Berkeley County Arrest Records

Berkeley arrest records include court or law enforcement archives that provide information about a person’s arrest and detention. Such records are considered public under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act and maintained by the courts and sheriff’s office.

Arrests are necessary when an individual is seen committing an offense or if there is evidence of guilt. They are carried out with arrest warrants, which are legal documents issued by a judge to law enforcement agencies to arrest an individual. They remain active and enforceable until the court recalls them or the individual is arrested and detained. Arrest records may be obtained in person, via mail, or through online resources. Records may also exist as part of Berkeley County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Berkeley County?

Berkeley County arrest records are public records according to the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act and are maintained by law enforcement agencies and the courts. There are also exemptions from public records, which include:

• Information that violates personal privacy
• Information that could jeopardize law enforcement investigations
• Commercial information and trade secrets
• Information that violates attorney-client privilege
• Confidential medical records
• Educational records
• Real estate transactions

Most records can be obtained from the courts or law enforcement agencies through mail or in-person requests. Requesters can make in-person requests at these offices during work hours from Monday to Friday. Online requests are also available through the Central Records website, which provides links for obtaining county incident reports and jail records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records contain information about the circumstances of the arrest. Public arrest records will contain the same information while exclusively removing information from the exemptions list of the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Berkeley County public arrest records will contain the following details:

• The suspect’s personal information includes name, date of birth, and booking details.
• The arrest information.
• The list of filed or alleged charges, their classification, and a description of the alleged offense.
• The booking details.
• Disposition
• Case information such as court jurisdiction for trial and assigned case number.
• Any other remarks by officials.

Berkeley County Crime Rate

Berkeley County crime statistics for the year 2022 are available through the FBI UCR database. This database reveals that there were 98 violent crimes and 336 property crimes reported in the county during the year in review. The county's most common violent crimes were aggravated assault, with 64 reports, and rape, with 28 reports. The most common property crime was larceny-theft, with 270 reported incidents, followed by burglary, with 53 reported incidents. The least reported violent crimes were homicide and robbery, with 2 and 4 incidents, respectively, while the least reported property crimes were motor vehicle theft and arson, with 10 and 3 reported incidents, respectively.

Berkeley County Arrest Statistics

The 2022 arrest statistics from the FBI UCR show that the county recorded 165 arrests for all offenses besides traffic infractions. There were 27 arrests for aggravated assault, three arrests, two arrests for negligent manslaughter, and one arrest for murder and rape, respectively. There was one arrest for motor vehicle theft, three arrests for burglary, 16 arrests for larceny-theft, and no arrests for arson.

Find Berkeley County Arrest Records

Berkeley County arrest records are available through the custodians, the county courts, and law enforcement agencies. As the custodians, the public can mail requests to these offices or submit in-person requests during business hours from Monday to Friday. These requests should be submitted with some information about the records of interest.

Berkeley County arrest records can also be obtained through online platforms such as the county’s Central Records website. This website allows the public to find Berkeley County arrest records through the county’s incident reports and county jail records through the Inmate Search link. The state also has a Criminal Records website where arrest records and other criminal records can be obtained.

Free Arrest Record Search in Berkeley County

Berkeley County arrest records can be searched at the county courthouses or the sheriff’s office. As the records custodians for arrest records, these offices receive and process requests during business hours from Monday to Friday. Requesters can submit in-person requests at these offices supported by some details of the records for easier retrieval. Arrest records can also be obtained via mail to the records offices. These records are available online through the county’s Central Records website or through third-party platforms.

Get Berkeley County Criminal Records

Berkeley County criminal records are official documents with details of an individual's arrest, trial, conviction, and sentencing. Criminal records requests must be submitted or mailed with some details of the records, such as the booking details, case number, and more. Criminal records can also be obtained online through the Central Records link to access the county’s incident records. The website also provides an Inmate Search link. Berkeley County criminal court records can be obtained online through the county’s Electronic Record Search.

Berkeley County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records refer to documents that provide evidence and details of an individual’s arrest and detention with law enforcement agencies. Criminal records are a collection of documents that detail a person’s criminal activities, convictions, and sentences. Arrest records are limited to information about arrests alone, whether it led to a conviction. Criminal records are extensive as they cover details of arrests, court trials, convictions, and judgments entered by the courts. While these records are similar, it is evident that arrest records are a subset of criminal records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Records are generally removed if there are no convictions. The process of removing arrests from your records is called expungement, and this process is available to individuals who are qualified. The requirements for qualification include:

• There must be an acquittal or dismissal of charges if there is a not-guilty verdict.
• There must be a nolle prosequi by the state’s attorney.
• If there was probation before judgment (PBJ) and all conditions of the probation were fulfilled.
• There must be an unconditional and full pardon.
• The waiting period required has been fulfilled.
• There are no pending convictions or cases during the expungement.
• All sentences from the conviction must have been completed, including probation, fines, and parole.

Expunge Berkeley County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process of removing some details or information from your records. Berkeley County allows expungement of records for individuals who satisfy the required conditions. This process begins with determining if you are eligible for expungement. To determine this, begin by confirming the requirements and if you meet them.

The requirements for eligibility include the following:

• If there is an acquittal or dismissal of charges or the state attorney enters a nolle prosequi.
• If there was probation before judgment (PBJ) and the conditions of the probation were fulfilled.
• If there was a full or unconditional pardon from the government.
• If the waiting period has been fulfilled.
• If there are any pending cases or convictions against the applicant at the time of applying for expungement.
• If all sentences from the conviction are completed with probation, fines, and parole.

Berkeley County Arrest Warrants

Berkeley County arrest warrants refer to legal documents issued by a judge or court for the arrest and detention of a named individual in connection to a crime. This document is issued to law enforcement agencies based on probable cause, meaning the named individual must have been seen committing the crime, or the investigation points guilt at the individual.

Berkeley County arrest warrant will contain the following:

• The name and physical details of the arrested individual.
• The filed charges and corresponding laws.
• The place, date, and time of the arrest.
• The arresting officer’s details, such as name and badge number.

Berkeley County Arrest Warrant Search

Berkeley County arrest warrants can be searched through the courts and the sheriff's office. These offices are the custodians of arrest records. Generally, requests must have some details about the record sought to aid the custodian's retrieval of the records. Such details can be the booking number, name, or physical details of the arrestee. The public can also use online resources to request a Berkeley County arrest warrant search. The county sheriff’s office provides a Central Records link for accessing the county’s incident records, while the Inmate Search link allows the public to search the county jail records.

Do Berkeley County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Berkeley County arrest warrants generally do not expire, as they will remain active until the individual named in the document is arrested or the courts cancel them. These warrants will be effective from the moment a judge signs them. This principle is relevant to all types of arrest warrants in Berkeley County.