Tazewell County Arrest Records

Tazewell County arrest records are official reports that provide insight into a person's arrest and detention history. When law enforcement agencies in the County apprehend a suspect for committing an offense or violating statutes, they create an arrest record for the arrestee. This record contains information about the suspect, the arrest, and the arresting agency. Not all arrests result in a conviction; hence, an arrest record is not proof of guilt.

Persons arrested in Tazewell County are usually booked and held in the Tazewell facility of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail. The detainee is usually held until a hearing date is scheduled or released on recognizance/bail. In cases where an arrest leads to a criminal court proceeding, additional information is usually included in Tazewell County Court Records. The Tazewell County Sheriff's Office, alongside other local police departments, maintains arrest records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Tazewell County?

Yes. According to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, anyone may inspect and copy Tazewell County arrest records. However, certain restrictions may apply to the public access of arrest records in Tazewell County (Va. Code § 2.2-3706).

Nonetheless, persons with a court order or legitimate interest may subpoena the record or petition a court to access such exempt records. Examples of exempt arrest records and information include sex offender records, juvenile records, ongoing criminal investigation records, sealed/expunged records, victim/witness information, and personal identifying information like social security numbers.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records that will be publicly accessible in Tazewell County usually contain the following information:

• Personal information of the arrestee, including name, aliases, and birth date
• Identifying information about the arrestee like gender, race, scars, height, weight, skin/hair color
• The arrest details( date, time, place and arresting agency/agent)
• Information about the offense committed, including the type, class, and degree
• Arrest warrant information, if available
• Information about the booking, including facility, date, time, release date, and bail/bond amount.

Tazewell County Arrest Statistics

Tazewell County arrest statistics published in 2023 by the Virginia State Police show that the County Sheriff's Office recorded 794 arrests with a rate of 3,427.6 per 100,000 residents. Arrests for Group A offenses such as murder, aggravated assaults, larceny, robbery, and motor vehicle theft totaled 523. Group B offenses, on the other hand, accounted for 271 of the total arrests. Aggravated assaults(114) were more prevalent, while identity theft(1) and stolen property (1) had the least arrests.

Find Tazewell County Arrest Records

To look up or request Tazewell County arrest records and inmate information, interested persons may submit requests to the local police departments, the criminal division of the County Circuit Court Clerk's Office, or the Sheriff's Office at:

Tazewell County Sheriff's Office
140 School Street, Suite 3
Tazewell, VA 24651
Phone: (276) 988-5970
Fax: (276) 988-5790

Persons in search of inmate information and arrest records may also query the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) inmate locator. Basic search criteria like name, sex, ID number, birth date, age, release date location, and race may be required to use the inmate locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Tazewell County

Interested persons may obtain free access to Tazewell County arrest records from the Sheriff's Office and other local enforcement agencies. Concerned persons may visit the Sheriff's Office within business hours to inspect arrest records free of charge.

Alternatively, one may access arrest records from third-party websites that provide such information for free on their searchable databases. However, most third-party websites provide only limited information for free. They may require the requester to pay for more comprehensive arrest reports. In addition, these third-party websites are not government-affiliated and may contain incomplete or outdated information.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Tazewell County arrest records stay indefinitely on a subject's record. Under Virginia laws, there is no difference in the retention period of arrest records created for felonies and misdemeanors. Consequently, once an arrest record is created, it remains on the subject's record permanently, regardless of the nature of the crime. Nonetheless, state laws generally permit the sealing or expungement of arrest records that did not result in a conviction.

Expunge Tazewell County Arrest Records

Under Virginia State laws, individuals with certain eligible arrest records may petition for the expungement or sealing of such records. An expungement or sealing makes the affected unavailable to the public unless by court order. Generally, the arrest records are eligible for expungement or sealing under Va. Code § 19.2-392.2 include:

• Arrests that did not result in a conviction
• Cases where the charges were dismissed/dropped
• Arrests without charges (nolle prosequi)
• Arrests where the filed charges were reversed
• Cases of mistaken identity and cases where the charges filed were removed due to the completion of a pretrial/ diversion program.

To process an expungement or sealing in Tazewell County, concerned persons may complete a Petition for Expungement (FORM CC-1472) and file it with the County Circuit Court Clerk's Office. In addition to the filed petition, the applicant is required to obtain a copy of a complete fingerprint set from the Virginia State Police.

A copy of the petition form is to be served to the Commonwealth Attorney who has 21 days to object. The State Police is expected to send the complete fingerprint set and copies of the petition to the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) per Va. Code. § 19.2-388.1.

The CCRE then forwards the applicant’s criminal history records and fingerprints to the court of jurisdiction. The court, after receiving the required documents, fixes a hearing date to decide the petition. If the petition is granted, a court order is issued and a copy is served to the State Police for execution.

Tazewell County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official order and legal document authorizing the arrest of the named individual by law enforcement. A Tazewell County arrest warrant also known as a “process of arrest” may be issued by a judge or the clerk of a circuit/ general district court for criminal offenses or failure to obey court orders (Va. Code § 19.2-71).

Per state laws, a law enforcement officer must provide reasonable evidence and sufficient probable cause to the issuing judge or clerk before an arrest warrant is issued in Tazewell County. Arrest warrants usually contain a description of the alleged offense, the subject's name and personal identifying information, the name and/or signature of the issuing judge or clerk, the issuing date, and a command for the subject to be arrested and brought before the issuing court.

Do Tazewell County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Tazewell County, arrest warrants do not expire. Once issued, an arrest warrant will remain active until it is executed or quashed. The execution of an arrest warrant entails the apprehension and arraignment of the named individual. An issuing court may decide to recall or quash an issued arrest warrant for various reasons. If a warrant was issued by error, the charges necessitating the arrest were dropped, or the subject of the warrant dies, a court may decide to invalidate an issued arrest warrant.