Bedford County Arrest Records

Per Virginia Code § 19.2-80, a law enforcement officer who arrests a person under a warrant must bring them immediately before a judicial office for a bail hearing. Depending on the nature of the offense, the judicial officer can either admit the arrested person to bail or send them to Bedford County Jail. However, the judge can proceed to trial instead of a bail hearing if the defendant was arrested for a misdemeanor offense.

The arresting officer is mandated by law to record the arrest details and report it to all appropriate law enforcement agencies, such as the Bedford County Sheriff's Office and Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk. The Sheriff's Office will ensure the arrest record is available physically and electronically to members of the public. The Court Clerk will include the arrest information in its Bedford County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Bedford County?

Yes. The Virginia Public Records Act (VPRA) encourages law enforcement agencies to maintain arrest records as part of their responsibilities and ensure such records are available for public inspection and copying. Therefore, Bedford County residents are guaranteed access to arrest records whenever they submit requests to the Sheriff's Office or city police departments. The VPRA authorizes these agencies to release adult arrestee mugshots, personal identifying information, and arrest status. However, it excludes the following arrest records from mandatory disclosure under Virginia Code § 2.2-3706:

• Criminal investigative files
• Records about neighborhood watch programs
• Records of individuals incarcerated in penal institutions
• Records that reveal investigative techniques or procedures or the identity of an undercover officer, victim, or witness.
• Records that contain specific tactical plans whose disclosure will jeopardize the security of the general public or law enforcement officers.
• Records that disclose the telephone numbers for cellular telephones, pagers, or comparable portable communication devices law enforcement agencies provide to their personnel for official duties.
• Confidential reports submitted to investigators, state and local law enforcement agencies, or campus police departments of public institutions of higher education
• Records of adults under investigation or supervision by a local pretrial services agency, community-based probation services agency, or state probation and parole services.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Law enforcement agencies in Bedford County make the following arrest information available to the public:

• The arrestee's last, first, and middle names
• Mugshot, current age, weight, height, race, and sex
• Hair and eye color, inmate classification
• Booking date and time, and release date
• Jacket number and name of the housing facility
• Charges, code number, status, and badge number
• Court date, type, and name, and offense date
• bond type, amount, and agency
• Arrest date, arresting agency's name, and arresting officer's name

Bedford County Arrest Statistics

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office provides access to arrest data on its Crime Statistics page. The 2022 data shows about 825 arrests in the county, 797 adults and 28 juveniles. The arrests per 100,000 population was 1,125.5. Group B arrests totaled 403, with 397 adults and six juveniles.

Find Bedford County Arrest Records

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) has various facilities across the state where individuals can request copies of Bedford County arrest records. It is advisable to contact the facilities before visiting to inquire about their operating hours and copying fees. Individuals can search for information about a Bedford County arrestee housed in any VADOC facility online using the Inmate Locator. Users can enter a name or inmate ID number in the search field to find the appropriate record. The portal also has additional search options such as alias, middle name, release date, location, age range, sex, and race that help narrow the search.

A person who cannot find a Bedford County arrest record at the state level can contact federal law enforcement agencies. Most law enforcement agencies in the county send arrest information to these agencies, while some agencies make arrests when a person violates federal laws. For example, The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains arrest records of all agencies in the United States. It disseminates them to subjects of records online, by mail, and through approved channelers. The FBI charges $18 for arrest records and accepts payment by certified check, money order, or credit card using the Credit Card Payment Form.

Federal law enforcement agencies like the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the United States Capitol Police (USCP) have online portals where requesters can find arrest records for free. Interested persons can use the BOP's Inmate Locator, ICE's Online Detainee Locator System, or USCP's Arrest Summary Reports to locate a Bedford County federal offender without charges. These agencies also have facilities (BOP facilities and ICE field offices or detention facilities) across the county that researchers can visit during business hours to obtain copies of arrest records.

Free Arrest Record Search in Bedford County

The best place to find Bedford County arrest records without charges is to use the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority's Inmate portal. To locate the portal, go to the jail's website, click on "Inmate Information" in the top navigation bar, choose "Locate Inmate" from the dropdown menu, and then select "Bedford" from the following dropdown list. Enter a first or last name in the appropriate search box to find a list of incarcerated and released inmates from Bedford County jail.

Requesters can also use third-party portals to find Bedford County arrest records. However, these sites only offer free access to limited arrest information such as the arrestee's name, offense type, and arrest date. Users who want comprehensive arrest records should be ready to pay a fee.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests for misdemeanors and felony offenses remain on record indefinitely. However, if they meet the eligibility criteria, individuals can petition the court to have their records expunged. The Library of Virginia provides a Retention and Disposition Schedule for how long law enforcement agencies can keep arrest records in their custody. For example:

• Arrest logs and books are maintained five (5) years after the last action.
• The personal property inventory of an arrestee is kept for three (3) years after the creation date.
• Records of properties confiscated during arrests are kept for three (3) years after the last action.
• Bedford County law enforcement agencies do not keep records of unexecuted arrest warrants.
• The arrest files of an adult remain on record for 100 years from the subject of the record's birth date.
• Minors' arrest files stay on a law enforcement agency's record for 23 years from the record holder's birth date.
• All law enforcement agencies in Bedford County will remove the arrest file of an adult person from their record a year after death notification.

Expunge Bedford County Arrest Records

According to Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2, an expungement is the deletion of a person's arrest records when any of the following has occurred:

• Acquittal
• Nolle prosequi
• Dismissal
• Absolute pardon
• The person's name was used in error

Eligible individuals can file a Petition for Expungement with the Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk. The filing fee is $98, payable by cash, certified check, money order, or personal check. A copy of the form will be served on the Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney. The attorney has 21 days after the service to file an objection or approve the expungement. The applicant must take another copy of the petition form to the Bedford County Sheriff's Office to obtain their fingerprints. The office provides fingerprinting services in person on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Sheriff's Office will attach a copy of the petition to the fingerprint card and send it to the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE). The CCRE will send a copy of the applicant's criminal history records, source documents, and the set of fingerprints to the Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk. The Clerk will conduct a hearing and can either approve or deny the expungement. If the petition is approved, the court will enter an expungement order. The Clerk will ensure a copy of the order is sent to the Virginia Department of State Police (VSP) to have the petitioner's arrest records expunged from their database.

Bedford County Arrest Warrants

The Virginia Code § 19.2-71.) authorizes any judicial officer in Bedford County to issue arrest warrants. When a complaint is filed in court, a judicial officer will examine it to see if there is probable cause to believe the accused is guilty of an offense. If there is probable cause, the officer will issue a warrant for the person's arrest. According to Virginia Code § 19.2-72, a Bedford County arrest warrant will:

• Be directed to an appropriate officer(s)
• Have the name of the accused or give a description that will help identify the defendant with reasonable certainty if the name is unknown.
• Describe the offense committed by the accused.
• Command that the accused be arrested and brought before a court in Bedford County.
• Be signed by the issuing judicial officer.

The executing officer must make a duplicate copy of the arrest warrant and leave the duplicate copy with the accused during the arrest (Virginia Code § 19.2-75). An officer can execute an arrest warrant anywhere in the Commonwealth. The arrest of the accused executes the warrant. The officer executing the arrest warrant must endorse the execution date on the warrant and return it to a judicial officer according to Virginia Code § 19.2-76.

Do Bedford County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Bedford County, arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until the appropriate officers arrest the persons named on them or the judge recalls them.