Sutter County Arrest Records

Sutter County arrest records document the details of an individual's arrest, including the offense for which the individual was arrested, the arrest location, the arrest date, and the subject's personal information, such as their name, description, and date of birth. Although the arresting agency is responsible for creating and filing arrest records, related arrest information may be accessible in documents such as inmate or jail records, criminal records, and warrant details in Sutter County court records.

Citizens, residents, and other parties may review arrest records to stay informed about the police force's activity in executing the law and preserving public order and safety. In addition, examining an arrest record may reveal why a person was arrested and where they are being kept. An arrest record is also necessary for initiating criminal court procedures.

Are Arrest Records Public in Sutter County?

Yes. Per the open records policies of California, which are defined by the California Public Records Act (Cal. Government Code §§ 7920. 000 et seq.), and other related laws, the public is allowed access to records created by California’s government.

The California Public Records Act (or “CPRA”) allows for the public inspection of many government records, including arrest records maintained by local and state police departments. Therefore, almost anyone may access or obtain records containing information about arrests made within the state.

However, some documents are exempt from public publication in California under the CPRA. This implies that if a request is made for such sensitive information, the requester may only access the documents or information they want if authorized or may provide a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction. (Additional documents, such as valid identification, may sometimes be needed.) Typically, specific elements of a document are considered confidential, or the whole file is withheld from the public domain.

However, there are exemptions to the CPRA as outlined in Cal. Gov. Code §§ 7923.650 through 7930.215. These exemptions include:

• Information about Juveniles
• Information that may endanger a witness or other person's safety
• Information that may threaten the successful completion of an investigation or related investigation
• Information that may deprive a person of a fair trial
• Identifying confidential informant information
• Local and state criminal history information

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Generally, arrest records in Sutter County may contain the following elements:

• Arrestee's Identifying Information: This includes a suspect's complete name (first, middle, and last) and date of birth.
• Arrestee's Physical Description: Sex, race, height, weight, hair color, and eyes.
• Offense Details: The offense category (felony, misdemeanor, or infraction) and the statute of law violated.
• Arrest and Booking Details: The arrest date, time, and location are included. Also included is the arresting agency (sometimes the arresting officer's name), information about the outcome of the arrest (i.e., whether the suspect was released or kept in jail), the amount of bail set, booking time and date, and the time and manner of release.
• Outstanding warrants and probation/parole holds to which an arrestee is subject.

Sutter County Crime Rate

Sutter County's crime statistics are comparatively low. The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) develops a national set of statistics for annual review based on eight basic crimes for comparison in the United States. In 2014, there was a total of 316 violent crimes in Sutter County; 24 forcible rape, 66 robberies, 226 aggravated assaults, and no homicides were recorded. On the other hand, there were 2364 property crimes in the same year, with 627 burglaries, 239 motor vehicle thefts, and 1498 larceny.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to curate this data. The Sutter County Sheriff's Department collects and delivers this information to the California Department of Justice annually, and the data is used to allocate law enforcement resources within the county.

The evidence presented above has led to certain conclusions:

• The crime rate in Sutter County is 30% lower than the national average.
• Violent crime in Sutter County is 25% lower than the national average.
• Sutter County is safer than 44% of the cities and counties in the United States.
• A person in Sutter County has a 1 in 56 probability of being a victim of crime.
• The annual crime in the county has declined by 6%.

Sutter County Arrest Statistics

The arrest rate in Sutter County in 2022 was 5,418 per 100,000 residents. This was significantly higher than the lowest arrest rate in San Francisco (1,364), Glenn (1,453), and Nevada (1,520) counties. Similarly, in 2021, the average daily population in Sutter County jails was 154, and 258 people from Sutter County were incarcerated in state prisons. 66% of all arrests made in Sutter County from 2013 to 2021 were for minor and non-violent crimes.

Find Sutter County Arrest Records

Individuals may obtain public arrest records from the sheriff's office or local police department. There are various methods for filing a request for public arrest records. To obtain arrest records, contact the agency that made the arrest. Local law enforcement agencies do not keep records outside of their jurisdiction.

Requesters may request records in person, via mail, or online. In-person requests may be submitted at the Sheriff's office during regular business hours (ideally by appointment). For postal queries, the requester may write a letter including enough information to identify the arrest record (such as a name or arrest date) and submit it to the appropriate mailing address. Individuals may access the County Sheriff’s website portal for online requests to make related inquiries. Requesters may contact the County Sheriff’s department at:

Sutter County Sheriff's Department
1077 Civic Center Blvd,
Yuba City, CA 95993
Phone: (530) 822-7300

While the CPRA grants the public access to arrest records held by law enforcement agencies, some records cannot be accessed by the general public. In cases where an individual requires access to restricted or non-public arrest records, it may be possible to subpoena the record.

A subpoena is a court order that compels an individual to present a document or appear in court as a witness. Any subpoena for an arrest report must be made personally to the records custodian during business hours. An initial cost is usually charged, which is not refundable and usually ranges from $15. Further details about how to subpoena an arrest record may be obtained from the particular agency in possession of the record.

Free Arrest Record Search in Sutter County

Arrest logs containing information about recent arrests may be accessed for free from the county Sheriff’s website. However, individuals must pay a fee to obtain a copy of an arrest record or a report. On the other hand, several websites offer arrest records to interested individuals. These websites may be found by inputting relevant keywords into a major search engine and are normally searchable by parameters including a person’s first and last name and county. Nevertheless, non-government sources' records must be checked for accuracy and completeness.

Get Sutter County Criminal Records

Sutter County criminal records refer to legal documents and records that outline the criminal action of a certain individual within Sutter or any other county. They offer details of an arrest, charges, trial, and imprisonment of an individual. These files are open and are kept within the courts and the police.

Law enforcement agencies keep track of arrests and incarcerations in county prisons and correctional institutions. The courts also keep criminal court records, which include information on arrests and arraignments.

The office where the crime is recorded typically maintains a database of all criminal records. In Sutter County, the Clerk’s office and the sheriff's department keep the criminal records of all crimes recorded in the county. Accessing or making copies of criminal records will be charged, and records containing sensitive information will need identity verification.

Sutter County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Even though both are crime-related public documents, there are slight differences between arrest and criminal records. A criminal record, commonly called a conviction record, is a record of arrests, convictions, jail time, warrants, and anything else that ties a person to the criminal justice system. However, the criminal record is more comprehensive as it also involves an individual’s record of criminal activity. The record of criminal history is kept and provided by the State Police; meanwhile, the county sheriff’s office mainly handles the arrest records.

An arrest record could be considered part of a criminal record. It contains information about an individual’s arrest, including the reason for the arrest and bail information. Nonetheless, it doesn’t state whether the individual was convicted of the offenses they were arrested for. It simply shows that an individual was detained by law enforcement for a while.

Arrest records that do not result in charges or convictions are typically kept by the arresting agency that generated the record. In contrast, a central agency collects and stores criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

There is no set time frame for removing an arrest from a person's record in Sutter County; arrest records do not have an expiration date. They will remain on file until the record subject expunges or seals them. Moreover, records remain in existence according to agency retention schedules. These schedules are established to satisfy legal, liability, and audit requirements and are influenced by different factors, such as the record type and an agency's internal policies. Individuals can’t expunge some arrest records under California laws.

Expunge Sutter County Arrest Records

Individuals in Sutter County may request their records be sealed if they were determined factually innocent (Cal. Pen. Code § 851.8) or there was no conviction for an adult misdemeanor and felony arrest record (Cal. Pen. Code § 851.91).

To get an arrest record sealed under Cal. Pen. Code § 851.8, the person affected needs to fill out the Petition to Seal and Destroy Adult Arrest Records form BCIA 8270. But the petitioner must not have had any charges laid against them, had the charges withdrawn before the trial, or had been discharged by a jury. A party may fill out the form BCIA 8270 or seek a corresponding form from their local court.

If no charges have been filed against the petitioner, the petitioner may file a Petition to Seal and Destroy Adult Arrest Records with the arresting law enforcement agency. A copy of the petition must also be sent to the county prosecutor. The petition is not free to file in court.

However, the petitioner must persuade a court that an officer had no justification to arrest them. A copy of the petition must also be served on the prosecuting agency for the city or county in question. Where an arrest did not lead to a conviction, a record subject may petition for sealing their California arrest record under Cal. Pen. Code § 851. 91 (a Petition to Seal Arrest and Related Records).

The following are the qualifying conditions for sealing an arrest record under Cal. Pen. Code § 851.91:

• The individual was arrested with no charges filed
• The individual was arrested and charged, but the charges were dismissed
• The individual completed diversion, and the charges were dismissed
• The individual completed a deferred entry of judgment (DEJ), and the charges were dismissed
• The individual went to trial and was acquitted

Suppose a court order has sealed an arrest record. In that case, that record will be inaccessible to any person or organization except for the subject of the record or an organization within the criminal justice system. After that, the subject is not compelled to reveal the presence of the record unless when seeking a government job, a state or local government license, a position as a peace officer, or a similar situation.

Sutter County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document authorizing a law enforcement officer to detain and interrogate a suspect in connection with a crime. The warrant requires the accused person to appear before the court to respond to the charges against them. Failure to honor an arrest warrant intentionally constitutes contempt of court.

To get an arrest warrant, a police officer shows evidence of probable cause to a prosecutor. The prosecutor carefully examines the evidence to ensure it is legally sufficient. If the prosecutor finds probable cause, they draft an affidavit outlining the evidence and submit it to the court for approval.

The Judge then examines the evidence presented in the affidavit. An arrest warrant is issued only when the judge is satisfied that the evidence meets the probable cause threshold. This judicial oversight checks law enforcement and prosecution to ensure arrests follow the rule of law. Once the judge issues the arrest warrant, it is entered into law enforcement databases.

An arrest warrant typically includes the following information:

• The name of the court that issued the warrant.
• The name of the defendant.
• Their physical description includes height, weight, hair color, eye color, and other unique features that may help identify them.
• The criminal offense charged against the individual.
• The official issuing date of the warrant
• The signature of the judge issuing the warrant.
• The bail amount

Sutter County Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals seeking Sutter County arrest warrants may approach the arresting agency and access the relevant information. To accomplish the search faster, requesters need to know the arresting agency, the place of arrest, and the right department. For instance, if someone has been recently arrested, the next of kin or other relative/interested party may go to the nearest police station in the jurisdiction where the arrest was made.

Do Sutter County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Sutter County arrest warrants remain valid if the person is not arrested. Once issued, they are effective until they are cleared—the suspect is arrested, surrenders to the police, the judge recalls the warrant, the case is withdrawn, or the suspect dies.

The warrant is stored in the national warrant database. If police officers cannot arrest the individual at that moment, they may arrest them based on the data preserved in the database. Anytime the individual comes across the police, they will most likely be charged due to the warrant.