Scott County Arrest Records

Scott County arrest records contain details of the apprehension and detention of individuals within county limits. Under Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo) Chapter 544, a law enforcement officer can arrest an individual if they possess a warrant for the individual's arrest. Notwithstanding, an arrest may be made without a warrant when the arresting officer has reasonable grounds to believe the individual to be arrested has committed a crime.

Generally, law enforcement agencies create and maintain Scott County arrest records after they make arrests within the county. These include local agencies like the Scott County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments, as well as state and federal agencies like the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. These agencies preserve arrest records and use them in different capacities, including compiling Missouri criminal records and other offical reports. Furthermore, Scott County arrest records are usually reported to the Missouri Judiciary, specifically the local court with proper jurisdiction over any criminal case related to the arrest. As a result, information found in arrest records may be featured in Scott County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Scott County?

Yes. Under RSMo Chapter 610, also known as Missouri Sunshine laws, all records of public government bodies, including law enforcement agencies, are open to the public except when the record is otherwise exempted by law. Additionally, RSMo § 610.100 states that all incident reports and arrest reports maintained by law enforcement agencies are open to the public.

Nonetheless, law enforcement agencies can limit or restrict public access to specific records pursuant to RSMo § 610.120 and other applicable state or federal statutes. Examples of records that are usually prohibited from being publicly accessible include sealed or expunged arrest records, juvenile arrest records, records subject to non-disclosure laws, and records connected to legal actions against a public body.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Information record seekers can expect to find in Scott County arrest records include:

• The arrestee's personal information;
  • Full name
  • Age
  • Gender
  • City and state of residence
• Arrest information;
  • Arrest date
  • Arrest time
  • Arrest county
  • Arresting officer's details
• Charges
• Holding facility
• Release information

Scott County Arrest Statistics

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's 2023 Standard Summary Reports (SRS), there were 950 arrests in Scott County in 2023. Of this total, 853 were adult arrests, and 97 were juvenile arrests. Furthermore, 62.63% of arrestees were male, and 37.37% were female. Some offenses with the highest number of arrests in the county that year (2023) include drug abuse violations (139), larceny-theft (134), drug violation possession (117), and other assaults (91).

Find Scott County Arrest Records

Interested persons can find Scott County arrest records by querying local law enforcement agencies, specifically those with jurisdiction over the area where the arrest occurred. These include the Scott County Sheriff's Office and local police departments that serve respective municipalities in the county. Generally, the County Sheriff's Office has general jurisdiction over the entire county. Meanwhile, the local police departments like Miner Police Department, Oran Police Department, and Benton Police Department, to name a few, typically have jurisdiction over their respective municipalities.

Record seekers must provide specific details about the desired arrest record when requesting it. These details include the arrestee's full name, arrest date, and location. The custodian agency uses these details to identify the desired arrest record and facilitate an arrest record search.

In Scott County, each local law enforcement agency's procedures for requesting or accessing the arrest records they generate may differ. Nonetheless, most agencies accept in-person requests at their physical address during regular office hours (typically between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.). For instance, interested persons can order arrest records generated by the Scott County Sheriff's Office in person at:

Scott County Sheriff
Wes Drury
P.O. Box 279
131 S. New Madrid Street
Benton, Missouri 63736
Phone: (573) 545-3525 or (573) 471-3530
Office Fax: (573) 545-3527

Interested persons can also find information about arrestees who were arrested and booked into the Scott County Jail through the County Sheriff's office. Record seekers can visit the agency's jail information page and use the inmate roster to search for county inmates. Users can search for inmates by name (first or last name) for free on the roster.

Free Arrest Record Search in Scott County

In Scott County, researchers may access arrest records for free in person at a local law enforcement agency. Although most agencies allow record seekers to inspect arrest records for free in person at their physical location during regular office hours, they usually charge record seekers a fee for copies of arrest records they furnish them. These fees are used to cover the agency's cost of reproducing copies of the requested record. Additionally, record seekers can use online resources provided by local law enforcement agencies, like the Scott County jail inmate roster, to access some arrest information of county inmates for free.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest may be indefinitely featured on an individual's record unless the records get expunged. Nonetheless, under the Sheriff Records Retention Schedule and Police Clerks Records Retention Schedule, Scott County Sheriff's Office and local police departments retain arrest records for a minimum of five (5) years.

Expunge Scott County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process that protects a record from being publicly accessible. An arrestee can get qualified arrest records expunged by petitioning a court with appropriate jurisdiction in the municipality where the arrest occurred for an expungement order.

Scott County arrest records qualify for expungement if they meet the eligibility requirements outlined in RSMo § 610.122. According to the statute, an arrest record may be expunged if there are no pleading civil action relating to the arrest or the records to be expunged and a court determines:

• The arrest was based on false information and;
  • There is no probable cause, at the time of filing the expungement petition, to believe that the arrestee committed the offense,
  • The arrest did not result in any charges.
  • The arrestee did not receive a suspended imposition of sentence for the offense that warranted the arrest or any offense related to the arrest.
• The arrestee was arrested for or subsequently charged with a misdemeanor offense under Chapter 303 or any moving violation under Section 302.010 and;
  • Each such offense or violation related to the arrest was nolle prossed or dismissed, or the arrestee was found not guilty of each offense or violation.
  • The arrestee is not a commercial driver's license holder and was not operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the arrest.

However, arrest records for intoxication-related traffic offenses are ineligible for expungement. Other records that are ineligible for expungement are outlined under RSMo § 610.140. They include but are not limited to records connected to:

• A class A felony offense
• A dangerous felony per section 556.061
• An offense that requires registration as a sex offender
• A felony where death is an element of the offense
• A felony assault, felony or misdemeanor domestic assault, or felony kidnapping.

Furthermore, individuals can only expunge one felony offense and two misdemeanors or ordinance violations with an authorized term of imprisonment in their lifetime per RSMo § 610.140(13). Additionally, applicable waiting periods must be exhausted before an offender can apply for expungement for certain types of offenses. These waiting periods include:

• Arrest or conviction for a misdemeanor offense - three (3) years
• Arrest or conviction for a felony offense - Seven (7) years for
• Arrest or conviction for a first-time DWI (driving or boating) offense - Ten (10) years

Individuals with eligible Scott County arrest records can use the Petition for Expungement of Arrest Records form (CR 145) to petition to expunge their records. A petitioner must appropriately complete the form, file it with other required documentation with the Scott County Circuit Clerk's office, and pay the applicable fees. A petitioner may be charged up to $250 for filing an expungement petition. Individuals who can afford the expungement petition filing fee can apply for a fee waiver using the Motion and Affidavit in Support of Request to Proceed as a Poor Person form. Interested persons can complete the form and file it with the County Circuit Clerk's office.

Generally, the state is allowed 30 days to object to an expungement petition after filing. If objections arise, a hearing will be scheduled within 60 days of receiving the petition. Otherwise, the court will issue an expungement order for the petitioned record.

Scott County Arrest Warrants

A Scott County arrest warrant is a court order that directs law enforcement officers to apprehend and detain a specific person. A judge or magistrate may issue an arrest warrant pursuant to a signed affidavit that establishes probable cause that the subject of the warrant to be issued has committed a crime. Per Missouri Supreme Court Rules 22.05, an arrest warrant must:

• Contain the name of the defendant to be arrested. If unknown, any name or description that can be used to identify the defendant with reasonable certainty.
• Describe the charges in the indictment or complaint
• State the county and date the warrant was issued.
• Order the arrest of the named or described defendant and ensure they are brought in person or by interactive video technology before the issuing court.
• Specify the condition(s) of release if any
• Be signed by the issuing court or clerk at the court's direction.

Do Scott County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Scott County arrest warrants never expire, and they remain active until the subject of the warrant gets apprehended, surrenders to a law enforcement agency, or dies. In rare cases, the issuing court can recall or void an arrest warrant, such as if the warrant was issued under false pretenses.