Campbell County Arrest Records

Arrests in Campbell County usually necessitate the creation of a series of official documents to document the incidents. These documents, called arrest records, contain information about the alleged crime, suspect, and the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Campbell arrest records are essential for tracking the whereabouts of a recently apprehended individual within the region. Defense attorneys also review these records when preparing for criminal case trials.

Generally, members of the public can contact an arresting agency (the typical custodian of an arrest record) to obtain information about an arrested person. However, arrest information may also be retrievable from Campbell County court records, criminal history files managed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), and district attorney's office records, especially when a suspect was charged with an offense.

Are Arrest Records Public in Campbell County?

Yes. Arrest records are open to the public in Campbell County under Tennessee's Public Records Act. The Act authorizes the release of public records maintained by public bodies, including notations of arrests carried out within a jurisdiction.

Still, there are existing limits to this freedom of access. Per the Act, certain records are not publicly disseminated because they contain confidential information, and disclosure would endanger someone's life or compromise their fair chance at trial. Examples include:

• An arrestee or inmate's identifying information where disclosure would put them in harm's way
• Criminal investigative records
• Expunged or sealed arrest records
• Juvenile arrest information
• Sensitive personal information, such as Social Security and financial account numbers
• Confidential witness and crime victim data
• Medical records, including hepatitis and HIV/AIDS test results

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A public arrest record in Campbell County contains essential arrest data that criminal justice agencies are allowed to reveal to the general public. The record includes an arrested person's name, race, sex, and age; the arrest's date, time, and location; the booking date, time, and number; the specific charge associated with the arrest; and the type and amount of any set bond.

Campbell County Arrest Statistics

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the agency responsible for collating crime and arrest statistics for the state, publishes yearly arrest statistical reports for Campbell County through the CJIS Division. These statistics are submitted by individual law enforcement agencies and are viewable in the Crime in Tennessee reports.

In 2023, the Campbell County Sheriff's Office reported 455 arrests within the jurisdiction. Of this total, drug/narcotic violations (103), simple assault (47), and larceny (27) constituted the most recurring arrests for that year. On the other hand, the LaFollette Police Department recorded a total of 268 arrests, with the most prevalent arrests being for drug/narcotic violations (74 arrests), drunkenness (32 arrests), and simple assault (24 arrests).

Find Campbell County Arrest Records

The easiest way to retrieve arrest records in Campbell County is to query the local sheriff's office or the municipal police department responsible for an arrest. For example, the LaFollete Police Department disseminates reports of arrests and crime incidents within its jurisdiction to visitors.

However, requesters are expected to provide basic parameters to aid the search process, such as:

• The name of the arrestee, complainant, or victim
• The date and type of incident
• Location of the incident
• Address of the person involved

The Tennessee Public Records Act mandates that law enforcement personnel respond promptly to public record requests. Nevertheless, agencies can charge a nominal fee for labor or the cost of reproduction. For instance, the Lafollete PD charges $8 for an arrest record (local only) check when a valid photo ID is presented.

Note: Individuals can explore the Tennessee Department of Correction's (TDOC) Felony Offender Information portal to find people who were transported to a state prison. A defendant's name or TDOC number is needed to view public information about Tennessee felony offenders who are or have been in DOC custody.

On the other hand, people arrested for federal crimes are usually transferred to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) custody. To find such inmates, individuals can utilize the BOP's Inmate Locator, which is searchable with an offender's name or unique identification number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Campbell County

Certain third-party aggregator sites maintained by private individuals grant users free access to arrest records. These platforms collate data from different local, state, and federal government repositories and design simplified interfaces for looking up public information. However, comprehensive reports may attract a subscription or per-page fee, which varies by provider.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests made in the County of Campbell typically remain on a person's criminal record forever. Once law enforcement officers seize a person and input their information into the criminal database, that information becomes a permanent component of their criminal history information, which may be available to the general public.

However, Tennessee law permits record expungement, a process that can erase such records from public databases.

Expunge Campbell County Arrest Records

According to Tenn. Code Ann. §40-32-101, an individual's arrest records may be expunged (erased or removed) upon petition to the court having jurisdiction over the case. However, the following criteria must be met:

• The defendant's charges were dismissed
• The defendant was arrested and released without any charge or prosecution
• A grand jury no-billed an indictment
• The case was tried in court, and the suspect was exonerated.

The process for filing an expungement petition begins with obtaining and submitting an expungement petition form to the general sessions or circuit court clerk's office, depending on the case's presiding court. The form should include pertinent information such as the arrestee's name, arresting agency, charges, sex, race, birth date, and disposition information.

Expungement in Tennessee usually attracts a nominal filing fee payable to the court clerk's office. However, certain applicants may receive expungement at no cost (see the judiciary's FAQs document).

Once an expungement petition is filed in court and approved, an order for expunction (expungement) will be forwarded to all criminal justice agencies that have the record, including the arresting agencies, county jail, Tennessee Department of Corrections, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Each agency follows its own timelines to expunge criminal charges.

Petitioners are advised to contact the TDOC and TBI to ensure that they received a copy of the expungement order and are carrying out the relief process. The TDOC usually erases criminal charges from the Tennessee Felony Offender Lookup (FOIL) and the Tennessee Offender Management Information System (TOMIS).

Campbell County Arrest Warrants

A Campbell County arrest warrant is a legal directive signed by a judge or magistrate. It confers a statutory authority on police officers to restrict an identified subject's freedom and bring them to the justice system.

Per Rule 4 of Tennessee's Rules of Criminal Procedure, arrest warrants are issued when probable cause exists to surmise that an individual has committed a crime or flouted a court order. Such warrants contain vital information about a suspected offender, including their legal name (and aliases) and offense. They also identify the county of issuance, carry the issuing judge's signature and office title, and include a command for a subject to be apprehended on sight.

Do Campbell County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Campbell County arrest warrants remain active until they are executed. An arrest warrant can be executed when the subject surrenders willingly to local authorities or is apprehended by a police department and taken into custody. Nevertheless, a judge can recall or quash a warrant for good cause.

Still, it should be noted that Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-6-206 limits misdemeanor arrest warrants to a five-year execution timeline before they become invalid.