Washington County Arrest Records

In Washington County, arrest records are official documents detailing offenses for which a person has been detained by law enforcement. An arrest record includes information on the arrest, including the reason for the arrest, the location of the arrest, the date of the arrest, the arresting agency, and the accused offense. Arrests in Washington County are limited to cases where there is reasonable suspicion that an individual has committed or intends to commit a crime. Most arrests in the county are executed after a judge issues an arrest warrant for the arrest, but state law allows arrests to be made without warrants under certain conditions.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police (VSP), and city police departments are the primary agencies responsible for arrests and maintaining arrest records for the county. Arrested persons are detained in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority (SWVRJA), Abingdon. Washington County arrest records may be found in the Washington County Court Records and the SWVRJA inmate records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Washington County?

Yes, arrest records are public in Washington County. Per the Virginia Public Records Act, the county’s residents can access most arrest records kept by the county’s law enforcement agencies. However, certain arrest records in the county are exempted from public view for privacy reasons or to protect the interest of justice. These records include:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Identity of witnesses relating to an arrest
• Ongoing investigation notes, statements, evidence, and orders
• Identity of victims relating to an arrest

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Washington County arrest records typically contain information about the person arrested and details surrounding the arrest, including the following:

• Arrestee’s personal information, including first and last name, gender, date of birth, height, eye color, weight, race, and residential address
• Arrest charges and statutes description
• Booking number
• Booking date
• Arresting agency and address
• Date and location of arrest
• Specific crime committed
• Arrest warrant number (if applicable)
• Arrestee’s mugshot
• Court date and bond

Washington County Arrest Statistics

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Data Explorer, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office made 843 arrests in 2023, a 7.5% decrease from the 2022 arrest figure (912). There were 582 male arrestees and 261 female arrestees in 2023, out of which 94 were arrested for simple assaults, 123 for drug-related offenses, and 154 for larceny. In addition, the Virginia State Police made 82 arrests in the county in 2023.

Find Washington County Arrest Records

Inmate records are public documents that provide information about persons incarcerated, including records of their arrest, such as their names and charges filed against them. Record seekers can find Washington County arrest information on the SWVRJA’s Current Facility Inmate website. They can filter the result list for Abingdon facility inmates. Alternatively, they can use the Bureau of Prison Inmate Locator provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to find inmates incarcerated in federal prisons. Typically, they need either the prison identifying number or the offender’s name to use the BOP Inmate locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Washington County

Official government websites that provide free Washington County’s inmate records and arrest information include:

• Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority Current Facility Inmate Portal
• Federal Bureau of Prison Inmate Locator

Alternatively, Washington County arrest records can be accessed for free on third-party websites. These websites allow users to search for various public records, such as court, criminal, and prison records. However, information obtained from these resources should be verified independently, as they may not be current or reliable.

Washington County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Within the criminal justice system, arrest and criminal records have distinct functions. Despite the fact that most people consider them to be the same, their forms, origins, and usage differ. Washington County criminal records generally indicate that a person was tried for a crime, whereas the county’s arrest records indicate that a person was suspected of a crime and taken into custody. The alleged offense, the arrest location, the arresting agency, mugshots, fingerprints, the arrest warrant, and personal information are all commonly included in an individual's arrest record in Washington County. Criminal records, on the other hand, contain details regarding an individual's arrest, trial, sentences, incarceration, probation, and other contacts with the county's criminal justice system.

Washington County criminal record is a more comprehensive document that details a person's whole criminal past. It is helpful for background checks when applying for jobs, housing, or vetting business partnerships. Typically, criminal records are generated following or during a court trial for criminal cases, whereas arrest records are created following an arrest. In Washington County, arrest records related to a criminal case may be purged if no one is found guilty.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in Washington County are, by law, retained for specific periods, ranging from immediate expungement to retention for 100 years. The Library of Virginia Records Retention and Disposition Schedule mandates the following retention periods:

• Unexecuted warrants cannot be retained on the subject's record
• Adult arrest records are retained until 100 years after the arrestee's birth
• Removal of an adult arrest records 1 year after the death of the arrestee, if reported to the record custodian
• Juvenile arrest records are retained until the arrestee turns 23 years
• Arrest books and logs are retained by the agency for 5 years after the last action
• Inventory of an arrestee's personal property is retained for 3 years
• Records of an arrestee’s confiscated properties are retained for up to 3 years after the last action

Expunge Washington County Arrest Records

In Washington County, expungement of arrest records removes an individual's arrest records from all publicly available records or storage media. Once an arrest record has been expunged, the individual can legally deny ever being arrested for that particular offense. Per the Virginia Code section 19.2-392.2, only persons acquitted at trial or whose charges were dismissed can petition for expungement of their arrest records. The process for expunging arrest records in Washington County is as follows:

• They must file a Petition for Expungement form at the Washington County Circuit Court.
• A copy of the petition for expungement will be served on the county's district attorney, who must respond within 21 days of receiving the petition
• A copy of the petition will also be given to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to obtain the petitioner’s complete fingerprints
• The Sheriff’s Office will then submit the fingerprints and a copy of the petition to the Virginia Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) under the Virginia State Police
• The CCRE will then forward the petitioner's sealed criminal history, the fingerprint, and the source document for the expungement to the Washington County Circuit Court
• The county's Circuit Court will conduct a hearing to determine whether to deny or approve the expungement petition
• If the petition is successful, the court will issue an order of expungement for the arrest records

Washington County Arrest Warrants

In Washington County, an arrest warrant is a document issued by the county’s courts that gives a law enforcement officer the right to arrest and detain an individual suspected of committing a crime within the county. Virginia law authorizes a judge, a magistrate, or a Clerk of the county’s Circuit, General District, or Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court to issue an arrest warrant. A Washington County arrest warrant is typically directed to a law enforcement officer, giving them the authority to apprehend and detain a person suspected of having committed a crime. The court will only issue the arrest warrant if the law enforcement agent can show probable cause that the subject committed an offense. A Washington County arrest warrant typically contains the following information:

• Name of the person to be arrested or a physical description if name is not known
• A description of the alleged crime
• An order for the person to be brought before the court
• The name and signature of the issuing officer
• Warrant number
• The court that issued the warrant

Do Washington County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Washington County arrest warrants do not expire. There is no time limit for outstanding arrest warrants in Virginia, and they remain active until they are executed or quashed by a court.