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  1. Douglas County Court
  2. Douglas County Arrest Records

Douglas County, Georgia Arrest Records

Arrest records in Douglas County are official law enforcement records that document when a person was arrested, booked, charged with a crime, and other relevant identifying information. Law enforcement agencies generate these records at the time of arrest. This documentation may help the public understand local law enforcement activities and promote government accountability.

Most government records in Georgia are subject to the Georgia Open Records Act. Georgia also regulates the dissemination of Criminal History Record Information through the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC). Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34, established procedures and restrictions govern who may receive criminal history information, including arrest information, and under what circumstances.

Law enforcement agencies such as the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Douglasville Police Department are the primary authorities that maintain arrest records for Douglas County municipalities.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Douglas, Georgia?

Yes, under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.R.A.) and related laws, including O.C.G.A. sections 50-18-70 and 50-18-71, law enforcement records, including arrest records in Douglas County, are generally open to public inspection. However, O.C.G.A. section 50-18-72(a)(4) provides an exemption to certain types of documents from pending criminal investigations. However, this exemption does not include initial arrest reports or initial incident reports.

Anyone may submit a record request for a qualifying document, as they do not need to be a resident of Douglas County. According to Georgia's Attorney General, anyone who submits a request may access qualifying documents regardless of where they reside. Identification is typically not required to make a records request under the Open Records Act. However, some agencies may require identification or contact information in order to process or deliver requested documents.Hi

What Do Public Douglas County Arrest Records Contain?

Douglas County arrest records generally provide information about an individual's arrest and identity. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation states that a Georgia criminal history record may contain the following types of information.

  • The arrested person's name and other identification information
  • Their date of birth, sex, race, height, and weight
  • The date they were arrested and the police department that arrested them
  • Charges brought against them at the time of the arrest
  • Information related to booking and holding in custody
  • When available, court disposition information regarding the charges brought against them.

Note that not all information contained within arrest records will be available for public consumption. Agencies are permitted by Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, to withhold from disclosure or redact certain information protected by law. Examples of such include, but are not limited to:

  • Information considered confidential for an investigation
  • The identities of confidential sources
  • Any information that could potentially put another person in danger
  • Information protected by Privacy Laws
  • Juvenile Court records
  • Records restricted under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37
  • Materials sealed or restricted pursuant to court orders

Douglas County, Georgia Arrest Search

To find additional arrest information on an individual in Douglas County using sources outside the local jurisdiction, researchers may also consult state and federal criminal history systems. Statewide, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has established the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC). GCIC is the primary source for all arrest and Disposition data throughout Georgia.

According to the GBI, arrest data maintained by the GCIC includes the arresting agency, date of arrest, charges filed, identifying information, and final judicial dispositions of those Charges.

Individuals may also obtain a copy of their FBI Identification Record, also called a rap sheet. The rap sheet will contain fingerprint-based criminal-history information on prior qualifying arrests reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Douglas County Inmate Locator

An inmate lookup may help searchers confirm that a person's incarcerated and locate arrest records. Interested persons looking for a current arrest record in Douglas County may visit the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, which operates the county's law enforcement agency and adult detention center. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office keeps all booking and custody information for people held at the county jail.

People may search for an inmate held at the county jail by name and date of birth. This provides the most up-to-date inmate lookup and general information about their arrest, including the inmate's name, booking status, charges, and custody information. Searchers may also call the County Jail at 770-942-4333 or contact the jail directly to request any publicly releasable arrest or booking records.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is at:

8470 Earl D. Lee Boulevard

Douglasville, GA 30134

Phone: 770-942-2121

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Douglas County

The Douglas County Sheriff's Department Jail information web page provides an inmate search option that directs users to a free inmate search service. For records not available on the service, individuals may contact the Sheriff's Records Division to inspect records. The first 15 minutes of searching open records is free. Any additional time spent researching your request, along with copies of documents produced during the search process, will incur a charge.

Many real-world constraints limit free searching. Most daily arrest reports provide new data, so it would be very difficult to get an older list of arrests. Inmate searches typically require some form of identification, such as a name or inmate number. Free search results will not include confidential, restricted, sealed, or otherwise legally censored information.

Douglas County Arrest Report

An arrest record is usually a condensed version of an arrest as documented within a booking, custodial, or criminal history system. The arrest record may include:

  • The name of the arrested individual
  • Date of arrest
  • Arresting agency
  • Charges associated with the arrest
  • Booking information
  • Final disposition of all cases resulting from the arrest.

An arrest report, by contrast, is usually a document generated by law enforcement that documents the circumstances surrounding an arrest. This documentation may be very comprehensive and may include a written description of events leading up to the arrest and the officer's observations of the incident. It also includes descriptions of the arrested party's actions, names and contact information for any witnesses, and physical evidence collected during the arrest.

Both types of records are subject to availability under Georgia's Open Records Act, but the more detailed arrest report may be subject to greater restrictions.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Douglas County

Douglas County is bound by Georgia law on record restriction. This means that, rather than destroying an arrest record as in a typical expungement, the county will restrict disclosure of such records to the general public and most privately funded background searches. The County of Douglas specifically provides for this process under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37.

An applicant may be eligible if their case was dismissed, or they were acquitted, or the case was never prosecuted, or if their conviction was from one of several statutorily designated dispositions or convictions. For those arrested before July 1, 2013, the applicant must file with the original arresting agency. After July 1, 2013, the applicant may file with the prosecutor who originally had jurisdiction over the matter.

Applications may be obtained through the Douglas County Records Restriction Program. The District Attorney or Solicitor-General processes applications separately, depending on whether the charge was a felony or a misdemeanor.

How Do You Remove Douglas County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Removing a Douglas County arrest record from the web typically involves obtaining a record restriction under Georgia State Law. Under Georgia Code Section 35-3-37, certain arrest records may qualify for disclosure restrictions for employment or other non-criminal justice-related uses. However, restricting a criminal record does not remove or eliminate the actual record created by a governmental agency.

Georgia also offers an alternative method to remove some online arrest records for those who qualify. Under O.C.G.A. section 35-1-19, a law enforcement agency is required to remove a qualifying arrest booking photograph from its official public website once the appropriate statutory requirements are met.

Once a restriction of an arrest record is imposed, it will not automatically delete all copies of the record previously published online. Therefore, individuals may also need to provide proof to the party displaying the record that their arrest record has been restricted, sealed, or protected under applicable laws. Note that search engines will take a while to reflect the removal from the original source.