Ashtabula County Arrest Records

Ashtabula County arrest records contain information on all arrest-related events. Requesters may find these records at the county's local law enforcement agencies or other public documents, such as criminal records. For example, Ashtabula County court records may contain arrest information.

Are Arrest Records Public in Ashtabula County?

According to Ohio Revised Code 149.43, known as the Ohio Public Records Act (OPRA), records generated and stored by government agencies are the "people's records" and should be open and maintained so that the public can easily request them. As a result, the Act guarantees the right of the public to access, inspect, or copy arrest records information domiciled with law enforcement agencies in the state unless otherwise stated by the OPRA and other statutes.

Arrest records exempted by the Act include:

• Information that may disclose the identity of persons found not guilty of alleged crimes, classified records, witnesses, or specific investigative techniques.
• Information that may endanger the lives of peace officers, victims, witnesses, or confidential informants.
• Social Security, bank account, and debit/credit card numbers, home addresses, and phone numbers
• Records are restricted or sealed by the courts or state and federal laws.
• Juvenile records.
• Depictions of victims that a reasonable person would find offensive or distasteful.
• Photographs revealing law enforcement agents during undercover operations.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The Ohio Open Records Act makes the following elements of an arrest record available to the public:

• The arrestee’s name
• Date of arrest
• Arrest location
• Arrestee’s physical descriptors
• Name of the arresting agency
• Specific charges or offenses for which the individual was arrested
• Bond or bail information, if applicable
• Booking photograph
• The court in which the case will be or was heard

Ashtabula County Crime Rate

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) statistics showed that the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office reported 44 violent crimes in 2022. This represents a decline of 24.14% compared to the 2021 figures (58).

A breakdown of the violent crime incidents in 2022 showed that aggravated assault constituted almost 80% (35) of all reported violent offenses. Other significant violent crime types were rape (10), robbery (2), and homicide (1), constituting 22.73%, 4.55%, and 2.27, respectively.

The NIBRS statistics further revealed that the property crime rate in Clark County decreased by 4.40% between 2021 (545) and 2022 (521). Further analysis showed that larceny-theft was the most prevalent property crime, with 74.28% (387) of all property crimes. Others include motor burglary (86), motor vehicle theft (47), and arson (1), with 16.51%, 9.02%, and 0.19%, respectively.

Ashtabula County Arrest Statistics

According to the NIBRS, the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office made 434 arrests in 2022. The most prevalent crime offenders were arrested for was larceny-theft, accounting for approximately 32.72% (142). This was followed by simple assault at 26.73% (116) and all other offenses aside from traffic violations at 20.28% (88). Other notable arrest types included drug abuse violations at 6.22% (27), aggravated assault at 2.76% (12), and driving under the influence at 2.53% (11). The least frequent arrest types, each accounting for 0.23% (1) of the total, were violations of liquor laws, motor vehicle theft, and sex offenses aside rape and prostitution and commercialized vice.

Find Ashtabula County Arrest Records

Interested parties seeking Ashtabula County arrest records may avail themselves of the following state and federal resources:

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction: The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction provides an online inmate search service, allowing users to locate offenders serving time in a state prison. Such inmates may be under department monitoring or have been granted an early release by a judge. To refine their results, requesters can search by name, county of commitment, residential county and zip code, next parole board hearing date, and other parameters.

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP): Record seekers can use the BOP Inmate Locator tool to find federal inmates detained from 1982 to the present. On the portal, they can search by name or BOP register number.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA): Searchers looking for historical federal jail records (before 1982) may contact NARA. They provide an index of inmates previously imprisoned in various federal prisons.

Requesters who wish to obtain copies of inmate records from the NARA archives typically have to provide the inmate's name and any middle name or initials. This will assist the searcher in refining their search. Other details, such as the inmate's approximate age at the time of incarceration, estimated days in prison, and other essential facts, can also help with the search procedure.

Free Arrest Record Search in Ashtabula County

Requesters searching for free arrest records at the county level should visit the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office for such documents. Some of the publicly available arrest information inquirers can obtain from the Office include:

• Arrestee's name
• Arrest date
• Arrest Location
• The arresting agency
• Charges against the suspect or offenses for which the individual was arrested
• Bond or bail information, if applicable
• Mugshots
• The court where the case will be or was heard.
• The court imposed terms of release.

Interested parties can access the information above by calling or visiting the County Sheriff's Office at the address below:

25 W. Jefferson St.
Jefferson, OH 44047
Phone: (440) 576-9090
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Please note that individual office hours may vary. While record seekers can inspect arrest records for free, making copies of these documents incurs a fee.

Get Ashtabula County Criminal Records

Criminal records are extensive legal official documents comprising fingerprint-based and details of dispositions submitted by criminal justice agencies and courts.

The Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office offers criminal history checks to residents. The Office provides background history checks Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. However, the service is by appointment only, and applicants must bring a valid ID and a complete criminal history check form.

Money orders payable to the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office are the only accepted means of payment for this service. Applicants must pay in advance and schedule an appointment to secure their appointment.

The cost of fingerprinting for background check services at the County Sheriff's Office is as follows:

• BCI Web Check - $40
• FBI Web Check - $48
• Both BCI & FBI - $88
• Ink Fingerprint Cards - $15

Interested parties can book an appointment for background checks by calling the Civil Office at (440) 576-3546.

To obtain additional information, applicants may reach out to the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office at:

25 W. Jefferson St.
Jefferson, OH 44047
Phone: (440) 576-9090

Ashtabula County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are not synonymous. They have different uses and comprise varying details.

Police officers typically generate arrest records after arresting and detaining a suspect or offender. These records usually consist of the arrestee's physical description, the booking photograph, the arresting officer, witnesses, and the circumstances of the incident.

Law enforcement agencies frequently utilize arrest records during investigations, while employers use them to undertake exploratory background checks.

Conversely, criminal records are detailed official documents that describe an individual's criminal past. These documents cover arrest and conviction reports and details on arrest warrants, arrests, third-party complaints, convictions, and even non-prosecuted cases.

Employers, landlords, and licensing agencies routinely implement criminal records as part of their background investigations. Law enforcement agencies use criminal prosecutions to identify suspects and determine sentencing.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. Ohio arrest records will remain visible on a person’s record unless expunged. Even if substantial time has passed since the arrest, the individual may still be subject to an arrest, except if they approach the courts to have the records expunged.

Expunge Ashtabula County Arrest Records

Applicant must initially decide if they qualify to have their records sealed or expunged. Crimes like sexual assault, aggravated murder, and kidnapping are not eligible to be sealed or expunged.

Applicants must also undergo a waiting period, which varies according to the severity of the offense. For instance, minor transgressions have a six-month waiting period after discharge, while fourth—or fifth-degree felonies call for eleven years.

Process for Expungement, Removal, or Sealing

• Once their qualification has been determined, the applicant can begin the process. First, they must complete any prison sentence, probation, or parole conditions and pay all fines or fees related to the conviction.
• Afterward, the applicant must submit an official request to the court that heard their case. The document should include all necessary paperwork, including name, date of birth, and offense details.
• Subsequently, a judge will appraise the application to verify that all requirements have been met.
• If the petition is approved, the judge grants an order sealing or expunging the records.

Ashtabula County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are legal instruments issued by judges or magistrates, giving peace officers the power to arrest persons suspected of committing a crime.

In Ashtabula County, an arrest warrant is issued after the law enforcement officer presents an affidavit to a court. The affidavit must contain enough factual material to show probable cause, and if the judge is swayed, the warrant is issued.

Ashtabula County arrest warrants typically contain the identity of the person law officers are to detain, the suspected offense, the signature of the issuing authority, and law enforcement directives related to the arrest.

Ashtabula County Arrest Warrant Search

Requesters seeking active Ashtabula County warrants should consider visiting the Ashtabula County Courts System website. This site has a variety of court records, including warrants. While on the website, they can search by name, case type and status, case number, and other parameters. To conduct a warrant search, a visitor must enter the full name of the person they are looking for, specify "warrant" under the case type section, and click "search" to view results.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s website also gives the public a list of wanted parole violators. Visitors can click on an offender's profile to access details on their offense and sentence information.

Do Ashtabula County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Ashtabula County arrest warrants do not expire or have a statute of limitation. Subjects of outstanding warrants risk being arrested months or decades after their issuance. For example, someone subject to an active arrest warrant could automatically be taken into custody if the warrant was discovered during a routine traffic stop years after the document's issuance. Arrest warrants remain effective until the person dies, is arrested, or a judge quashes it.