Gallia County Arrest Records

In Gallia County, Ohio, any person may arrest another when a felony has been committed or when there is reasonable ground to believe that a felony has been committed. Upon arrest, the person executing the arrest is legally obligated to bring the arrested individual before a judge or magistrate for a fair trial. Convicted individuals are typically held at the Gallia County Jail in downtown Gallipolis.

The Gallia County Sheriff's Office, the agency primarily responsible for executing arrests, processes most arrests and maintains detailed records of those arrests. However, arrests that make it to trial may also be included in the Gallia County Court Records, especially when charges are formally filed. A comprehensive criminal record generally consists of documents compiled from the Sheriff's, court, and county jail records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Gallia County?

All arrest logbooks held by the Sheriff's Office are open for public inspection and copying. Under the Revised Code, the Sheriff's Office is required to assist individuals with specific searches and provide certified copies of entries upon request for a charge. The allowable charge is 25 cents per certified copy.

Under the Act, the following details are confidential and are to be redacted by law enforcement:

• The image or identity of a child or information that could lead to the identification of a child who is the primary subject of the record.
• Personal information of a person who is not arrested, cited, charged, or issued a written warning by a peace officer.
• DNA records stored in the DNA database.
• Detailed investigative files, intelligence reports, informant identities, and tactical plans related to arrests.

Gallia County Arrest Statistics

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data, the Sheriff's Office recorded 30 violent crimes in 2018, which included 25 aggravated assaults, 2 cases of robbery, one rape, and no murders. In the same year, property crimes totaled 369, with 105 burglaries, 238 thefts, 26 motor vehicle thefts, and four arson cases recorded.

Find Gallia County Arrest Records

The following resources offer convenience for looking up inmates in Gallia County:

The Gallia County Sheriff's Office website

Individuals seeking information about incarcerated inmates can look up booking summary reports on all incarcerated inmates in the Gallia County Jail through the Sheriff's Office website. To do this, visit the website homepage and click "Inmate Search". Nothing happens the first time, click it again. This will open a Google Drive page containing a PDF document. Click the document to open it and view summary reports on all inmates held by the Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office website also offers a search tool for locating incarcerated sex offenders within the County. Those who wish to find a sex offender can do this by returning to the homepage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select "SEX OFFENDER DATABASE SEARCH" from the list of options. This tool allows individuals to view all published sex offenders within a specified radius. Users can search for an offender by name, address, email, or other relevant search criteria.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Offender Search

A countywide search for inmates may be conducted using the State Department of Rehabilitation and Offender Search tool. Individuals will need to enter their full name, offender number, county of commitment, and status.

Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

The Bureau of Prisons' Inmate Locator tool offers convenience to individuals who wish to find records of inmates confined in federal custody. To find an inmate, a user must enter certain details that sufficiently identify the incarcerated subject into the search field. These include the inmate's full name, BOP number, FBI number, and other relevant information that may be required.

Gallia County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records are official documents created and maintained by law enforcement agencies to capture the circumstances surrounding an individual's arrest. These records typically detail the events leading to the arrest, the individual's detention, and subsequent booking into a holding cell pending bail or court proceedings. A standard arrest record includes the arrestee's name, physical description, the name of the arresting agency or officer, the time and location of the arrest, booking details, a mugshot, fingerprint impressions, and the specific charges filed.

On the other hand, while criminal records often incorporate portions of an arrest record, they go further to document outcomes of the court trial. A criminal record typically includes court trial details, such as conviction, acquittal, sentencing, and post-conviction status.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

According to the BCI Records Retention Schedule, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) retains the Computerized Criminal History (CCH) files—which include arrest records—for 110 years or 7 years after the person's death, whichever is earlier. However, before the expiration of the retention period, a person may be eligible to have their arrest record sealed or expunged.

• Sealing a criminal record means it is no longer accessible to the general public, although it may still be available to law enforcement and other authorized individuals.
• Expungement means the record is destroyed and made permanently irretrievable.

Some felonies are not eligible for sealing or expungement. These include:

• Some sexually oriented offenses
• Convictions of an offense where the victim is under 13
• Convictions of domestic violence or violating a protective order
• First and second degree felonies
• More than two third-degree felonies
• Any felony offense of violence.

Gallia County Arrest Warrants

While most arrests are made based on a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed, the authority to effect certain arrests is sometimes derived from the court. Under the Ohio Revised Codes (section 2941.36), a court—by issuing a warrant—can authorize a law enforcement officer to arrest a suspect. This is usually done upon a prosecutor's request after charges have been filed and sufficient evidence has been presented establishing a likelihood of guilt. Once issued, the warrant is directed to the Gallia County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff can then arrest the person anywhere in the state and either hold them in jail or bring them to court if it is in session.

A typical arrest warrant contains:

• The name of the person to be arrested
• The description of the crime
• The signature of the committing magistrate

Do Gallia County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Gallia County, Ohio, arrest warrants do not expire; rather, the suspect is placed on a wanted list indefinitely until they have been apprehended.

Expunge Gallia County Arrest Records

Arrest Records that did not result in a conviction are much easier to seal or expunge than those that did. To have an arrest that resulted in a conviction sealed, the arrest must be for an offense that is not prohibited from sealing or expungement under Ohio laws. In addition, the arrestee must have waited the statutory required period.

The waiting period for sealing or expunging an offense depends on the class of the offense.

Waiting time for sealing:

• For third-degree felonies, the waiting time is three years after the final discharge
• For 4th or 5th degree felony convictions, the waiting time is one year after the final discharge
• If the offender is subject to sex offense registration requirements, five years after the registration requirements end
• For bail forfeiture, anytime after the bail forfeiture

Waiting time for expungement:

• Ten years after the period specified for sealing
• For bail forfeiture, there years after the bail forfeiture.

Individuals can file for expungement at:

Galipolis Municipal Court
518 Second Ave
Gallipolis, OH 45631
Business hours: 7:30 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday