Georgia Arrest Records and Warrant Search
This article’s main goal is to present the most efficient way to find Georgia arrest records, warrants and court dockets. It is becoming more and more common these days to run a criminal record check on other people. It is quite understandable why people bother themselves with these checks. It does not stem from a desire to pry into others’ private affairs, but from a concern about personal safety. People, for example, wish to check if the nanny they hired for their kids has a criminal record. A woman who has just started seeing a new guy wants to find out if he has ever been convicted of a sexual offense.
How to perform a Georgia arrest records search
The best starting point to find jail records is the county's sheriff office. They keep track of all people incarcerated under their jurisdiction. Some sheriff websites (especially in large counties) provide an online inquiry tool that presents information on present and past inmates. For instance, you can locate Fulton County arrest records by referring to this page. Cobb County sheriff website also maintains an electronic database that enables users to carry out an inmate lookup. The above mentioned databases focus on county jails. To locate a person in the state's prison system, we recommend a wider Georgia inmate search by referring to the official website of the state's Department of Corrections where you can find a highly efficient inquiry tool. You have two available options: a simple search through GDC ID or case number. If you do not know them, you can perform an advanced search by name. You can limit your inquiry to current inmates or past inmates. Results show detailed prison records containing the following information:
- An inmate's aliases, case number, mugshot and personal details (including physical description)
- Incarceration history, convictions, booking and release date (sentence length)
- Charges filed against the inmate
- The facility where he or she has served time.
Carrying out a Georgia warrant search
Some searchers are interested in more than garnering information on arrests. They wish to increase the spectrum of their inquiry to include wanted people as well. And so they are looking for warrant information. Georgia warrants are, in fact, a legal authorization given to the police by the court to incarcerate a person. To issue a warrant, the police must present a judge (or magistrate) with sufficient evidence indicating a probable cause that a crime has indeed been committed by the particular individual they wish to apprehend. If the evidence is compelling, the judge will sign the warrant and make it active. GA warrants remain valid indefinitely until served and the suspect is taken into custody. Unfortunately there is no statewide warrant database and so searchers have to conduct their inquiry on a local level by turning to the sheriff office of each county. In most cases the sheriff's staff is willing to reveal the county's wanted persons list believing that sharing information with the public may expedite their criminal investigations. Those who insist on running their inquiry on the Internet, can make use of the felon search tool maintained by the GA Technology Authority. Results display a person's criminal history in the entire state. However, this service does not come cheap. Each search will cost you $15. In addition, you must know the subject's exact date of birth.
How to find court dockets
Georgia court records should be sought in the county where the judicial process has taken place. Searchers interested in a court disposition should turn to the Superior Court Clerk in their county. Some counties offer an online case search which searchers can use to locate civil and criminal records. For example, you can find Gwinnett County court records by referring to this address.
Conducting a Georgia sex offenders search
US Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act(known as SORNA), obligates all convicted sex offenders and sex predators to register their name in a public sex offenders database owned by the state. Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs an online sex offender registry (it can be found here) where anyone can trace people with a history of sex offenses (All you need is to type a name). Results include the subject's address and aliases. In many cases sex offenders can be traced with the help of the county sheriff. To keep the public safe, they are willing to reveal information on sex offenders upon request.