Washington County Arrest Records

Washington County arrest records document the arrest and detention of wanted persons in ongoing criminal investigations. The Washington County Sheriff's Office is responsible for creating, maintaining, and making these documents available to the public. While arrest records show that a person has been arrested and brought into custody, it does not prove they are guilty of a crime.

An arrest record will only form part of a criminal record when a person is charged in a court of law. Interested parties can find such details among Washington County Court Records. Record seekers will find the following information in an arrest record:

• The crime for which the individual was arrested.
• The arrestee's name, gender, and birthdate.
• Time and place of arrest.
• Name of the arresting officer.
• The jail where the arrestee was held.

Are Arrest Records Public in Washington County?

Yes, arrest records are public in Washington County. The Missouri Sunshine Law mandates that local law enforcement agencies provide arrest records to anybody who requests them. Parties can get Washington County arrest records at the Sheriff's Office, which is located at:

Washington County Sheriff's Office
116 West High St.
Potosi, MO 63664
Phone: (573) 438-5478
Fax: (573) 438-8461

Washington County Arrest Statistics

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crime Data Explorer, the Washington County Sheriff's Office made 406 arrests between 2020 and 2024. Of the 406 arrestees, 294 were men while 114 were women. Drug/narcotic offenses had the highest number of arrests, with 84. This was followed by simple assault and all other crimes, which had 78 and 76 arrests, respectively.

Find Washington County Arrest Records

Interested parties can find information on Washington County inmates using the Missouri Department of Corrections offender search tool. The department is responsible for managing state-operated prisons. It also records and keeps information on inmates in counties across the state.

Record seekers can also find arrest records at the Washington County Sheriff's Office:

Washington County Sheriff's Office
116 West High St.
Potosi, MO 63664
Phone: (573) 438-5478
Fax: (573) 438-8461

Washington County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Criminal records and arrests indicate distinct phases of the legal procedure. When someone is detained by the police on suspicion of a crime, the detaining agency creates an arrest record. Included are basic details such as the person's identity, the date of the arrest, the charges, and the arresting agency. No one is proven guilty or exonerated of a crime by these publicly accessible records.

A record custodian may also leave out certain information to preserve privacy or conduct further research. When a person is found guilty in court, their criminal record is created, which contains comprehensive details on their arrest, charges, and sentencing. The public cannot freely access detailed criminal records, as they can only be viewed by the record holder, law enforcement, and their legal representatives. Additionally, a person's criminal record may significantly impact their future. This pertains specifically to professional licensing, housing, and employment.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests in Washington County remain on a person's record for as long as it takes them to make steps to have them removed. Only after a petition to seal or erase the record has been filed can an arrest record be deleted from a person's public record.

There is a three-year wait before arrest records can be deleted. However, this could change depending on the kind of offense committed. For example, a person can only delete arrests leading to a felony conviction after three years. Meanwhile, if the arrest resulted in a sentence for a misdemeanor, they may delete the arrest record just after a year.

Washington County Arrest Warrants

Washington County arrest warrants are court papers that give law enforcement officials the legal right to make arrests. Law enforcement must approach judges and magistrates and provide probable cause for such warrants. The following details are included in a Missouri arrest warrant:

• The suspect's full name.
• The probable cause for arrest.
• Details of the alleged crime.
• Name and signature of the judge authorizing the warrant.
• The date the warrant was issued.

Do Washington County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in Washington County typically remain valid until they are executed or rescinded by the court. The statute of limitations does not apply to the length of an active warrant; rather, it concerns the period for filing charges. Therefore, regardless of the seriousness of the offence, an arrest warrant is always legitimate as long as it is issued within the statute of limitations.

Expunge Washington County Arrest Records

To have the record sealed or expunged, an arrestee may petition the court in the municipality where they were arrested. Mo. Rev. Stat. Section 610.122 specifies the conditions for expunging an arrest record. Any arrest record related to an arrest, charge, or disposition of a crime or misdemeanor may be expunged if:

• The court determined the individual was arrested based on false information.
• At the time of this application, there was no reason to suspect that the person was guilty of the crime.
• No formal arrest charges have been filed, and none will be.
• The arrestee was not given a suspended sentence (probation) for the offense for which he was arrested or any other linked offense.

An arrestee may submit a petition to seal or delete the arrest record three years after the date of the arrest, if the petitioner has not been prosecuted or convicted of any misdemeanor or offense. They must submit this petition to the court of competent jurisdiction in the county or municipality where the petitioner was arrested. Courts, law enforcement, central repositories of criminal records, and any other organization the petitioner reasonably thinks has custody of the record to be destroyed must all be named defendants.