Madera County Arrest Records

Per Cal. Pen. Code § 834, an arrest is the act of taking an individual into custody in a manner approved by law. An arrest may be carried out by a peace officer or by a private person. An arrest record refers to information concerning the arrest or imprisonment that can be found in a local summary criminal information (Cal. Pen. Code § 851.92).

An arrest occurs when a person is restrained or turns themselves into the custody of an officer. The individual who has been arrested may be placed under whatever restraint is appropriate for his arrest and detention. Law enforcement agencies in California are legally responsible for carrying out arrests and generating arrest records in Madera County.

Under California Penal Code Section 836, peace officers have the authority to initiate an arrest, provided there is probable cause. Consequently, the police must have a reasonable belief that the person they are looking for is guilty of a crime while also leaving room for doubt.

Because arrest records typically lead to the commencement of a criminal court procedure, they may be maintained by other state agencies. For instance, information regarding an arrest may also be found in a Madera County Court record.

Are Arrest Records Public in Madera County?

Yes. Under the California Public Records Act, members of the public have the right to access certain arrest records created and maintained within California counties. Chapter 1 of this act declares that every resident of the state has the fundamental and essential right to access information about how the public's business is being conducted.

However, some parts of an arrest record are exempt from public inspection and may not be disclosed to the general public. They include

• Records about juvenile arrests or identifying juvenile information
• Arrests not resulting in conviction, disclosure, or use of records
• Blood alcohol percentage test results, vehicular offenses
• Child sexual abuse information, child abuse reports, and individuals making the report
• Controlled substance offenders
• Security records and information that may jeopardize an investigation
• Personal information of a witness.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

According to the California PRA Section 7923.610, public agencies are required to make the following public arrest records accessible to the general public

• The arrestee's full name and occupation
• Physical features of the offender such as height, weight, sex, date of birth, eye and hair color
• The location where the arrest was made
• Date and time of the arrest
• Booking date and time
• Circumstances surrounding the arrest
• All the charges for which the offender is being detained, as well as any outstanding warrants
• The amount of bail set
• The offender's current detention facility
• When the arrestee will be released

Madera County Crime Rate

California law enforcement agencies report information on crimes such as felonies, misdemeanors, fractions, and juvenile status arrests that occur within the state to the California Department of Justice. These reports are collated into statistics that the general public may access through the Open Justice Online Portal. According to the report, 2,946 crimes were committed in Madera County in the year 2023.

Property crimes had the highest reported offenses at 2,052, with 1,557 larceny thefts, 297 motor vehicle thefts, and 198 burglaries. Violent crimes accounted for the second-highest number of reported offenses at 860. There were 662, 99, and 87 aggravated assault, rape, and robbery cases, respectively, making them the top three violent offenses.

Madera County Arrest Statistics

The DOJ also provides updated arrest statistics on all counties in California through the Open Justice Portal. Arrest statistics published by the DOJ for 2023 placed the total number of arrests made in Madera County at 6,378. Misdemeanors accounted for the most arrests in 2023 at 3,765, with felony coming in as the second most reported crime at 1,317. Arrests made for other offenses were 486, while arrests made for violent crimes were 476. Arrests for property, drug, and sex offenses numbered 166, 28, and 166, respectively

Find Madera County Arrest Records

The Federal Inmate Locator maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons provides federal arrest information of inmates incarcerated from 1822 to present to the general public. Interested persons can conduct a "Find by Number" or "Find by Name" search.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) only provides information on convicted individuals. Incarcerated and Records Information search is carried out by name or by CDCR number.

The Madera County Sheriff's Office also provides an inmate lookup portal, as well as in-person inmate records search services to the general public. Individuals seeking an inmate record may be required to provide the full name and booking number of the inmate.

Furthermore, members of the public may visit any of the local law enforcement agencies at their premises to make inquiries about an inmate. Since local police departments within the county make most arrests, any record seeker who meets the requirements of the relevant police station may obtain inmate information.

Free Arrest Record Search in Madera County

Anyone may contact the Madera County Sheriff's Office in person to conduct an arrest record search. Interested persons may also look up Madera County arrest records for free by utilizing the Inmate Lookup portal provided by the Madera County Sheriff's Office. By filling in the name and booking number of a suspect, an individual can view detailed information about the arrest. Clicking on the "Recent" icon will afford record seekers a list of individuals who have been recently arrested.

Members of the public may also contact local police departments within the county to request arrest or booking records. Furthermore, interested persons may look at arrest records by utilizing online search services provided by third-party websites. While individuals may obtain basic information concerning an arrest for free, conducting a comprehensive search using these websites might require payment.

Get Madera County Criminal Records

A criminal record or criminal history entails a list of an individual's contacts with the criminal justice system. This may include the history of contacts with law enforcement agencies and the courts and may also include arrests, convictions, detentions, and others.

There are several ways through which interested persons may obtain Madera County criminal records:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains a rap sheet that collates data provided by the criminal justice systems of states in the USA. However, these criminal records are not accessible to the general public. Only individuals or entities with state or federal backing may have access to FBI criminal records. Individuals may also request to obtain their criminal history record by submitting a written request to the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the FBI.

The California Department of Justice maintains criminal records submitted from counties within the state. Authorized applicant agencies and law enforcement can only access these records for legitimate purposes. However, Sections 11120 through 11127 of the California Penal Code permit individuals with criminal history records maintained by the California Bureau of Criminal Identification to request a copy of their criminal history record. A processing fee of $25, in addition to fingerprint images, is required to obtain one's criminal records. Individuals may contact the Bureau for more information at:

Bureau of Criminal Identification
California Department of Justice
P.O. Box 903417
Sacramento, CA 94203-4170.
Phone: (916) 227-3849

Interested persons may also utilize the Online Case Information Public Portal provided and maintained by the Madera County Superior Court to look up criminal records. Record seekers must create a user account to access criminal records online. Alternatively, in the Madera Superior Court, one can request certified copies of criminal records from the Criminal Division at the courthouse where the case was filed. Information required to request a criminal record includes the name of the defendant, case number, date of birth, and other specific documents requested. Requests can be made in person or via mail. Interested persons may look up the fee schedule for the required payments.

Furthermore, the Madera Police Department keeps criminal history records, otherwise known as the local criminal history. This organization offers checks on an individual's personal criminal history in their community. To have their local criminal history checked, individuals must fill out the application completely and accurately, then bring it to the Madera Police Department along with a photo ID. Processing the request costs $25 in cash.

Madera County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

A Criminal record may be regarded as a police record, also known as a RAP (Record of Arrests and Prosecutions) sheet. A criminal record details the history of an offender's interactions with law enforcement and justice agencies and provides information on the offender's criminal conviction history.

An arrest record, also known as an "arrest log," is a record generated and maintained by the police about an individual's history of arrests, pending cases, and discharges. The arrestee is usually brought to the relevant police station, fingerprinted, and booked for the offense.

Arrest records indicate that an individual was suspected to have committed a crime. These records cannot be used as evidence that an individual broke the law. Arrest records do not typically provide information on what the outcome of the arrest was. They only state that an arrest was carried out. It is also important to note that an individual doesn't have to be convicted of a crime to have an arrest record.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Any arrest made in Madera County remains on record permanently. There is no limited timeline imposed by the state of California for erasing an arrest record. Individuals may only have their arrest records sealed or expunged under certain circumstances. However, expungements don't erase arrest records. The state justice department will continue to retain the documents and share them with other governmental organizations, law enforcement, and prosecutors if an ex-offender is detained again.

Expunge Madera County Arrest Records

Individuals concerned about their arrest records in Madera County may request to have them expunged or sealed. In California, expungements usually pertain to criminal records, whereas sealing laws are associated with arrest records in cases where an individual was not charged or found not guilty.

According to Cal Pen. Code § 1203.4a, defendants who satisfy the state's requirements may be permitted by the court to withdraw their guilty plea, enter a plea of not guilty, or be released from all penalties attached to the offense. This is a result of the Clean Your Record program organized by the state of California.

Per Cal. Pen. Code § 851.8, an individual who was arrested without an accusatory pleading may petition the law enforcement agency in charge of the offense to destroy the filed arrest records.

After establishing the arrestee's factual innocence, the law enforcement agency will take the following actions

• Seal the relief petition and the arrest report with the consent of the prosecutor. The documents will be destroyed after three years from the date of the arrest.
• Inform the Department of Justice, as well as any other law enforcement organization involved in the petitioner's arrest, of the reason for the arrest.
• Following the notification, the Department of Justice and any law enforcement agency involved must seal the arrest documents and the sealing notice.
• The documents must then be destroyed after three years from the date of the arrest.

Madera County Arrest Warrants

Madera County arrest warrants are documents that permit a law enforcement agency in California to search for and arrest an offender. Per Cal. Pen. Code § 813, an arrest warrant is issued after a magistrate has received a complaint about an offender and information concerning the circumstances surrounding the offense. After observing the facts and evidence provided under an affidavit, the magistrate determines if there are reasonable grounds to believe the suspect committed an offense. When satisfied with probable cause, the magistrate shall issue an arrest warrant for the defendant.

An arrest warrant contains the following information (Cal. Pen. Code § 815)

• Name of the defendant, or a designated name of the defendant if the actual name is not known
• Date and time the warrant was issued
• The offense or offenses for which the suspect is charged
• The county or city where the warrant was issued
• Signature of the magistrate, judge, justice, or issuing authority
• Title of office
• Name of the court or other issuing agency.

Madera County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested persons seeking to conduct a Madera County arrest warrant search may contact a local police station or visit the Madera County Sheriff's Office at

Sheriff's Headquarters
2725 Falcon Drive
Madera, CA 93637
Phone: (559) 675-7770

Alternatively, an individual can get arrest warrants associated with a case by contacting the Madera County Superior Court.

Do Madera County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. An arrest warrant in Madera does not simply expire. It remains active until it is either executed, cleared, or if the offender dies. However, arrest warrants not executed for years may result in the case being dismissed under the criminal statute of limitations or as a violation of the offender's right to a speedy trial.