Clallam County Arrest Records

Arrest records are documents that are generated when an individual is apprehended or taken into custody or detention. They typically contain information about a defendant who is being investigated, arrested, charged, indicted, or tried for any offense. Per WPIC 120.07 of the Washington Criminal Jury instructions, an arrest is constitutional if it is made in response to an arrest warrant. An arrest without a warrant may become necessary and is also legal if the arresting officer has sufficient reason to think that the individual arrested has committed a crime in the officer's presence (RCW 10.31.100).

Inmates in Clallam County are generally held in jails located within the County. Per AGO 2004 No. 4, the county jail is obligated to accept and book individuals arrested and brought to the county jail by state patrol agents or other law enforcement authorities.

The Clallam County Sheriff's Office is the chief supervisor of the county jail. As the primary law enforcement body in the County, the sheriff's office works with the local law enforcement agencies and is also in charge of carrying out all arrest warrants that the magistrate or court clerk issues. As a result, the Sheriff's Office bears primary responsibility for creating, preserving, and disseminating arrest records in the County.

Other public justice authorities may also maintain and utilize arrest records. For instance, arrest record information is a crucial part of Clallam County court records in the Clallam County court system. The court uses an arrest record during criminal proceedings to maintain the legal system's integrity, justice, and openness.

Are Arrest Records Public in Clallam County?

Yes. According to RCW 42.56.070, all public records maintained by each public agency shall be made available to the general public for inspection and duplication in compliance with published rules. Therefore, anyone can request a public arrest record from a law enforcement agency, provided that they are not exempt from public inspection. The following information, which is exempt from public access, includes:

• Information that, if revealed, could put someone's life, bodily safety, or property in danger
• Any record used to prove identity, age, residential address, social security number, or other personal information
• Juvenile private information
• Any file kept by public health organizations, schools, public institutions, or welfare recipients that contains personal information
• Credit card numbers, debit card numbers, electronic check numbers, bank account numbers, and social security numbers.
• Personnel records that contain personal information whose disclosure will violate privacy rights
• Victim, child victim, and witness identity information
• Specific intelligence and investigative records

The Clallam County Sheriff's Office Policy Manual provides more information on records restricted from being released. Inspection of exempt records may be permitted if the count’s superior court finds that it is unnecessary to exempt such records to protect anyone's right to privacy or any crucial government function. This decision is made following a hearing and notice to all interested parties and the agency.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A Clallam County public arrest record document may outline the following information.

• Name
• Subject number
• Age
• Gender
• Booking date
• Booking origin
• Release date
• Housing facility
• Bond number, type, and amount
• Charges description
• Offense date
• Docket Number
• Disposition
• Disposition date
• Arresting agency

Clallam County Crime Rate

The FBI UCR 2018 crime statistics report for the state of Washington indicates that in Clallam County, a total of 1,292 crimes were committed overall within the County. The highest number of crimes committed were property crimes at 573. Larceny-theft was the second most popular crime, numbering 351. Other crimes committed in Clallam County included Burglary crimes at 194, violent crimes at 72, and motor vehicle theft at 28. There were 19 recorded cases of rape crimes and 3 murder and negligent manslaughter crimes recorded within the County.

Clallam County Arrest Statistics

According to the 2018 Arrest and Incarceration Statistics maintained by the FBI, a total of 171,466 arrests were made overall in the state of Washington. The highest number of arrests were made for driving under the influence offenses, accounting for 27,632 of the cases. Property offenses accounted for 25,722 arrests, while arrests for other assaults and larceny theft were 24,701 and 19,762, respectively. Furthermore, 56,599 individuals were arrested for all other offenses combined, except traffic.

Find Clallam County Arrest Records

The Clallam County Sheriff's Office maintains and disseminates public arrest records to members of the public. Interested persons may look up arrest records online via the Inmate Search tool, or contact the Sheriff's Office. To request records from the Sheriff's Office, one may contact the Public Records Center, visit the Clallam County Sheriff's Office in person, or give them a call at (360) 417-2432.

Members of the public seeking Clallam County arrest records may also utilize the Incarcerated Individual Search online service maintained by the Washington Department of Corrections. Inmate searches may be conducted by DOC number or by name. People may also conduct an inmate search by looking up the list of incarcerated individuals displayed on the search page. It is important to note that these inmate records are generally about offenders convicted for committing a crime.

Furthermore, interested persons may look up arrest records for persons who may have committed a federal crime by utilizing the Federal Inmate Locator online portal maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. One can search by inputting the name or BOP number of the offender.

Free Arrest Record Search in Clallam County

The Clallam County Sheriff's Office provides arrest information to the general public at no cost. To look up arrest records, one can contact the sheriff's office in person or utilize the Clallam County Inmate Inquiry online portal to conduct a free inmate search. To search, fill in the name, subject number, booking number, booking date, and housing facility of the arrestee. Click on “Search”.

Members of the public in Clallam County may also contact the local police departments for information about arrests for free.

Alternatively, third-party websites provide online record search services to interested persons. These records are collated from the database of various governmental organizations and may be accessed by the general public for free. While basic name searches may be performed at no cost, in-depth searches may require a fee or paid subscription

Get Clallam County Criminal Records

Per RCW 10.97.030, Clallam County criminal history record information refers to information comprising records gathered by criminal justice agencies other than courts on persons. They include identifiable details and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, and other formal criminal charges, as well as any resulting dispositions. Other information on a criminal record may include acquittals for insanity, dismissals for lack of competency, penalties, correctional supervision, and release.

The Washington State Patrol (WSP) maintains criminal history record information that can be accessed in the following ways

• Via the WATCH online portal: For a fee of $11 per name search, and a fee of $10 for notary requests, registered users may obtain a Clallam County criminal history record
• By mail: Individuals may request conviction Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) by filling and submitting a Request Form along with the required fees to the Identification and Background Check Section of the WSP
• Via in-person requests: Interested persons may request a conviction CHRI based on an individual's name and date of birth by submitting the “Request for Conviction Criminal History Form” physically with a fee of $32. Requests for conviction CHRI may also be made in person by submitting a full set of fingerprints for a processing fee of $58

Criminal records maintained by the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office may be obtained by contacting the Clallam County Superior Court for criminal records related to felonies online, in person, or via call at (360) 417-2231. Criminal records related to misdemeanors may be obtained at the district court by submitting a record request form to the court clerk.

Clallam County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record shows that an individual has been apprehended or taken into custody or detention. It may also contain information about a defendant who is being investigated, arrested, charged, indicted, or tried for any offense. However, an arrest record is not always proof of guilt. This is because following an arrest, the arrestee may never face criminal charges, or the charges may be withdrawn or dismissed, or the offender may be found not guilty or acquitted when there is a prosecution.

On the other hand, a conviction record contains information indicating that an individual has been convicted of a crime, misdemeanor, or other offense. It shows that the individual may have been deemed delinquent, received less than honorable discharge, or placed on probation, fined, imprisoned, or paroled by any law enforcement or military authority. An arrest record may be part of a criminal record.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Information on arrests in Washington state remains on record indefinitely, potentially forever. There is no stipulated time limit for which an arrest record may be removed. However, qualified persons may have their arrest records vacated, dismissed, sealed, or expunged.

Expunge Clallam County Arrest Records

Per (RCW) 10.97.060, only non-conviction criminal records, such as arrest records, are subject to expungement from public criminal justice agency files. If someone seems to fit all the requirements, they may then mail an arrest record expungement request to the WSP. A final decision on whether or not the data will be removed will be forwarded to the requester. This request is free of charge, and once it is processed, the requester will be informed of any outcomes. Arrest records in Clallam County may be expunged

• When 2 years or more have passed since the record became non-conviction data as a consequence of the entry of a good disposition for the defendant
• After 3 years have passed from the date of arrest or issue of a citation or warrant for a crime for which no conviction was achieved
• When a recent certification from the prosecutor states that the case is being prosecuted actively.

Clallam County Arrest Warrants

Per CrR 2.2, an arrest warrant for an offender in Clallam County is issued when the court directs the clerk to do so over an indictment or information filed. Before a court rules on a request for an arrest warrant, the complainant must appear before the court in person and will be examined under oath along with accompanying witnesses. The court must determine that there is probable cause to believe that the offense charged was committed by the defendant. Probable cause may be determined by the court based on a sworn testimony or an affidavit. Once the court is satisfied that there is probable cause, the warrant will be issued and directed to all peace officers in the state and executed only by a peace officer.

A Clallam County arrest warrant must be in writing and must be issued in the name of the state of Washington. The following information may be found in an arrest warrant

• A signature of the court clerk with the title of the office
• Date the warrant was issued
• County where the warrant was issued
• Name of the defendant, or any name or description through which the defendant can be certainly identified
• Specification of the offense charged against the defendant
• Notification that the court has probable cause to believe the defendant committed the offense charged
• A command that the defendant be arrested and brought before the court that issued the arrest warrant

Clallam County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested persons seeking an active arrest warrant in Clallam County may contact the Clallam County Superior Court. Inquiries may be made in person, via phone, or by mail.

The Clallam County Sheriff's Office carries out arrest warrant orders for the Superior Court. Inquirers may contact the sheriff's office for information on active arrest warrants.

Individuals may also lookup arrest warrant information via the Warrant Search online tool provided by the state's Department of Corrections. One can conduct a search based on County, offense, DOC number, and first or last name. Alternatively, anyone can peruse the Most Wanted list available on the Washington State Patrol page.

Do Clallam County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in Clallam County do not have an expiration date. This is because there is no time limit placed on the execution of an arrest warrant. Arrest warrants typically remain active indefinitely until the individual named in the warrant has been apprehended. However, individuals with an arrest warrant may need to speak with the Court Administrator to be placed on the Criminal Ex Parte calendar instead.