to request expunction. Those found guilty following an arrest may request expungement if their sentence was imposed per a statute that permits it and if they fulfilled all probationary requirements. In general, the following categories of persons are eligible for expungement:

• If someone has been arrested and charged with a crime, had the charges dropped or dismissed, or was found not guilty at trial, all of their arrest records, petitions, orders, docket sheets, and other case-related papers may be erased.
• If the court finds that it is in the best interests of the petitioner and the state, a person who was convicted of a non-violent felony while under the age of eighteen (18) may have their record wiped.
• If a person is found guilty of a misdemeanor offense, their record will be deleted unless the court shows compelling evidence to the contrary.

A person who has been found guilty of a capital offense, murder, rape, kidnapping, or serious robbery has no opportunity to seek expungement.

To apply for an expungement, a person must fill out an expungement petition form and submit it to the district court or Hot Springs circuit court along with the order to seal.

The prosecutor and the arresting agency will receive a copy of the petition once it has been submitted. The court must receive a notice of opposition from anyone opposing the sealing of the petitioner's record within 30 days of the petition being filed. The reason they don't want the record sealed must be explained. If no one objects, the court may grant the petition without holding a hearing. However, if the prosecutor files a notice of opposition, the court will schedule a hearing so the petitioner can appear before a judge. If the court decides that the petition is successful, it will sign an order and send it to the arresting agency to seal the records.

Hot Spring County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a document a public official issues that permits someone to be arrested and taken into custody. Arrest warrants are issued by judges or magistrates based on written or oral testimony by a law enforcement officer who provides evidence that a warrant is needed for a person's arrest. The warrant is issued and signed by the judge if they determine probable cause for the arrest based on the evidence presented. An arrest warrant issued by a judge in Hot Springs County usually includes the following information:

• The name of the wanted individual
• A mugshot and description of the accused person
• The name of the court that issued the warrant
• The time and date of issuance
• The unique warrant number
• The name of the issuing court and judge
• The crime the person is accused of committing

Do Hot Spring County Arrest Warrants Expire?

A Hot Spring County arrest warrant remains active forever until it is served on the wanted person and they are arrested or recalled by the court that issued it. No statute of limitation dictates a timeline within which a Hot Spring County arrest warrant must be executed.