Lee County Arrest Records

In Lee County, an arrest entails the apprehension and subsequent detention (when permitted by law) of an individual by a law enforcement officer due to a criminal offense they are alleged to have committed. Per the Code of Virginia Title 9.2 Chapter 7, law enforcement officers can make an arrest pursuant to an active warrant or without a warrant in specific situations. For instance, a law enforcement officer can arrest an individual without an arrest warrant when a crime is committed in their presence or when the officer reasonably suspects that the person has committed a crime.

Lee County arrest records are official reports generated by an arresting agency following an arrest and are used to document pertinent information about the incident. These records are typically compiled by the Virginia State Police (VSP) in the Statewide Criminal History Records that they maintain of different offenders. The VSP's Data Analysis and Reporting Team (DART) also uses arrest records to create other official reports that provide an overview of crime trends and statistics, like the Crime in Virginia Publications. Arrest records can also play a crucial role in judicial proceedings, and data from these records is often featured in Lee County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lee County?

Yes. Per the Virginia Public Records Act, codified in the Code of Virginia § 42.1-76 to § 42.1-91.1, records generated by public agencies that are used to document their official activities are matters of public records. Furthermore, law enforcement and criminal records, including arrest records, must be released to the public, albeit with certain limitations, according to the Code of Virginia § 2.2-3706. Some records protected from public access under the statute include photographs of an adult arrestee when necessary to protect an ongoing felony investigation and records that expose the identity of a juvenile arrestee.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public Lee County arrest records usually contain the following information:

• The arrestee's mugshot
• The arrestee's personally identifying information: full name, date of birth, and residential address.
• The arrestee's physical description: sex, race, height, weight, hair, and eye color
• The arrest details: the arresting agency's name, charges, arrest date, and location
• The booking details: booking number, time, date, and facility.
• Bond/bail details (if applicable)

Lee County Arrest Statistics

According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) website, Lee County local law enforcement agencies made 951 arrests in 2023, a mere 2.9% increase from the previous year when they made 923 arrests. Of the 2023 arrest statistics, male and female offenders made up 65.6% and 35.4% respectively, of the total arrestees. Furthermore, offenses that had the highest number of arrests in 2023 include drug/narcotic offenses (112), simple assault (85), driving under the influence (36), larceny (32), and aggravated assault (17).

Note that the above statistics only reflect arrests made by the Jonesville Police Department, Lee County Sheriff's Office, Pennington Gap Police Department, and Virginia State Police: Lee County.

Find Lee County Arrest Records

Interested persons can find Lee County arrest records through local law enforcement agencies operating within the county, such as the Lee County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments. These agencies are responsible for most arrests made within the county and generate and maintain reports for each arrest they make. The first step when looking for a Lee County arrest record is ascertaining the agency that made the arrest. This allows record seekers to direct their request to the appropriate agencies.

Thereafter, record seekers can contact the agency to inquire about their procedures for requesting public arrest records in their custody. They can find the contact information, addresses, and official website of most local law enforcement agencies in Lee County through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Criminal Justice Agency Directory. It is worth noting that most agencies accept in-person requests for public records at their physical address during regular working hours. Additionally, the record seeker must provide identifiable information about the sought-after record to facilitate their request. They are also usually charged a fee for copies of arrest records they request.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lee County

Record seekers can visit local law enforcement agencies in Lee County to inspect public arrest records in their custody. These agencies usually do not charge individuals fees for inspecting records in person. However, a fee is usually assessed for copies of records an individual requests. The Lee County Sheriff's Office also provides a free arrest search portal that provides information about individuals who were arrested and booked in the county jail.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests can stay on an individual's criminal record indefinitely, and expungement is the only way to remove them. However, according to the Library of Virginia Retention and Disposition Schedule, local law enforcement agencies typically retain arrest reports in their internal records for a set duration. These duration varies depending on the type of record, which are detailed below:

• Adult arrest files: 100 years after the arrestee's birth date
• Adult arrest file for a deceased arrestee whose death has been reported to the agency: one (1) after the agency receives the notification
• Juvenile arrest files: until the arrestee reaches 23 years
• Arrest logs and books: five (5) years after the arrestee's last action
• Records detailing an arrestee's personal property inventory: three (3) after being created
• Records of properties confiscated during an arrest: three (3) after the last action
• Unexecuted arrest warrant: not recorded.

Expunge Lee County Arrest Records

When an arrest record is expunged, it gets erased from public government records, making it inaccessible to the general public. Only certain types of arrest records are eligible for expungement under Virginia Code § 19.2-392.2, specifically arrests that result in acquittal or dismissal of charges.

In Lee County, individuals who have eligible arrest records can apply for expungement by completing the Petition for Expungement Form and filing it with the Lee County Circuit Court. They may also need to pay a filing fee. However, some petitioners may be eligible to have these filing fees waived. A petitioner must also forward their completed expungement petition to the prosecuting attorney of the city or county where they initially filed the petition, as well as a local law enforcement agency that offers fingerprinting services. The prosecuting attorney will respond to the petition within 21 days. Meanwhile, the local law enforcement agency will forward a copy of the petitioner's expungement petition and a complete set of their fingerprints to the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE).

The CCRE will forward a copy of the petitioner's completed expungement petition, complete criminal history record, fingerprints, and the source document of the arrest to be expunged to the Lee County Circuit Court. Subsequently, the court will review the expungement petition and other relevant documents it receives and may either deny or approve the expungement request. If the request gets approved, the court will issue an expungement order and send a copy of the order to the Virginia State Police (VSP) and other local law agencies that have custody of the petitioned record.

Lee County Arrest Warrants

Lee County arrest warrants are court-issued directives that command law enforcement officers to arrest an individual due to an offense they are alleged to have committed. Per the Code of Virginia § 19.2-72, judicial officials—such as judges, magistrates, or court clerks—are authorized to issue arrest warrants upon receiving a criminal complaint that accuses an individual of committing a crime. Provided they believe the complaint establishes sufficient probable cause that the accused committed the alleged offense. According to Code of Virginia § 19.2-72, an arrest warrant must contain the following:

• The accused's name or a description that can be used to identify them.
• Details about the charged offense
• The issuing official's signature

Do Lee County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Lee County arrest warrants do not expire and can follow individuals throughout their lives.