Lauderdale County Arrest Records

Arrests in Lauderdale County, Tennessee, are legal processes that usually involve law enforcement restraining and detaining a person believed to have committed a criminal offense. Depending on the evidence provided before an arrest and the circumstances at the time of the arrest, the procedure may occur with or without an arrest warrant.

When the police or sheriff in Lauderdale County take a defendant into custody, they usually take them to a local precinct or stationhouse for booking. They will be identified, photographed, fingerprinted, and searched there to see if they have a prior criminal record. They will also want to know about the defendant's immigration status, employment status, residence, and health. All information gathered during the booking process is recorded, and Lauderdale County arrest records are created.

Law enforcement and the judiciary use Lauderdale County arrest records for different purposes. They are part of Lauderdale County court records used during court proceedings.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lauderdale County?

According to the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA), arrest records are public in Tennessee. The TPRA gives citizens the right to request public arrest records from law enforcement or any government body in Lauderdale. The law also instructs the custodians of Lauderdale County to keep arrest records and provide public access policies to regulate access to these records. Among these public access policies and state laws are exemptions that prevent access to particular categories of arrest records. Some of these exemptions include:

• Arrest records that reveal ongoing investigations.
• Arrest reports that reveal personal financial data.
• Juvenile arrest records.
• Arrest records that show the information of victims of a sexual offense.
• Undercover arrest records.
• Arrest records of any individual under federal protective custody.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Every arrest record issued or published by law enforcement includes:

• The full name of the arrested individual.
• The physical characteristics of the detained individual.
• The place and time of the arrest.
• Booking number
• Age, gender, and race of the arrestee.
• The name of the arresting agency.
• The full name and badge number of the officer who made the arrest.
• Charges against the suspect.
• Bail information.
• Name of the jail where the arrestee is being detained.

Lauderdale County Arrest Statistics

Arrest data from the FBI's uniform crime reporting portal shows that the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office made 389 arrests between January 2023 and January 2024. The highest number of arrests was for drug/narcotics possession (81), which made up 20% of the county's total arrests made by law enforcement. Another crime that led to the second-most arrests was simple assault (56), which contributed to 14% of total arrests made. Traffic offenses (44) and theft (25) comprised 11% and 6.5% of the total arrests, respectively.

Find Lauderdale County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Lauderdale County can be requested from the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office administrator. The Administrator works with the records clerks within law enforcement offices to maintain Lauderdale County arrest records. Along with providing general information, the Administrator's office is also tasked with helping the public with criminal record checks, crash reports, making complaints, filing reports, and pressing charges. Citizens can visit the office in person or send a request by mail to obtain it. To make an in-person request, a person must complete the Records and Identification Request for Service Form, pay the required fees, and present valid identification.

Similarly, those who wish to submit requests via mail must complete the Records and Identification Request for Service Form, pay the required fees, provide a legitimate state-issued identification document (which needs to be notarized if sending the request via mail), and include a valid mailing address and phone number.

Every arrested person in Lauderdale County is taken to the county jail after processing. If someone is charged, it is crucial to remember that the normal incarceration (jailing) procedure takes two to five hours to complete. Anyone can locate any inmate at the Lauderdale County Jail by contacting the administration.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lauderdale County

Law enforcement can grant a free arrest record search in Lauderdale County if the person was arrested wrongfully or if the release of the records will serve the public interest. Fee waivers may also be granted if the cost of requesting and providing the records exceeds $1. However, the decision to make these records free is at the discretion of the coordinator of the law enforcement records department.

Another reliable way to perform an arrest record search is through third-party websites. Private companies own third-party sites. These agencies curate public record documents and provide them on a searchable platform. Third-party sites save users time as the records can be searched remotely without visiting any record custodian's office. Individuals can use these platforms by making a query similar to a Google search by providing names, record numbers, or the dates when records were created. While many third-party websites offer reliable information, users must evaluate the legitimacy and up-to-date nature of the records obtained from third-party websites by comparing them to those from government sources.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. Arrest records remain on a person's record indefinitely. There is no mechanism to erase a record automatically after a stipulated time. A successful expungement process is the only way to effectively remove an arrest from one's record.

Expunge Lauderdale County Arrest Records

Expungement is the legal process of erasing an arrest, criminal charge, or conviction from public records. Once expunged, the incident is handled as if it never occurred.

People wanting to expunge their arrest records in Lauderdale County must first determine eligibility under state laws. According to the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, not all charges or convictions in Tennessee can be expunged. Particular rules dictate who is eligible to apply. Before starting the process, it is crucial to comprehend these requirements.

Generally, the following categories of persons can have their arrest records easily expunged:

• Persons who were arrested and then had their charges dismissed.
• Individuals who were arrested and released without being charged.
• Persons who went to trial, which ended in a not guilty verdict.
• The case resulted in a nolle prosequi (prosecution will not be pursued).

Eligibility for expungement for arrests that lead to convictions depends on the type of offense, the number of times the person has been arrested/convicted, and the completion of programs intended to rehabilitate first-time offenders successfully.

Eligible individuals can follow these steps to have their records expunged:

• Obtain arrest records from the law enforcement offices that made the arrest.
• Individuals must complete the necessary paperwork, which generally comprises a Petition for Expungement and an Order of Expungement, and submit it to the county court clerk's office.
• The court will consider the petition, which may take weeks or months. If the petition is granted, the judge will sign the expungement order; if not, petitioners may be asked to appear at a hearing.
• If the request is granted, the court will instruct relevant agencies to remove the records from public access.

Lauderdale County Arrest Warrants

Lauderdale County arrest warrants are official documents issued by a magistrate or judge commanding law enforcement to arrest and detain a suspect for a crime they believe the suspect committed.

Rule 4 of the Tennessee Court Rules provides that when an affidavit of complaint and any accompanying affidavits demonstrate that there is reasonable suspicion that an offense has been committed and that the defendant has committed it, Lauderdale County arrest warrants can be issued by a county court judge. The following information can be found on a Lauderdale County arrest warrant:

• The name of the suspect
• The date when the warrant was issued
• The name of the issuing court
• The charges against the subject of the warrant

Persons interested in finding out if a coworker, friend, or family member has an active warrant out for their arrest can visit the criminal warrants division of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office to request an active warrant search. The search can be done by giving personnel at the office the full name of a person suspected to be the subject of the warrant.

Do Lauderdale County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Lauderdale County arrest warrants do not expire. Instead, they remain active until the subject of the warrant dies or is apprehended by law enforcement and made to appear before a judge in court.