Mason County Arrest Records

In Mason County, an individual may be arrested without an arrest warrant if the said officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect has committed or is committing a felony. A police officer may also arrest a person without a warrant for committing a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor or violating traffic laws if the said officer witnesses the criminal act (RCW 10.31.100).

The Mason County Sheriff and municipal police departments are responsible for keeping the peace in the county and arresting and booking offenders. The booking process is an administrative procedure that takes place after a person has been arrested and brought to the police station. This process creates an official arrest record. It involves collecting and recording information about the suspect and the alleged crime—the suspect's name and all personal information, height, fingerprints, mugshot, checking for outstanding warrants, and placing the suspect in a holding cell pending trial or until they are released on bail.

Mason County arrest records are official documents documenting the interaction between an individual and law enforcement officials. If the defendant is formally charged, the county clerk creates a court record to document the arraignment and subsequent legal proceedings, just like the law enforcement agencies do after the arrest. Arrest information may also be accessed in Mason County Court Records and Washington State Criminal History Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Mason County?

Yes. Arrest records are considered public records in Mason County, Washington. According to Chapter 42.56.080, RCW (Washington Public Records Act), every person has a right to review, inspect, and request copies of court records prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency, regardless of physical form or characteristics. Mason County law enforcement agencies are required by law to make public arrest records reasonably accessible to requesters.

The Mason County Sheriff's Office and other local law enforcement agencies must make public their official hours and ensure that arrest records are available for inspection and copying during those hours (RCW 42.56.090). These custodians are also required to draft and implement rules and regulations to protect the records from damage, preserve their integrity, and provide full assistance to all applicants.

In Mason County, certain information contained in arrest records or related information may be exempt from public disclosure. Records in this category are not under the umbrella of public records, as explained in the Washington Public Records Act. The act does not mandate custodians to disclose such records. It also sets out due process to be followed to access sealed, expunged, or confidential records. Examples of arrest records or information that may be subject to nondisclosure rules include:

• Personal information like bank or financial information, social security number, residential address, and driver's license (RCW 42.56.230)
• Information that may reveal the identity of witnesses or victims to a crime if it will endanger any person's life, physical safety, or property (RCW 42.56.240)
• Records of investigative reports
• Information that describes an alleged or proven child victim of sexual assault who is below the age of eighteen
• The identity or contact information of an alleged or proven child victim of sexual assault who is below the age of eighteen
• Body-worn camera recordings
• The identity or statement of a victim or witness of an incident involving domestic violence
• Records that are sealed or expunged by court order or federal or state statute.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records created by law enforcement agencies in Mason County may include the following details:

• Basic information about the arrestee: This may include their full name, date of birth, age, aliases or nicknames, height, weight, mugshot, sex, race, ethnicity, eye color, scars, or other physical features of the arrestee
• The location, date, and time of arrest
• Charges: A brief description of the charges, the specific offense, counts, and class of offense (felony, misdemeanor)
• Outstanding arrest warrants
• Bail information, eligibility for bail, and bond amount
• Court details: Scheduled court dates
• Holding facility
• Case status.

Mason County Arrest Statistics

The Crime In Washington 2023 Annual Report is the most recent and comprehensive crime report by The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. In Mason County 2023, the Mason County Sheriff and the Shelton Police Department recorded a total of 2,191 offenses.

According to the submission by Mason County law enforcement agencies, 450 offenders were arrested, and 32.5 percent of the reported offenses were cleared. Adults accounted for 427 arrests, and 23 offenders were juveniles. The most prevalent offenses in the county for that year were larceny-theft offenses (543), destruction of property (306), simple assault (293), burglary (255), violation of no contact/protection orders (197), motor vehicle theft (166), aggravated assault (118) and fraud offenses (95).

Find Mason County Arrest Records

Under the Washington Public Records Act, everyone can access or request copies of law enforcement records. Researchers should contact the relevant agency in their municipality or the jurisdiction where the subject of the record was arrested.

The Mason County Sheriff's Office is in charge of maintaining all arrest records for the county. However, city police departments may also have records of arrests made by officers in their departments. Hence, interested persons may contact or visit the Mason County Sheriff's Office or the city Police Department that made the arrest.

The Mason County Sheriff publishes an Inmate List of all inmates currently incarcerated in the Mason County Jail. Researchers can find inmate records by name or permanent bed. The Inmate List provides access to information such as inmates' names and identities, booking numbers, date and time of incarceration, booking and release dates, offense, and the type of court presiding over the case.

Mason County Sheriff's Office — Shelton
322 North 3rd Street
Shelton WA 98584
Phone: (360) 427-9670 Ext 313.

Mason County Sheriff's Office — North Precinct (Belfair)
460 Northeast Old Belfair
Hwy Belfair WA 98528
Shelton WA 98584
Phone: (360) 277-3097

Residents of Mason County can access the names, DOC numbers, ages, and locations (name of correctional facility) of all incarcerated persons in the custody of the Washington State Department of Corrections. Likewise, interested persons can find arrest and incarceration records for federal inmates at the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons online Inmate Locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Mason County

It is possible to find arrest information in Mason County criminal case records. Criminal case records contain basic arrest information like the defendant's name and identity, mugshot, date and time of arrest, charges, bail information, and place of incarceration. The Washington judiciary website has a case search platform to help individuals locate criminal case records for free, including all cases filed in Mason County Superior Court, District Court, and Municipal Court.

Alternatively, researchers can consult third-party aggregate websites that host Mason County arrest records and are publicly accessible. Multiple third-party public records websites can be found by simply looking up "Mason County Arrest Records" in any search engine. However, because third-party sites are not affiliated with the government, their information is not as updated, accurate, or complete as official records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest record remains public information until it is sealed or expunged. Arrest records do not automatically expire. Depending on the circumstances of the arrest, a non-conviction criminal history record may be eligible for expungement after a period prescribed in the Washington Criminal Procedure Code.

Expunge Mason County Arrest Records

According to the Washington Code of Criminal Procedure, RCW 10.97.060, arrest records that do not result in a conviction and other non-conviction criminal history records may be eligible for expungement. However, two years should have elapsed since no conviction was passed on the case or after three years from the date of arrest, issuance of a citation, or warrant for an offense where no conviction was obtained.

In other words, an individual may petition the court in Mason County to delete records of their arrest and other related criminal history records if no charges were filed, or the charges were dropped, the case was dropped, dismissed, and the defendant was acquitted and discharged.

Once the duration prescribed by law has lapsed, one can petition the court in the county where they were arrested or charged to have their records deleted. This law does not apply to fugitives or cases under active protection. The court may also deny the application where the record relates to a prosecution that was deferred, where the subject of the record has a prior felony or d=gross misdemeanor conviction or the subject has been arrested for or charged with another crime during the two-three year intervention period.

Mason County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a writ commanding a police officer to arrest an individual named in the warrant and bring them before a judicial officer to answer to criminal charges. In Washington, an arrest warrant must be issued and signed by a magistrate, any justice of the Supreme Court, a judge of the court of appeal, or a superior court.

The warrant, once signed, may be sent to any marshal, sheriff, police officer, or constable (i.e., the Mason County Sheriff) authorizing him or her to detain the named defendant. For an arrest warrant to be issued, an officer must submit a complaint supported by an affidavit and oath sworn in the presence of the judicial officer with evidence to show that there is probable cause to believe that the accused individual(s) are liable for the offense charged (RCW 10.31.060).

The arresting officer must inform the defendant that he is acting under the authority of a warrant and must also show the warrant. If the officer does not have the warrant on their person, they must declare that it exists and will be presented to the defendant as soon as possible once the defendant is taken to the intended place of confinement (RCW 10.31.030).

Do Mason County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Mason County arrest warrants do not expire. An arrest warrant may be executed any time after it is issued unless it is recalled and quashed. Although arrest warrants do not expire, they should be executed timely to avoid undue delay that may result in prejudice, which may affect the case outcome.

The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution grants a defendant the right to a speedy trial. Hence, significant effort must be made to arrest the defendant and bring them before the nearest available judicial officer.