Alcorn County Arrest Records

In Alcorn County, a person can be arrested and detained when they commit (or are suspected of committing) a crime. Before they are taken into custody (typically at the Alcorn County Correctional Facility), a booking officer creates a record of the arrest, which includes the arrestee's details and other relevant information surrounding the arrest. This record is commonly referred to as an arrest record.

Alcorn County arrest records serve various purposes, including:

• Administrative purposes (documentation, record-keeping, and case management)
• Protecting the rights of arrestees and law enforcement officers (arrest records aid accountability, protect the parties involved against false allegations, and establish a clear chain of custody)
• Providing material for constructing solid defenses in criminal trials (information about local criminal cases can generally be obtained from the Alcorn County court records)
• Facilitating criminal background checks
• Enabling public policy formulation
• Facilitating crime statistics compilation

Are Arrest Records Public in Alcorn County?

Yes. As an open records state, Mississippi allows anyone to inspect or copy arrest records kept in the public domain (Mississippi Code § 25-61 l-1). Per the state's Public Records Act, public bodies must provide publicly accessible records within one working day from the date of request if no adopted written procedures state otherwise. In no situation is a public body allowed to produce requested records later than seven working days from the request date, except when the requester is given a written explanation.

It is noteworthy, however, that an individual’s right to access Alcorn County arrest records does not extend to information prohibited from disclosure by law. Examples of records with confidential status include:

• Trade secrets and financial information
• Investigative reports in the custody of a law enforcement agency
• Personal information of victims in the Mississippi Department of Corrections and State Parole Board files
• Juvenile arrest records

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public Alcorn County arrest records contain the following information:

• Arrestee's name, date of birth, race, and sex
• Arrestee's physical description (height, weight, complexion, build, eye color, and hair color)
• Arrestee's mugshot
• Offense details
• Date and time of arrest
• Arresting agency

Alcorn County Arrest Statistics

Arrest statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Crime Data Explorer reveal that the Alcorn County Sheriff's Office recorded 490 arrests in 2023. While disorderly conduct had 47 reported arrests, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) recorded 35, Drug/narcotics recorded 28, and simple assault recorded 23.

On the other hand, 1,337 arrests were executed by the Corinth Police Department in the same year, with the following breakdown by the most popular offenses:

• Drug/narcotics arrests: 253
• Larceny arrests: 192
• Disorderly conduct arrests: 106
• DUI arrests: 68

Find Alcorn County Arrest Records

Section 19-25-63 of the Mississippi Code vests the responsibility of creating and maintaining jail dockets (sometimes called a jail roster, inmate list, or jail blotter) on the Alcorn County Sheriff's Office. Per the law, jail dockets must be kept as a public record. Consequently, individuals can make the Alcorn County Sheriff's Office their first contact when searching for people who were arrested and confined in the county. Interested parties can also query the Corinth Police Department for records of arrests executed by its officers.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) is the ideal point of call for individuals seeking records about Alcorn County arrestees who were sent to a state penitentiary. Individuals can query MDOC for inmate records via a Public Records Request or by leveraging MDOC’s Inmate Search tool. The tool can be searched with an inmate's name or ID number.

Finally, one can query federal agencies, such as the FBI and ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), for records of arrests they made, although this information may be publicly accessible on these agencies' websites. Individuals can also access the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator to locate federal inmates.

Free Arrest Record Search in Alcorn County

Section 25-61-7 of the Mississippi Code allows public bodies to collect reasonably calculated fees to cover the actual costs of searching, duplicating, redacting, or mailing copies of Alcorn County arrest records. However, interested parties may avoid paying a fee by limiting their search platforms to the free online tools discussed above.

Also, numerous private entities compile arrest records from various sources into online databases for commercial use. Searchers can utilize limited free search options on these platforms (when available) to access arrest information.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. An Alcorn County arrest record becomes a permanent part of the subject's criminal history or RAP sheet once the CIC (Criminal Investigation Center) unit enters it into the Mississippi Criminal History system.

However, eligible individuals can have their arrest information removed from most official repositories through an expungement process, which restores the subject to their legal position preceding the arrest.

Expunge Alcorn County Arrest Records

Eligibility for record expungement in Alcorn County depends largely on an offense's severity and the case status. Generally, defendants who were acquitted after trial or had their charges non-adjudicated, resolved, remanded, or dismissed are eligible to expunge their arrest records. Everyone in this category can immediately seek an expungement, excluding persons who had no charges filed—they must wait for one year before they can petition for expungement:

On the other hand, subjects convicted of misdemeanor offenses (except traffic infractions, which cannot be expunged) must be first-time offenders and wait for some years to be eligible for expungement. Additional misdemeanor convictions can only be expunged if the applicant proves rehabilitation or good conduct for the last two years.

Meanwhile, only a few felony offenses, such as false pretense and felony shoplifting, are expungeable. Even so, the applicant must wait five years after completing all sentences and meet other requirements before they are eligible for expungement. Mississippi law allows only one felony conviction expungement in a person's lifetime.

Generally, the following felony offenses cannot be expunged:

• Drug trafficking
• First-degree arson
• Third or subsequent DUI
• Violent crimes
• Voyeurism
• Felon in possession of a firearm
• Embezzlement
• Abuse, exploitation, or neglect of a vulnerable person
• Witness intimidation

Prospective expungement applicants are advised to consult an expungement attorney to confirm their eligibility status before proceeding to the next stage.

To have a record expunged, the defendant (subject of the record) will need to submit a Petition for Expungement in the circuit court that has jurisdiction over the matter and pay the filing fee. The court will issue an order for expungement if the applicant meets all necessary criteria, including proving that they have been rehabilitated.

Alcorn County Arrest Warrants

A judge can issue an arrest warrant in Alcorn County to empower a police officer to apprehend and detain a person in cases where an arrest would infringe on the subject's constitutional rights. The warrant can be issued when someone is suspected of a crime or flouts a court order, such as when an individual fails to appear for a scheduled court hearing. Regardless of the reason for a warrant's issue, probable cause must be established for the warrant to be valid in the eyes of the law.

Generally, Alcorn County arrest warrants contain the following information:

• A subject's full name or other identifying information that describes them with reasonable certainty
• The alleged crime
• A command that the defendant be captured and brought before the issuing or nearest available judge

Rule 3 of the Mississippi Rules of Criminal Procedure governs the issuance of arrest warrants in Alcorn County.

Do Alcorn County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Mississippi law does not provide an expiration date for Alcorn County arrest warrants. As such, every arrest warrant remains executable until the subject is in police custody or the issuing court orders its withdrawal.