Harrison County Arrest Records

Individuals arrested for crimes and taken into police custody in Harrison County, West Virginia, usually end up at the local jail or a Juvenile Center for booking and detention. Most suspects—typically adults—are held in the North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility (NCRJ) pending their initial court appearance or trial, except if bail is approved for the case or the individual can be released on personal recognizance (a promise to appear).

Harrison County arrest records originate from law enforcement procedures to properly document a suspect in criminal databases. Such documents supply information about the arrestee and their alleged offense, aiding prosecutors in charging offenders, criminal defense attorneys in representing their clients, and anyone curious about a person's offense history.

Nevertheless, not much information about a resulting criminal case's outcome can be gleaned by perusing a defendant's arrest record, which the arresting agency creates, maintains, and shares with other criminal justice agencies. The Harrison County court records are better resources for retrieving information about a criminal court case, including its events, hearings, and verdicts.

Are Arrest Records Public in Harrison County?

Yes, arrest records are publicly accessible in Harrison County. The West Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits the dissemination of "public records" by public bodies.

Public records is a broad term that covers all documents, files, or materials generated, collated, or maintained by a public-funded agency, such as a law enforcement agency. Still, although anyone can ask a police department to disclose records of its arrests, not all records can be released to a requester under the FOIA.

Several exceptions to the FOIA are mentioned under W. Va. Code § 29B-1-4, including:

• Expunged arrest records
• Records whose disclosure would endanger someone's safety or life
• Medical records
• Law enforcement investigative records
• Information exempt by statute
• Juvenile offender information

Notwithstanding, other exclusions exist in the West Virginia legislature, which may only be known to the requester after they submit a formal request to a police agency. Where confidentiality must be applied, a record may only be releasable to its subject, their legal counsel, a criminal justice department, or an entity with a court order.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The phrase "public arrest records" refers to the portions of an arrest report or document that can be released to any interested person, regardless of their citizenship or current residence. These records often reveal:

• The arresting agency
• The name, physical description, and photograph of the person apprehended
• The charges, including the specific offense and relevant penal statute or code
• The court case number
• The booking date and time, as well as the arrestee's custody status
• The arrest date and location
• Applicable bail/bond requirements

Harrison County Arrest Statistics

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) publicizes annual arrest statistics for states, counties, and cities in the United States. The agency receives these figures from law enforcement departments across the nation and posts them on its Crime Data Explorer, which is accessible to members of society.

Information on the Crime Data Explorer is grouped by reporting agency, i.e., the specific law enforcement agency that sent statistical data to the FBI. To find Harrison County arrest statistics, one can indicate the relevant state under "Location Select" (in this case, West Virginia) and then choose the specific reporting agency under "Agency Select". The user can also customize the "Time Frame" tab to include only data from a specified range of years.

Several agencies in Harrison reported arrest data to the FBI in 2023, including the Bridgeport Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff's Office, and Clarksburg Police Department. While the Clarksburg Police Department reported 497 arrests, with Larceny (103) as the most popular offense causing detention in police custody, the Bridgeport Police Department recorded 212 arrests, with Drug/Narcotic Offenses (65) topping the list. Meanwhile, the Harrison County Sheriff's Office reported 170 arrests, with Simple Assault (49) as the most prevalent reason for a person's apprehension.

Besides accessing the FBI's Crime Data Explorer for agency-specific arrests, one can also contact the relevant police department to ask for their arrest numbers for a particular year or period.

Find Harrison County Arrest Records

Harrison County arrest records may be retrievable from the police agency that made an arrest. For example, if the arrest took place in the City of Clarksburg, one can contact the City PD's Records Department at (304) 624-1610 or stop by 222 West Main Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301, during business hours for inquiries. A person's name, date of birth, or arrest date are often primary requirements for locating arrest records.

Local law enforcement agencies only maintain records of arrests within their jurisdiction. There is no central repository for these records. Thus, if a person does not know the specific region of arrest, they may need to visit or query several agencies. A more efficient way of finding an arrest record in Harrison County may be to contact the Harrison County Sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer and may be able to point the requester in the right direction.

As mentioned, individuals arrested in Harrison are often detained at the North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility. This facility serves as the county's jail but is operated by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR), a branch of the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. The DCR provides several Offender Search tools for locating detained and incarcerated persons.

Those searching for someone arrested by a federal department in Harrison County may access the Federal Inmate Locator featured on the Bureau of Prisons website.

Free Arrest Record Search in Harrison County

An arrest record inquiry to a police department in Harrison County may not attract charges if the requesting party seeks an inspection or examination under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Additionally, persons utilizing third-party aggregator websites—a public records search option that may be more accessible—may not be liable for fees to look up basic arrest information.

However, a researcher may be charged when a police department must make a copy of a record to satisfy a request. Furthermore, retrieving extensive information from a third-party website typically requires a fee or subscription.

Anyone accessing third-party services for an arrest records search should note that the search results are not the official records of any government agency—simply those retrieved from public bodies and other sources and which may be subject to inaccuracies.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Perpetually. No West Virginia statute states a timeline within which an arrest will be automatically removed from a person's criminal history or "record". To remove an arrest record from the public's view, the owner must seek an expungement within the court system. Not everyone qualifies for this sort of relief, however.

Expunge Harrison County Arrest Records

An expungement in West Virginia—and, by extension, Harrison County—removes all evidence of an arrest, charge, or conviction from a person's criminal record. West Virginia has a few statutes that provide for expungement. However, the specific WV statute under which an arrest record holder seeks an expungement depends on whether the arrest or charge resulted in a conviction.

Where no conviction accompanied an arrest or charge, the defendant can file under W. Va. Code § 61-11-25. This statute allows them to fill out and submit the SCA-C903 form to the Harrison County Circuit Court. All petitioners must have no pending charges or previous felony convictions. Also, an applicant's charges (if dismissed) should not have been upon a guilty plea, and they must wait 60 days after a dismissal or acquittal to file. Courts in West Virginia do not assess a fee to file a petition under Section 61-11-25.

Those whose charges or arrests led to a conviction can petition under W. Va. Code §§ 61-11-26 and 61-11-26a. However, the conviction must be deemed eligible under the law. Eligible convictions are typically misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, and they are subject to specific waiting periods, which are generally thus:

• Misdemeanor: One year after the conviction, completion of any incarceration, or completion of any period of supervision, whichever occurs later.
• More than one misdemeanor: Two years after the conviction, completion of any incarceration, or completion of any period of supervision, whichever occurs later.
• Nonviolent felony: Five years after the conviction, completion of any incarceration, or completion of any period of supervision, whichever occurs later.

Individuals petitioning the circuit court under Sections 61-11-26 and 61-11-26a must also not have any pending charges. Like petitions under Section 61-11-25, a completed form (SCA-C906 or SCA C907) must be filed in the Harrison County Circuit Court. However, fees apply for this kind of expungement, including a $200 filing fee payable to petition the circuit court and a $100 fee for the West Virginia State Police to process an expungement.

Further information about conviction expungements is available in the West Virginia Judiciary's Expungement Instructions brochure.

Harrison County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a judicial document that authorizes a person's arrest. A judge issues this document per W. Va. Code § 62-1-2 upon a law enforcement complaint stating probable cause for an arrest. Probable cause, as defined in the West Virginia legislature, is simply a reasonable belief that a crime has occurred, which can be substantiated by evidence and witnesses.

In Harrison County, arrest warrants can also be released to apprehend someone who disobeyed a court order, like failing to attend a hearing or trial.

Regardless of the reason for the issue, a Harrison arrest warrant will feature the following:

• The signature of the issuing judge.
• The name of the defendant. If such a name is unknown, the warrant will bear any name or description that can be used to identify the defendant.
• A command for the defendant to be captured and taken before the issuing court.

Do Harrison County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants released in Harrison County have indefinite timelines. They remain in effect until their subjects are brought to justice.

Nevertheless, the court retains the authority to withdraw or quash an arrest warrant for a justifiable cause, like finding exculpatory evidence.