Union County Arrest Records

When law enforcement officers in Union County, Arkansas, have good reason to suspect someone of committing a crime or endangering the public's safety, they make an arrest. Arrests may be made in response to a judge's warrant, observed infractions, or investigations that produce probable cause. After being arrested, people are usually detained at the Union County Detention Center, which the Union County Sheriff's Office runs. Inmates serving brief terms or awaiting trial are housed in this prison.

The sheriff's office also creates arrest records, including incident details, charges, and detainee information. Due to their importance in court processes and their potential to affect case results, arrest records frequently constitute a subset of Union County Court Records. The interconnection of arrest records with other public records, including criminal and court records, offers a thorough understanding of court cases and personal histories.

Are Arrest Records Public in Union County?

Indeed, under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and Section 12-6-701 Arkansas Code, Union County arrest records are considered public records and available for public inspection upon request. Nonetheless, certain portions of the records are not considered public records, and these include:

• Documents that a court order has sealed.
• Ongoing inquiries by law enforcement.
• Unreported police inquiries.
• Law enforcement covert agents' identities.
• Documentation of law enforcement personnel's fatalities.
• Details of juvenile arrests.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Union County, Arkansas, public arrest records often contain the following details:

• Details on the arrestee, such as name, address, age, and gender.
• Information on the arrest, including the date, time, and place.
• The charges against the subject; which are descriptions of the alleged offense or offenses.
• The reservation details, including the time, date, and any applicable bail sum.
• The law enforcement organization that made the arrest

Arkansas Code Section 25-19-105, which specifies what content should be kept secret and what should be made public, governs these data under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Union County Arrest Statistics

The Department of Public Safety releases annual arrest data for Arkansas counties. The agency's report states 2,139 arrests were made in Union County in 2023. Adult arrests comprised 1,846 (86.3%) of that total, while juvenile arrests comprised 293 (13.7%).

Section-A crimes against property, such as arson, fraud, bribery, etc., accounted for 102 (4.7%) of the total number of arrests; section-B crimes against property, such as robbery, all forms of theft, motor vehicle theft, etc., accounted for 145 (6.7%); crimes against society, such as prostitution, animal cruelty, and drug/narcotic violations, accounted for 834 (38.9%); and group B arrests, such as DUI, trespass, and peeping tom, made up 639 (29.8%).

The crime with the highest number of arrests, 384 (17.9%), is "all other offenses" under group B arrests.

Find Union County Arrest Records

State and federal resources for public inmate searches can be used to locate arrest records in Union County, Arkansas. Arrests are often handled by the county's local law enforcement agency, which is the perfect place to start looking for county arrest records.

Interested parties can reach the Union County Sheriff's Office by phone, in person, or online for jail records and other arrest details. Requesters can visit the office at 250 American Road, El Dorado, AR 71730, or call (870) 864-1970. The public can view online arrest logs, daily inmate rosters, and active warrants on the Sheriff's Office's official website. The El Dorado Police Department also provides the public with details about those who have active arrest warrants, including their name, address, charges, and bond.

The Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) offers an online inmate search service at the state level. Interested persons may visit the Department's official website and view incarceration details by entering the person's name, ADC number, or other identifying information.

For records at the federal level, utilize the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator, which is available via the BOP website. This tool is quite helpful when looking for people incarcerated in federal prisons. To get an individual's status, just enter their name or Bureau of Prisons number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Union County

Arrest logs and inmate rosters may be accessed online through the Sheriff's Office, which offers free access to arrest records from Union County, Arkansas. As mentioned in the previous section, the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) provides a free Inmate Search Tool for state-level searches on its official website. It requires basic information such as the individual's name or ADC number.

In addition, free arrest and custody status updates are available throughout Arkansas via third-party websites. These platforms frequently provide notifications for status changes and let users search by name. Third-party websites, however, might not be as current as official sources.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Unless erased or sealed by a court order, arrests in Arkansas usually stay on a person's record permanently. Unless legally erased, arrest records are kept as part of public records by Union County law enforcement under state regulations.

Expunge Union County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Arkansas can be sealed or expunged to restrict public access, albeit their purposes and outcomes are different. Records that are sealed are not visible to the general public, but they are still accessible to specific organizations, such as courts or law enforcement. Although "sealing" is more frequently used in state statutes, expungement, which is sometimes used interchangeably with sealing in Arkansas law, generally means that the record is regarded as though it never happened.

According to Arkansas Code § 16-90-1401 to § 16-90-1419, which also includes procedure regulations, filing costs, and the consequences of sealing or expungement, arrest records in Union County may be sealed if eligibility requirements are satisfied. Those who have been arrested but not found guilty, those who have committed specific misdemeanors, and those who have successfully finished probation or diversion programs are all eligible.

The procedure is submitting a petition to the Union County Circuit or District Court to seal records, informing the prosecutor, who may object, and, if necessary, attending a hearing where a judge makes a decision based on eligibility and public interest. After approval, the record is sealed, preventing the general public from viewing it but permitting access by specific authorities.

Union County Arrest Warrant Search

In Union County, Arkansas, an arrest warrant is a court order that a judge or magistrate issues that gives law enforcement permission to arrest a certain person. If there is probable cause or the offense is committed while the officer is present, they may arrest without a warrant. According to Arkansas Code Section 16-81-104, authorities often get a warrant by presenting a judge with an affidavit proving probable cause.

In Union County, an arrest warrant usually consists of:

• The name or other identifying details of the defendant
• The alleged transgression
• The place and date of issue
• The title and signature of the judge
• The warrant is issued by the court.
• Conditions of bail, if any

To find out if there are any active warrants, those with the appropriate identification can either visit the Union County Sheriff's Office in person or look for active warrants online. Due to privacy considerations, warrant information is typically not provided over the phone. Additionally, records can be accessible through Union County Circuit Court, which offers case lookup services both online and in person. Access may require the individual's name or case number.

Do Union County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in Union County, Arkansas, typically never expire. A warrant issued by a judge is valid until law enforcement executes it or the court recalls it. Its legitimacy could be impacted by charges being dropped, modifications to the underlying case, or procedural flaws in its issuance. Even though warrants are usually enforceable indefinitely, people are encouraged to resolve them as soon as possible because they may result in an arrest years after they are issued.