Lewis County Arrest Records

Under WPIC 120.07, an arrest is legitimate if it is made under the command of an arrest warrant or if the arresting officer has probable cause to think that the person detained committed the offense while the officer was there. An arrest record is any information signifying that a person was apprehended, brought into custody, and held for investigation by law enforcement due to an accusation or suspicion of committing a crime.

Under AGO 2004 No. 4, arrestees are typically held in custody at any jail in Lewis County pending disposition of charges, whether they are brought in by county officers, state patrol officers, or other state employees with criminal law enforcement duties.

The Lewis County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in Lewis County. It is the main executor of all arrest warrants issued by the court clerk or magistrate. In addition to the Sheriff's Office, several local police departments serve the county. These departments partner with the sheriff's Office to enforce the law and ensure public safety.

Therefore, the sheriff's Office is chiefly responsible for generating, maintaining, and disseminating arrest records within the county. However, because arrest records may be helpful to other public justice agencies, these organizations may also maintain them. For instance, the Lewis County Court Records utilizes information obtained from arrest records to follow due process in a criminal court procedure.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lewis County?

Yes. Under the Washington Public Records Act, all public agencies shall make all public records available for inspection and copying by the public following published rules. However, the following personal information is exempt from public inspection. They include

• Personal information in any files maintained in schools, public institutions, public health agencies, or welfare recipients
• Juvenile confidential information
• Information which would endanger a person's life, physical safety, or property if disclosed
• Personal information in files maintained for elected officials, employees, or appointees of public agencies
• Social security numbers and numbers from credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, card expiration dates, and bank account numbers.
• Records that are used in proving the identity, age, residential address, social security number, or other personal information required to apply for a driver's license or identity card.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

An arrest record provides information on individuals who have been apprehended, booked, and taken into custody by law enforcement agencies. Typical information that can be found in a Lewis County arrest record includes

• Name of the offender
• Date of Arrest
• Arresting agency
• Booking number
• Booking date and time
• Booking location
• Court
• Billing agency
• Bond type
• Bond amount
• Description of arrest
• Warrant/citation number

Lewis County Crime Rate

According to the FBI UCR 2018 crime statistics publication for the state of Washington, a total of 1,220 reported crimes were committed in Lewis County. Property crimes in Lewis County were the most common, accounting for 549 cases, followed by larceny-theft at 299 cases and burglary at 207 cases. Other crimes, such as violent crimes, aggravated assault, and motor vehicle theft, numbered 60, 47, and 43, respectively.

Lewis County Arrest Statistics

According to the arrest information-based statistics provided by the FBI UCR in 2018, a total of 171,466 arrests were made in Washington, with driving under the influence having the highest number of arrests at 27,632. 25,722 arrests were made for property crimes, with other assaults and larceny-theft having Arrests numbering 24,701 and 19,762, respectively. Arrests for all other offenses (except traffic) numbered 56,599.

Find Lewis County Arrest Records

The Record's Division of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office handles computer entry, processing, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of various reports, records, and information for the Sheriff's Office, as well as aiding the public at the counter and over the phone. Individuals may fill and submit the Public Record Request Form via mail or in person. Anyone may also contact the Public Records Officer via email at publicrecords@lewiscountywa.gov, via phone at (360) 740-2674, online or in person by visiting the:

Lewis County Sheriff's Office
Records Division
345 W Main Street; MS:SHE01
Chehalis, WA 98532

The Washington Department of Corrections provides the general public with access to public information about currently incarcerated individuals. Via the Incarcerated Search online portal, individuals may conduct inmate searches by DOC Number or name. Interested persons may otherwise view the incarcerated offender list on the incarcerated search page. One must understand, however, that DOC inmate information involves individuals who have been convicted of committing a crime.

To find a federal inmate, an inquirer may utilize the Federal Inmate Locator maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The search can be carried out by name or by BOP register number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lewis County

Anyone who desires to look up an arrest record for free may utilize the Lewis County Jail Roster provided online by the Sheriff's Office for a list of currently incarcerated offenders. Interested persons may also view the recent Jail Bookings and Releases list at no cost. Furthermore, record seekers may visit any police department within the county to view the bookings list.

Third-party websites, which are independently owned, also offer basic arrest records search services to the general public online at no cost. Most searches can be made by inputting the offender's name.

Get Lewis County Criminal Records

Per RCW 10.97.030, a Lewis County criminal history record refers to information received from records concerning an individual's contact with law enforcement agencies within the county. They include identifiable descriptions and arrests, notations, detentions, indictments, data or other formal criminal charges, and resulting dispositions.

Members of the public who desire to conduct a criminal record search in Lewis County may contact the Records Division of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office. Persons making a criminal history record request for themselves will be required to present valid proof of identity with a signature and photograph, such as a driver's license. Anyone making a criminal history record for someone else will need to provide a notarized statement from that person authorizing the release of the record. A criminal history record search will require a fee of $15 and may take up to 5 working days to process.

The Identification and Criminal History Section of the Washington State Patrol established the WATCH online portal as the official online source for criminal history conviction records for Washington state. Users are required to register to access records. Record seekers will be required to pay $11 for each name searched regardless of the search outcome. Mail requests may also be made by completing and submitting the Request for Conviction Criminal History Form to the Identification and Background Check Section along with applicable fees. In-person requests can be made by

• Filling out a Conviction Criminal History Form only in person at the Olympia office, for a fee of $32
• Submitting a full set of fingerprints in person. There is a $58.00 fee for the processing of a fingerprint card.

Furthermore, individuals can also request their federal criminal history record from the FBI. With a required fee of $18, one can submit a written request to the Criminal Justice Information Services Division.

Lewis County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record in Lewis County shows that an individual has been taken into custody temporarily by a law enforcement agent. When an arrest is carried out, the arrestee may never be charged with a crime, have the charges dismissed or dropped, or be found not guilty or acquitted when charged. This means that an arrest record is not necessarily a proof of guilt.

On the other hand, a conviction record legally declares that an individual pled guilty or was found guilty of a crime during a trial. It shows the history of an offender's contact with the criminal justice system, such as law enforcement agencies, criminal courts, correctional facilities, and others.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in Lewis County remain forever. The Washington system does not stipulate a time limit for erasing arrest records. However, qualified individuals may remove or modify an arrest record in several ways. Individuals can have their arrest records dismissed, vacated, sealed (juvenile), destroyed (juvenile), or expunged.

Expunge Lewis County Arrest Records

Under the provisions stated by RCW 10.97.060, non-conviction criminal history record information may only be expunged from criminal justice agency files when

• 2 or more years have elapsed since the record became non-conviction data, and the final disposition is dismissed, dropped, or acquitted, among others
• 3 years have passed from the date of the arrest or issuance of a warrant
• The case is under active prosecution according to a current certification made by the prosecuting attorney

Anyone who meets all these qualifications may request to the Washington State Patrol, where a final decision will be made on whether the information will be expunged.

Anyone requesting an expungement may download and complete the Request for Expungement Deletion of Non-Conviction Records and mail the completed form to the Criminal History Records Section.

Lewis County Arrest Warrants

The court issues an arrest warrant for the arrest of an offender if an indictment is found or information is filed. Per CrR 2.2, several court procedures must take place before ruling on a request for an arrest warrant. The court will require the complainant to appear in person and may examine the complainant and other witnesses under oath. Unless the court determines that there is probable cause to believe that the accused committed the offense charged. The probable cause is based on an affidavit or sworn testimony presented to the court, which shall be recorded. Once the court is satisfied, an arrest warrant will be directed to all peace officers in the state and shall be executed by a peace officer.

An arrest warrant must be in writing in the name of the state of Washington and shall contain the following information

• Signature of the court clerk with the title of Office
• Date the arrest warrant was issued
• County the arrest warrant was issued
• Name of the defendant or physical description of the defendant if name is not known
• Offense charged against the defendant
• A command for the offender to be arrested and brought before the court
• Bail or other release conditions

Lewis County Arrest Warrant Search

The Lewis County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency responsible for investigating crimes, enforcing laws, executing warrants, and maintaining the county jail. Anyone may contact the Sheriff's Office in person to look up active arrest warrants in the county.

Individuals may also contact the clerk of the court or the magistrate's Office where the warrant was issued. Alternatively, they can visit any local police department within the county to view active warrants.

The Washington Department of Corrections provides an online portal for Warrant Search, through which members of the public may look up information on active arrest warrants. Searches may be carried out by first name, last name, DOC number, crime, or county. Individuals may otherwise browse the list of Most Wanted persons on the Washington State Patrol page.

Do Lewis County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants in the state of Washington do not expire, as there is no time limit on their execution. Lewis County arrest warrants typically remain active until the person named in the warrant has been arrested.