Cole County Arrest Records

Cole County arrest records are official files or documents created by local law enforcement departments when a person is taken into custody. These records typically detail a person's arrest history and comprise information, such as personal details (full name and date of birth), charges, arrest circumstances (time, location, and date of the arrest, and law enforcement officers involved), and incident reports.

Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 544.216 authorizes law enforcement officers to arrest any individual caught or suspected of committing a criminal offense. This crime may be classified as an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony. (Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 557.016).

Usually, Cole County law enforcement agencies create arrest records, maintain them, and provide access to the distinct arrest records they hold. These arrest records serve essential purposes, including providing employers and other legal entities with insights into a person's interaction with the justice system of Cole County. They are also used in courts to establish an individual's criminal history or inform sentencing or bail decisions. Also, they serve as public records, ensuring transparency in legal and law enforcement activities. For instance, arrest details may be featured within Cole County Court records, given their relevance to the county's judicial process.

Are Arrest Records Public in Cole County?

Yes. Cole County arrest records are classified under public records, and the Missouri Sunshine Law permits members of the public to request access to public records from law enforcement agencies. Thus, individuals can access arrest records from the Cole County Sheriff's Department. However, certain arrest information is restricted from public access by court order or state law. These details include:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Expunged records
• Records directly connected to ongoing investigations.
• Records comprising sensitive crime details (sexual offenses, violent crimes, or domestic violence)
• Arrest-without-charges records
• Medical records

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The information found in a Cole county arrest record include:

• The personal details of the suspect (full name, age, race, gender, and date of birth).
• The suspect's physical description
• The booking information.
• Details of the arrest (including date and time of the arrest)
• Information about the arresting agency
• Booking information, including a mugshot of the suspect, taken at the time of the arrest.
• Details of the charges filed against the suspect.
• Presiding court information (name and location)
• Bail amount, if applicable.

Cole County Arrest Statistics

In Cole County, arrest statistics reveal the trends in law enforcement agencies and the FBI's UCR arrest statistics. The 2024 arrest statistics for Missouri report 218,785 arrests at the time of this publication. Of that number, there were 84,561 reports of larceny-theft (38.65%), 80,741 assaults (36.90%), 29,612 were of motor vehicle theft (13.53%), 15,876 burglary incidents (7.26%), 3,294 robbery cases (1.51%) and 2,866 forcible rape incidents (1.31%).

Also, there have been 1,047 arson cases, 581 murders and non-negligent homicide cases (0.27%), 102 attempts to commit forcible rape (0.05%), 67 manslaughters by negligence (0.03%), 34 human trafficking - commercial sex act (0.02%), and 4 human trafficking involuntary servitude (0.002%).

Find Cole County Arrest Records

Interested members of the public may look up Cole County's arrest record at the local Sheriff's Department if this office conducted the arrest. The Cole County Sheriff's Office maintains an online inmate search portal where individuals can locate arrest details of anyone arrested and incarcerated. Inquirers may follow the steps below to obtain this record:

• Visit the Cole County Sheriff's website.
• Scroll down and locate the "Inmate Search Portal" link.
• Provide the name, subject number, and booking number of the suspect.
• Provide the booking range
• Choose whether the individual is still in custody or not.
• Choose the housing facility and click on "Search".

Alternatively, one may visit the physical address of the Cole County Sheriff's Department to obtain an arrest record directly. To do so, the researcher must provide the critical details for identifying the record (name, arrest/booking data), the access fees, and duplications.

Cole County Sheriff's Office

#350 E High Str.,
Jefferson City, MO 65101

The Missouri State Highway Patrol Office provides a statewide online search database for arrests done by its office. Requesters will need to:

• Visit the MSHP website
• Click on the "Missouri Automated Criminal History Site (MACHS)" link
• On the next page, locate "Name Search Portal" on the left side of the webpage.
• Log in to the platform
• Provide details of the arrest record, including name of suspect, county location of arrest, date, and booking number.
• Pay the fee for the search, $15/search.

Note: For all in-person arrest record requests, researchers must provide a valid means of identification.

Free Arrest Record Search in Cole County

Researchers may conduct a free arrest record search in Cole County by visiting the local police department where the booking was made. Requesters can usually access and inspect these arrest records without paying a fee.

Apart from performing an in-person request, some law enforcement agencies provide an online record search portal for accessing public arrest details at no cost. For instance, the Cole County Sheriff's Department's Inmate Search Portal enables researchers to retrieve arrest and incarceration details of individuals within their jail facility. Inquirers will need to provide at least an arrestee's name to facilitate the search.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Permanently. Information of arrests remains in an individual's record indefinitely, as there are no deadlines for erasure or purging arrest records. However, while law enforcement agencies in Cole County have records of retention schedules, they distribute arrest records to several other state and federal criminal justice departments, with each having its unique retention policies.

On the contrary, an individual can remove an arrest from their record by applying to seal or expunge the record.

Expunge Cole County Arrest Records

Missouri State Law permits certain record details to be expunged or sealed from public record access. However, while Cole County arrest records can be "sealed" or "expunged," these terms have different meanings, eligibility criteria, and implications.

Sealing of a record means that the court record is hidden from general public view but still exists. In Missouri State, law enforcement agencies use the term "closed" to imply that records are hidden from the general public but can still be accessed by courts, law enforcement, and specific employers. RSMo Section 610.105 outlines essential details about Sealing or Closing an arrest. A case can be restricted from public access when:

• It is dismissed without a conviction, or where charges were dismissed
• It is a non-violent infraction or misdemeanor, depending on the outcome of the court lawsuit.
• No formal charges were filed within a given period (typically within 30 days after an arrest).

On the other hand, expungement of a record means the complete removal or destruction of the criminal record from public access. RSMo Section 610.140 outlines the procedures for the application of expungement.

To be eligible for expungement, requesters must meet several criteria, such as:

• Completing required parole or probation (an applicant can apply for expungement three years after completing a felony sentence, three years after an arrest that did not result in a conviction, or one year after completing a misdemeanor sentence).
• Settling fines, court-ordered payments, and restitution
• The case party has not committed any additional crime during the waiting period or has committed a minor infraction.
• Their offense is considered eligible for expungment

Cole County Arrest Warrants

A Cole County arrest warrant is an official document issued by a magistrate or judge that enables law enforcement officers to arrest an individual. These warrants are issued when a law enforcement officer provides probable reason to believe that a suspect has committed a criminal offense.

In Missouri, an arrest warrant is typically issued in the following steps:

1. Law enforcement officers must provide probable cause or evidence that a suspect committed a crime or is about to commit a crime. This can be established by sworn testimony or a written complaint.
2. Presiding Judge or Magistrate's Approval: After carefully considering the facts, the judge or magistrate will decide whether to grant or deny the application.
3. Execution: If the judge grants the application by signing it, the arrest warrant then becomes valid for execution. (Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 544.020) outlines details on the issuance of an arrest warrant in Missouri.

The circumstances that can result in the issuance of a Cole County arrest warrant include:

• Investigation of a crime
• Felony charges
• Failure to appear in court
• Direct observation of a criminal offense
• Violation of parole or probation.

Typically, the details of a Cole County, Missouri, arrest warrant include:

• The suspect's name
• A brief description of the alleged criminal offense
• The judge or magistrate's signature
• Specific limitations or instructions
• The date of issuance of the warrant

Do Cole County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Immediately after issuing an arrest warrant in Cole County, the warrant remains indefinitely active until the suspect is apprehended, voluntarily turns themselves in, or dies. Also, the presiding court may recall or quash the warrant upon a case party's motion that the warrant is invalid or illegal.