Greene County Arrest Records

An arrest in Greene County occurs once a law enforcement agent or police officer brings an individual into custody. This is usually the case when the individual has been caught committing a crime or is suspected of violating state laws. Under Tennessee laws, a peace officer may apprehend a suspect with or without an issued arrest warrant, depending on the surrounding events. However, for an arrest to be lawful, the peace officer must have enough evidence or plausible explanations to establish probable cause for the arrest.

Following an arrest, the arresting agency obtains certain information from the arrestee, including their birthdate, nationality, and occupation. This process is called “booking” and produces an arrest record. An arrest record is a document containing information about an arrest, the arrestee and the events surrounding the arrest. After the booking process, arrested individuals are either held in the Greene County Detention Center, arraigned, or released on bail/recognizance. An Arrest record may be included in Greene County Court Records if the arrest resulted in an arraignment or conviction. The Greene County Sheriff's Office typically generates and maintains arrest records for arrests within the county. These records are publicly available and may be requested by interested persons just like other Greene County public records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Greene County?

Yes. Arrest records are public records in Greene County per the Tennessee Open Records Act (TN Code § 10-7-503). Citizens may request access to inspect and copy publicly available arrest records from the custodial office. Nonetheless, certain arrest records and information may be redacted or prohibited from public access to protect privacy rights and maintain public safety.

Examples of arrest records not publicly available include records involving minors/juveniles, arrest records of ongoing investigations, sealed/expunged records, and arrest information that may disclose sensitive personal data. Certain entities with authorization, such as record subjects, law enforcement agencies, and legal representatives, may be able to obtain restricted arrest records. Individuals with a valid reason for requesting sealed or non-public records may subpoena such records or obtain authorization from a court.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Greene County usually contain the following information:

• Date, place, and time of the arrest
• Events leading to the arrest
• Possessions retrieved at the time of arrest
• Probable cause, evidence and laws supporting the arrest
• Personal information and description of the arrestee
• Arrest Warrant information if available
• The alleged offense or statutes violated by the arrestee
• The arresting agency and agent, including the officer's rank, badge number, and name
• Mugshots of the arrestee
• Booking information, including the booking number, holding facility, and bail information
• Arraignment and court hearing date where applicable

Greene County Arrest Statistics

The Statistical Analysis Center of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) publishes an annual report of arrests and crime information submitted by the various law enforcement agencies within the State tagged “Crime in Tennessee”. In 2023, the total number of arrests recorded in Greene County was 1,542. The total sum consisted of 1,397 adult arrests and 145 juvenile arrests. Group A offenses such as aggravated assaults, larceny, robbery, murder, rape, and motor vehicle theft accounted for 544 of the total arrests while Group B offenses like DUI, disorderliness, drunkenness, and trespassing had a total of 998 arrests.

Find Greene County Arrest Records

Greene County arrest records are typically maintained by the County Sheriff's office and other local enforcement agencies like the various city police departments. Residents of Greene County may locate these records by visiting the office of the record custodian within regular hours. Most of the enforcement agencies maintain a searchable database on their websites for public access to arrest information and records in their custody. Interested persons may also submit a completed request form in person or via mail to the Sheriff's office at 116 East Depot Street, Greeneville, Tennessee 37743.

In addition, the Tennessee Department of Corrections(TDOC) maintains arrest records at state level. Interested persons may query the TDOC for Greene County arrest records and information. The TDOC’s Felony Offender Information search portal may also be helpful in retrieving information about arrested and detained persons in Greene County. One may search the site by entering a first/ last name, inmate ID, or race. For arrests conducted by federal agencies, arrest, and inmate information is available at the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. The locator is name-based, free of charge, and open to the public.

Free Arrest Record Search in Greene County

Concerned persons may search for arrest records free of charge in Greene County by making in-person visits to the Sheriff's office or any of the police departments located in the County. While inspecting arrest records at the custodial office may be free, requesting copies of the records usually attracts charges. Additionally, requestors may utilize the search tools provided by the various custodians on their official websites. These sites usually require a name, ID number, or race.

Alternatively, most third-party websites provide free access to arrest and inmate information. These sites usually have a database of information sourced across various enforcement agencies and jurisdictions. A name or date of birth is the minimum search criteria for obtaining information on these sites. However, a free search may produce very limited arrest information as most third-party websites only provide comprehensive reports to subscribers and users with financial commitments.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. An arrest record in Greene County remains on the bearer's record indefinitely unless sealed, expunged or tagged confidential by law. However certain records may be removed from a person's record after a period of time. For example, records of arrests that do not result in a conviction and some misdemeanors may be erased after five years.

Expunge Greene County Arrest Records

Per Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-32-101, citizens of Greene County may petition for the Expungement or Expunction of certain arrest records. An expungement or expunction means the sealing, deleting or erasing of a record thereby making it non-existent and unavailable to the public. For an arrest record to be eligible for expungement in Greene County, it must meet any of the following criteria:

• The filed charges were dismissed after the arrest
• The grand jury responded with a “no true bill”
• There was no filed charges after the arrest and the arrestee was released immediately after the arrest
• The arrest was due to a mistaken identity
• The record bearer defended an order of protection
• The record bearer is a minor or juvenile
• The charges against the arrestee was dismissed because of a pretrial diversion program
• The arrestee was acquitted and not found guilty of the filed charges
• The prosecution decided not to pursue the filed charges ( nolle prosequi)
• The court reversed the judgment of conviction

Eligible individuals may follow the steps outlined below to request for the expungement of qualifying arrest records:

• Determine eligibility by inspecting court records from the court that handled the case or from the record custodian
• Ensure that all court-ordered fines and obligations such as parole, probation or community service has been fulfilled
• File a completed petition to expunge arrest records form with the Greene County Circuit Court's Clerk alongside other supporting documents
• Pay the filing fee of $100 and the statutory expungement fee of $350 if not eligible for a free-of-charge expunction
• Wait for the judge to review the petition and fix a hearing or grant the petition without a hearing if applicable

If the petition is granted, the court releases an order to the appropriate criminal justice agencies and record custodians directing that the affected records be sealed and removed from public access. The petitioner is also issued a copy of the expungement order for reference purposes. Once an expungement order is issued, the record custodian and other enforcement agencies are mandated to treat the expunged records like they never existed, and the social benefits of the record bearer are restored.

Greene County Arrest Warrants

A Greene County arrest warrant is an official document ordering the arrest and detention of an individual because there is a plausible cause suggesting that the individual has committed an offense or violated state laws. Rule 4 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure and Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-6-201 - 40-6-217 governs the issuance of arrest warrants in Greene County.

Under the aforementioned statutes, a magistrate or clerk can only issue an arrest warrant once substantial evidence supporting probable cause has been provided by the law enforcement agency filing a complaint. An arrest warrant in Greene County cannot be used to establish guilt or serve as proof of conviction for a crime. The following information is typically included in an arrest warrant issued in Greene County:

• Name and signature of the issuing magistrate or clerk
• Name and description of the suspect
• County or city where the warrant was issued
• Date and time the warrant was issued
• The alleged offense and statutes violated
• An order mandating the arrest and detention of the named individual
• Information from the affidavit/oath alleging that an offense has been committed

Do Greene County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. No validity period is attached to most arrest warrants issued in Greene County. An arrest warrant will continue to be valid until an arrest is made, the suspect makes an appearance before the issuing judge or the issuing court recalls the warrant. The death of the named individual on an arrest warrant may also invalidate the warrant. The nature of the offense for which an arrest warrant is issued may also affect the validity period. For instance, arrest warrants issued for cases of misdemeanors may become invalid after five years.