Johnson County Arrest Records

When people are taken into custody, Johnson County arrest records are primarily created by local and state law enforcement agencies. These records cover the cause of arrest (offenses and charges), location and time of arrest, and detention location. Police officers also document the names of the arresting agencies and officers, the arrestees' personal information (such as name, age, and physical description), and release information.

Arrest record searches are generally initiated to locate recently arrested persons and understand their release conditions. This information allows loved ones to help detainees post bail or prepare their criminal defense. However, members of the public can also seek arrest records for crime research, background searches, and case updates.

Interested parties can look through Johnson County court records for components of arrest data, such as warrants, bonds, complaints, and indictments. Law enforcement authorities also provide publicly available arrest information to requesters.

Are Arrest Records Public in Johnson County?

Yes, Members of the public are permitted to request arrest records kept by law enforcement per the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Administrative Order No. 19 also allows access to arrest information within court records. However, the FOIA, court rules, and other state and federal laws block access to certain sensitive records. Examples include the following:

• Social security numbers
• Passport and driver's license numbers
• Juvenile arrest information
• Details about confidential police informants
• Arrest information connected to ongoing law enforcement investigations
• Sealed court records
• Expunged and sealed arrest records
• Certain victim information

Be that as it may, restricted records can be accessed by parties with statutory permission. For example, law enforcement agencies and specific employers (like nursing homes and childcare centers) can view expunged criminal history records when evaluating prospective employees.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Publicly available arrest information include the following:

• Name, age, photograph, race, and sex of arrested persons
• Arrest date
• Alleged offenses
• Indictments
• Charges
• Court appearance dates
• Arresting officer
• Arresting agency
• Bonds (type and amount)
• Warrant type and issuing date

Johnson County Arrest Statistics

According to the 2023 Arrest by Contributor report published by the Arkansas Department of Public Safety, law enforcement made 168 arrests in Johnson County. Out of these arrests, 39 were attributed to aggravated assault, 106 were connected to simple assault, and 3 were in response to kidnapping/abduction. The Clarksville PD arrested 60 adults for simple assaults, while the Sheriff's Office and Lemar PD apprehended 43 and 3 adults, respectively, for the same offense. The most violent arrest in the same year, negligent manslaughter (one incident), was executed by the Johnson Sheriff's Office.

Find Johnson County Arrest Records

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office creates and maintains records of arrests made by sheriff deputies throughout the county. Individuals can contact the office to obtain publicly available arrest information. The office also oversees the county’s detention center at Porter Industrial Road, Suite 3, Clarksville, AR 72830, where arrestees from different law enforcement agencies within the county are held pending trial. One can visit the center or go to the Sheriff's Inmate Roster webpage to view details like arrest name, date of birth, arrest date, photograph, bond amount, and court appearance dates.

Police departments also keep records of arrests executed within city boundaries. These include the Clarksville and Lemar Police Departments. Individuals can contact these agencies, depending on where the arrest occurred.

The Arkansas Division of Corrections can be contacted for arrest records related to convicted individuals serving time in state Prisons. One can use the division's Inmate Search tool to look up each detainee’s sentencing information, including offense of conviction, county of conviction, sentence length, and sentence date. The ADC does not keep information about arrests that did not result in a state prison sentence.

As established earlier, Johnson County court records contain specific arrest details like warrants, summonses, indictments, and bond information. The circuit and district clerks can provide individuals with such information, depending on the court with jurisdiction over the specific case. Further, individuals can access the Arkansas judiciary’s online case information system to view arrest records like arrest warrant date and description, offenses, arrest dates, bond amounts and bondsmen, and defendant details.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the agency responsible for handling federal arrestees and detainees. It keeps these inmates in local jails or the custody of the U.S Bureau of Prisons. One can contact either agency for details about detained loved ones. However, arresting agencies like the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) also keep arrest information.

Free Arrest Record Search in Johnson County

Checking inmate and defendant arrest information through the Johnson County inmate roster page and the Arkansas case search system is free. Members of the public can also contact the county's circuit and district court clerks for inquiries about viewing physical copies of case records for free.

Alternatively, some third-party aggregate websites publish arrest information gathered from various police agencies for free. Individuals can usually perform free name searches on these platforms to view details about people arrested by different agencies. However, it should be noted that third-party sites do not represent law enforcement authorities. One should ideally confirm the authenticity of records obtained from these sites through official custodians.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever, While some people are permitted by law to apply for expungement, their records will remain under seal and can be accessed by specific parties. However, people who do not qualify for expungement will have permanent arrest records accessible to the general public.

Expunge Johnson County Arrest Records

An expungement removes qualifying criminal and arrest records from public access. Individuals who get relief through this legal process can deny the existence of such records without penalty. It should be noted that expungement in Arkansas does not permanently destroy anyone's arrest history. Instead, expunged records are sealed and considered confidential. However, these records can be provided to prosecutors when subjects are tried for other crimes. Certain employers, such as nursing homes, daycare centers, schools, and criminal justice agencies, can also receive sealed arrest and criminal records from the Arkansas Crime Information Center when screening potential employees.

Eligible petitioners include people who were acquitted, never charged (nolle prossed), or had dismissed cases after their arrests. Defendants who have satisfied the terms of probation, former convicts of certain misdemeanors and non-violent felonies, and persons who completed drug court programs can also apply for expungement. At the same time, some petitioners must meet specific, strict requirements to qualify for expungement. For instance, some misdemeanors can only be expunged 5 years after subjects complete their sentences (A.C.A. §16-90-904).

To start the expungement process, a qualified applicant must complete the specific Petition to Seal form and submit it to the Johnson County district or circuit court. A copy of the filed petition will be served to the arresting agency and prosecuting attorney, any of whom can file an objection within 30 days.

The petition may be granted if no one opposes it. However, a hearing date will be set if anyone files a notice of opposition.

Johnson County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document ordering law enforcement officers to apprehend and bring people before judges. Judges issue these court orders when people violate them or police officers accuse suspects of committing crimes. However, it should be noted that A.C.A § 16-81-106 permits law enforcement officers to arrest individuals without warrants when crimes are committed in their presence or they have probable cause to believe people have committed felonies.

According to A.C.A § 16-81-104, an arrest warrant must name or describe the subject of the warrant, explain the alleged offenses for which the warrant was issued, indicate the place of offense, and include the signature of the issuing judge or magistrate.

Since judges create warrants, individuals can contact the office of the local district or circuit clerk to find out if a warrant has been issued for anyone. People searching the Arkansas online case information system can view details about warrants, such as issuing dates and warrant type, but cannot access the contents of these documents online.

The Sheriff's Office publishes a list of wanted people who are subjects of arrest warrants for the alleged commission of serious felonies. The webpage shows images, names, and alleged offenses of each warrant subject. However, people can contact the sheriff for details about warrants issued for lower crimes like misdemeanors.

Do Johnson County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Johnson County arrest warrants are only returned when accused individuals are presented in courts in response to the arrest orders. However, judges can cancel warrants if defendants are declared innocent.