Macon County Arrest Records

Macon County arrest records are offical documents that detail the apprehension of individuals by law enforcement officers due to crimes they committed or are suspected of committing. Generally, a law enforcement officer can arrest an individual in Macon County when they possess a warrant for said individual’s arrest. In other cases, TN Code § 40-7-103 outlines grounds for an officer to arrest an individual without a warrant. These include, but are not limited to, situations when an individual commits a public offense in the officer’s presence or when the officer has reasonable cause to believe that a specific offense has been committed.

Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for creating Macon County arrest records after making arrests within the county. These records are crucial for legal and judicial purposes since they can signal the start of a criminal case. Additionally, arrest records are essential crime-fighting tools. When compiled, they can show crime trends within a specific region and provide information about an individual’s criminal past. As a result, arrest data are featured and used in developing various government records, such as adult criminal history records and crime statistics compiled by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and Macon County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Macon County?

Yes. Under the Tennessee Open Records Act, codified in Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-503, arrest records are presumed to be part of Macon County public records. Thus, custodians of arrest records are required by law to allow public access to these records. However, the Tennessee Open Records Act is subject to specific exemptions that can limit or restrict public access to arrest records. Tenn. Code Ann. § 10-7-504 lists some of these exemptions, including, but not limited to, records connected to an active investigation, sealed or expunged records, and juvenile records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following information is typically included in public Macon County arrest records:

• The arrestee’s personally identifying information and description:
  • Mugshot
  • Full name
  • Date of birth
  • Height, weight, eye color, and hair color
• Arrest details:
  • The arrest date and location
  • The arresting agency and the officer’s information
• Charges details:
  • Description of the charges
  • The type of charges (i.e, misdemeanor or felony)
  • The statute or law that was violated
• Booking information:
  • Booking number
  • Booking time and date
  • Holding facility
• Bail/bond details (if applicable)

Macon County Arrest Statistics

Arrest statistics retrieved from the FBI Crime Data Explorer website indicate that 1,324 arrests were made by Macon County law enforcement agencies in 2023, reflecting a 4.96% increase from the previous year. Of the 2023 total, 939 (70.9%) were male and 401 (30.2%) were female. Furthermore, the total number of adults arrested that year was 1,279, while the number of juveniles arrested was 45.

The above statistics account only for arrests made by the Macon County Sheriff's Office, Lafayette Police Department, and Red Boiling Springs Police Department.

Find Macon County Arrest Records

Local law enforcement agencies are the primary custodians of arrest records in Macon County. In addition to the Macon County Sheriff's Office, other local law enforcement agencies, such as municipal police departments, operate in Macon County. Each of these agencies typically generates and maintains arrest records. Therefore, individuals seeking Macon County arrest records can query any of these agencies.

Generally, Macon County law enforcement agencies can only provide records of arrests they specifically made. For instance, the Macon County Sheriff's Office cannot provide arrest records generated by a municipal police department, such as the Lafayette Police Department. Thus, record seekers must determine the agency that created the sought-after record to direct their requests appropriately.

Most agencies accept in-person requests for arrest records they maintain during regular business hours. Record seekers can also contact an agency to inquire about other acceptable request methods, such as mail-in and phone requests. Nonetheless, the requester must provide sufficient information—such as the arrestee’s name, arrest date, or location—that the record custodian can use to identify the desired arrest record and facilitate their request. Furthermore, requesters are usually charged a nominal fee for copies of an arrest record that an agency provides. Below is the contact information for some of Macon County law enforcement agencies:

Macon County Sheriff's Office
902 Hwy 52 Bypass East
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-3325 or (615) 666-4046
Fax: (615) 666-6909

Lafayette Police Department
118 East Locust Street
Lafayette, TN 37083
Phone: (615) 666-4725

Red Boiling Springs Police Department
361 Lafayette Rd,
Red Boiling Springs, TN 37150

Free Arrest Record Search in Macon County

Record seekers may find Macon County arrest records free by visiting local law enforcement agencies to inspect them. Most agencies do not charge a fee for inspecting public records they maintain. However, they may charge a fee for processing record requests and for copies of records they provide.

Alternatively, interested individuals can use certain third-party websites to find Macon County arrest records for free. Nevertheless, these websites typically only provide basic arrest data at no cost, but access to detailed arrest information usually requires a fee.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest can be a permanent feature of an individual’s criminal record. However, individuals with an eligible arrest record can petition for an expungement order to remove arrest(s) from their criminal record.

Expunge Macon County Arrest Records

Expungement is a court-ordered process that erases legal records, including arrest records, related to a specific criminal case, making them seem as though they never existed in the eyes of the law. Under Tennessee law, only certain records are eligible for expungement. Furthermore, petitioning to expunge certain records may incur specific fees. Meanwhile, other records can be expunged without requiring any fees. For instance, an individual whose case falls under any of the following categories is eligible for free expungement:

• The charges levied against them were dismissed
• A grand jury returned a "no true bill".
• They were arrested and released without being charged
• Their trial resulted in a not guilty verdict
• The case resulted in a nolle prosequi (prosecution will not be pursued).
• A court successfully defended and denied an order of protection following a hearing.

Meanwhile, individuals who completed a pretrial diversion program (except for sexual offenses) and had their charges dismissed per Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 40-15-102 through 40-15-107 are also eligible for expungement. However, a filing fee is required when they petition for expungement.

In Macon County, eligible individuals must file for expungement with the court that initially handled their case. This could be a general sessions court or trial court, such as Macon County Circuit Court, Chancery Court, or General Sessions Court. The way each court operates may differ, but the general steps for filing for expungement include the following:

• Obtain the necessary information about the case to be expunged, such as the docket number and offense details. This information is available on the case record, and individuals who do not have their case records can query the court clerk to obtain them.
• Obtain the required expungement petition form(s) from the court clerk, complete them, and submit them to the presiding court.
• Indicate the charges eligible for expungement and file the information with the criminal court clerk. Appearing in court is not required.
• Petitioners must provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each charge being expunged, allowing the court to send copies of the expungement documents once the process is finalized.
• Request a certified copy of the order(s) expunging the petitioned record and a certified copy of the charging document from the criminal court clerk. The clerk will mail these documents to the petitioner using the envelope they provide.

Once the expungement petition and other required documents have been submitted, a judge will review them. If approved, the court will send an expungement order to the relevant agencies.

Macon County Arrest Warrants

A Macon County arrest warrant is a court order that authorizes law enforcement officers to arrest and detain a specific individual due to ordinance(s) or law(s) they are suspected of violating. Magistrates or clerks in Macon County may issue arrest warrants after reviewing complaints from the police or the district attorney general upon finding probable cause per Tenn. R. Crim. P. 4 and Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-6-201 - 40-6-217. Generally, arrest warrants contain the following information:

• The signature of the issuing magistrate or clerk
• The defendant’s name or description that can be used to identify them with reasonable certainty.
• The issuing county’s name
• A description of the offense with which the defendant was charged in the affidavit of complaint

Do Macon County Arrest Warrants Expire?

It depends, Arrest warrants for misdemeanor cases expire five (5) years after being issued, while other types of warrants last indefinitely unless the issuing court recalls them.