Del Norte County Arrest Records

California law defines arrest as an intrusive process by law enforcement that involves restraining and detaining a person believed to have committed a criminal act. The basis of an arrest is probable cause, evidence that a person was involved in a crime. These criminal offenses have different legal ramifications depending on whether they are classified as felonies, misdemeanors, or infractions.

Del Norte County arrest records are primarily created to document the arrest process; they contain booking information, personal information about the detained suspect, and all other information surrounding a particular arrest process. These records are vital for commencing criminal proceedings and may offer insight into a person's criminal past. Thus, they may be part of the public files kept by other local and state organizations, e.g., Del Norte County Court Records, which are considered a vital part of the prosecution process.

Are Arrest Records Public in Del Norte County?

Yes, Anyone can request an arrest record from law enforcement in Del Norte County. The California Public Records Act (CPRA) allows the public to access arrest records created and kept in California counties. The PRA is a state law that grants access to information relevant to law enforcement activities like arrests. However, the CPRA restricts public access to ensure a fair justice process. Additionally, per California Government Code § 7923.600-7923.625, § 7923.000, and Article I, Section I of the California Constitution, information may be restricted to safeguard confidential and protected information.

Some examples of exempted arrest records include:

• Investigative arrest records.
• Juvenile arrest records.
• Arrest records that reveal the identity of victims of sexual offenses.
• Arrest records from an unfinished undercover investigation.
• Arrest records that have been made confidential by a court
• Arrest records of informants under witness protection

Ultimately, every custodian of arrest records in Del Norte County must keep these records confidential if making them public would disrupt public peace, undermine national security, or deprive someone of a fair trial.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records created and maintained in Del Norte County typically contain the following information:

• The name of the arrestee
• A physical description of the arrestee
• The arrestee's last known address
• The cause of the arrest
• Charges against the arrestee
• Parole information
• Bail and bond information
• The date, place, and time of the arrest

Del Norte County Arrest Statistics

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting portal releases arrest data for California counties and crime data. The agency's report states that 1055 arrests were made in Del Norte County in 2023. 358 (33.9%) of those were drug-related charges, 335 (32%) were traffic-related infractions, including intoxication, and 178 (15%) were traffic-related infractions.

Simple assault accounted for 15% (180) of all arrests in the misdemeanor arrest category, making it the most common type.

Find Del Norte County Arrest Records

Citizens may find Del Norte County arrest records at the records divisions of law enforcement offices in Del Norte County. The Records Division is the repository and the Custodian of Records for all police departments and the Sheriff's Office records.

Each office has different channels that receive requests for arrest records. Many accept in-person, mail-in, and electronic inquiries. Most record divisions allow requesters to make appointments to search for records by visiting the department in person. Record divisions also have a records window where requests can be made by mail or telephone. Requesters must also pay a request fee determined by the type and amount of records requested. Payments can be made in cash, checks, money orders, cashier's checks, and bail bonds as forms of payment. The request process also usually involves completing a records request Form with the information needed to search for an arrest record. Requesters must provide the following information:

• The name of the arrestee on the record
• The time and date of arrest
• The name of the arresting agency

Anyone searching for someone recently arrested in Del Norte County may contact the jail authorities to make inquiries. The booking department of the Norte County Sheriff's Office also has information on inmate location and transfer.

Free Arrest Record Search in Del Norte County

Persons seeking to confirm their arrest history may request a local background check from the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office. To qualify for a fee waiver, the requester must submit the department's fee waiver and include a full legal name and any former names. Once the sheriff's office verifies the information, staff will search local arrest files and provide a summary at no cost if the requester is deemed eligible for the waiver.

Alternatively, requesters may utilize commercial record-search websites, which aggregate publicly available data and provide an online platform, allowing requesters to search for information remotely. Although these platforms are convenient—requiring only an internet connection—they are privately operated and may contain outdated or incomplete information. Hence, they cannot be used to retrieve information for official purposes.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. The State of California does not set a timeframe for deleting arrest records. Arrest records will remain on a person's criminal history report until steps are taken to have them expunged. Del Norte County law enforcement also distributes arrest records to multiple state and federal criminal justice agencies, each with its own retention policies and records retention schedules.

In Del Norte, obtaining an expungement or sealing is typically the only legitimate means to remove an arrest from one's record.

Expunge Del Norte County Arrest Records

An expungement (also known as a "dismissal") is a procedure used to clear an adult's criminal record and reduce the amount of information that appears on a background check. Additionally, some of the penalties of a conviction may be lifted.

California Penal Code 1203.4 PC authorizes expungements as a type of post-conviction rehabilitation. An expungement enables someone to have the criminal case dismissed, to re-enter a not guilty plea, and to withdraw a guilty or no contest plea. On the other hand, the sealing laws in California usually apply to adult arrest records in which no charges or convictions were filed against the individual.

The first step to expungement is determining eligibility. As per Cal. Pen. Code § 851.91. Priority for expungement is given to the following categories of individuals:

• Individuals who are taken into custody but not charged.
• People taken into custody and accused, but whose charges were dropped.
• Those who finished the diversion had the charges dropped.
• People who completed "DEJ" (delayed judgment entry) had their charges dropped.
• Those who went to trial were acquitted.

In most cases, sexual and violent felonies cannot be expunged under any circumstances.

An eligible person may petition the Del Norte court to seal arrest and related records (Form CR-409) to have arrest records expunged. The police station that made the arrest may require the person to turn in Form BCIA 8270 (Seal and Destroy Adult Arrest Records). Information on filling out and submitting the petition and further techniques for limiting or sealing arrest records from the public can be found on Form CR-409-INFO.

Del Norte County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document that directs law enforcement to capture and detain a particular person named in the document.

Per California Penal Code sections 813–829. When police enforcement files a complaint alleging that an individual has committed a crime, a magistrate or judge in Del Norte County issues a warrant. A warrant for the defendant's arrest will be issued whenever the magistrate is convinced by the complaint that the offense has been committed and that there is good reason to suspect the defendant of committing it.

A Del Norte County arrest warrant includes the following information under Cal. Pen. Code Section 815:

• When the warrant was issued(date and time)
• The name of the defendant
• The issuing city or county
• The claimed offense of the defendant
• The signature and official title of the granting authority
• The issuing court or agency
• The bail amounts

Del Norte County arrest warrants can be searched at the Del Norte County Sheriff's Division. The requester is usually required to make in-person requests at the local sheriff's office or police department with a valid ID.

Do Del Norte County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Del Norte County arrest warrants do not expire. Instead, they remain active until the subject of the warrant dies or is apprehended. Occasionally, arrest warrants may be recalled based on new evidence or laws.