White County Arrest Records

Per A.C.A. § 16-81-107, An arrest is made in White County when a certified law enforcement officer or a private person places a defendant in restraint or submits to the custody of the arresting officer. An arrest can only be made in obedience to a warrant or without a warrant when (A.C.A. § 16-81-106).

• A public offense was committed in the officer's presence, and here is reasonable ground to believe the arrested person has committed a felony.
• The officer believes a person has committed battery upon another person, finds evidence of bodily harm, and there is a danger of violence unless the accused is arrested immediately.

Every time an arrest is made in White County, the arresting officer must record all information about the event and the arrested person, from the booking state to the sentencing and incarceration. These records are usually available online and in person at the White County Sheriff's Office, which happens to be the custodian of such records. Arrest records are also included in White County Court Records maintained by the Circuit Court.

Are Arrest Records Public in White County?

Yes. The Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) makes court records open to inspection and copying by any citizen of White County during the normal business hours of a law enforcement agency. However, requests from individuals who have pleaded guilty to or been found guilty of a felony and are housed in correctional facilities will be denied. The FOIA does not permit the dissemination of some arrest records, such as:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Medical records of incarcerated individuals
• Personnel records whose disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
• Undisclosed investigations by White County law enforcement agencies of suspected criminal activity
• Any record that reveals the identity of undercover law enforcement officers with their agencies and identified in the Arkansas Minimum Standards Office as undercover officers.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in White County contain information like the arrested person's mugshot, full name, sex, race and age, address, arrest date and time, charges, bond amount, and court date and name. This information is available online on the White County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) website, and copies can be obtained in person during business hours.

White County Arrest Statistics

The Arkansas Crime Information Center publishes annual arrest statistics gathered from all law enforcement agencies in the state. About 344 arrests were made in White County in 2023. That same year, Group A arrests totaled 257, and Group B arrests totaled 87.

Find White County Arrest Records

Record seekers can easily find White County arrest records online on state and federal law enforcement agencies' databases. Some agencies provide these services for free, but the information is usually unofficial. For example, the Arkansas Division of Correction (ADC) has an Inmate Search that inquirers can use to locate an arrested person by name, county, facility, ADC number, age, race, or gender. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also has an Online Detainee Locator System for locating incarcerated individuals using an A-Number or biographical information.

State and federal law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) have facilities across the state residents can visit to submit a request to obtain copies of arrest records. The record staff might require a name, arrest date, or number to locate the appropiate record. Copies of arrest records attract a small fee. The United States Capitol Police (USCP) and The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accept mail requests. They have forms on their website that must be downloaded, completed, and submitted alongside the appropriate fees or documentation required to process the quest.

Free Arrest Record Search in White County

Free arrest record searches are available online at the White County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) website. Click the Inmate Info tab at the top menu and locate the Inmate Roster to conduct the search. Choose the web or app version to view the list of current and new inmates and recent releases using a name or arrest date.

Several third-party vendors also have online databases where record holders can find arrest records for free. These free searches only return basic information useful in identifying the subjects of the records. However, users can pay a small fee to access comprehensive arrest records or download copies of them.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arkansas law does not provide a specific time length for arrests to remain on a person's record. The Sheriff's Office Record Retention Schedule (A.C.A. § 13-4-401) sets forth the minimum retention requirements for some arrest records maintained in the office. Below are some examples of how long a record can stay with the White County Sheriff's Office:

• Jail booking records such as fingerprint cards, jail detention logs, and booking photographs are retained for 5 years (A.C.A. § 13-4-404)
• Dispatch reports such as radio traffic logs, complaint cards, and incoming calls to the Sheriff's Office from the public are kept for at least 5 years (A.C.A. § 13-4-405)
• Criminal investigation documentation such as arrest and search warrant records, incident or offense reports, and investigative case files have different retention periods based on the level of the offense. For example, if the crime is:
  • Associated with a Class Y or Class A felony, it will be kept for thirty (30) years
  • Associated with a non-Class Y felony, it will be kept for at least ten (10) years
  • Associated with a misdemeanor or violation, it will be kept for at least three (3) years;
  • Associates with a civil matter or other noncriminal matter, it will be kept for at least three (3) years
  • Associated with the use of force by law enforcement, administrative proceedings, or law enforcement complaints, it will be kept for at least three (3) years.
• Audio, visual, and audiovisual media of criminal investigations are kept for at least thirty (30) days (A.C.A. § 13-4-403)

Expunge White County Arrest Records

In White County, expungement is the removal of arrest records from public inspection. Such records are usually not physically destroyed but sealed and deemed confidential. The following individuals may be eligible to expunge their arrest records in White County:

• Minors convicted of non-violent felonies
• Anyone whose criminal charges were dismissed or acquitted at trial
• A person who has completed their sentence for a misdemeanor offense five years ago
• Individuals who have completed their drug court programs and have received aftercare programming.
• A person who pleads guilty of controlled substance possessions and has completed their probation period.

Eligible individuals can petition to seal their arrest record with the White County Circuit or District Court where the crime was committed. They can file any of the following forms depending on the offense they are trying to expunge:

• Petition to Seal Arrest
• Petition to Seal Felony
• Petition to Seal Misdemeanors
• Petition to Dismiss and Seal First Offenders
• Petition to Seal Misdemeanor (driving or boating while intoxicated)
• Petition to Dismiss and Seal Offense in Pre-Adjudication Drug Court
• Petition to Dismiss and Seal Offense in Post-Adjudication Drug Court
• Petition to Seal Conviction for Possession of Controlled or Counterfeit Substance
• Petition to Seal Records of a Pardoned Offender or Pardoned Youthful Felony Offender
• Petition to Seal Records of Nolle Prosequi, Dismissals, Judgments of Acquittal, and Charges Not Filed

After filing the appropriate form, a copy will be sent to the arrest agency and the prosecutor. They have about 30 days to file a notice of opposition to the court. The court can grant the petition without a hearing if no one files an opposition. However, if there is an opposition to the expungement, the court will set a hearing date. The judge will sign the expungement order form if they approve the petition.

White County Arrest Warrants

Per AR Code § 16-81-104, only Circuit Court judges, District Court judges, or Magistrates are authorized to issue arrest warrants in Whilte County. Any law enforcement officer can execute these warrants. A judicial office will only issue arrest warrants when they have personal knowledge or information received on oath, which provides reasonable grounds to believe a person is charged with committing an offense. The arrest warrant must contain the name or the description of the offense committed by the accused and the county in which it was committed. It must command the officer to whom it was directed to arrest the accused and bring them before a judicial officer in the county where the offense was committed. The executing officer must write the time and manner in which the warrant was executed on the warrant and deliver it to the judge officer before whom the accused was brought.

Do White County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Many people think arrest warrants expire like search warrants, but that is untrue. White County arrest warrants do not expire and are not automatically deleted after a given period. They remain active until the subject of the warrant dies or the issuing judge recalls or quashes the warrant for some reason.