Calhoun County 72 Hour Booking Records

Calhoun County 72 hour booking records are handled by the sheriff's office in Morgan, a small town in southwest Georgia. There is no online search, so contact the office by phone or visit in person for booking details.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Josh Hilton leads the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. The mailing address is PO Box 211, Morgan, GA 39866. The phone number is 229-849-2555. Call this line for all questions about jail bookings and inmate status. Staff can check if someone is in the Calhoun County jail and share basic info about charges and bond.

Calhoun County is one of the smallest counties in Georgia by population. The jail is small, and the number of bookings is low compared to larger counties. This does not change the process. Every arrest still goes through booking, and the same state laws apply here as they do in Atlanta or Savannah. The difference is that you deal with a smaller staff and there is no online tool to look things up.

Call during business hours for the best results. The dispatch line at 229-849-2555 is available around the clock for basic info. Dispatchers can tell you if someone is in custody. For full booking details, including charges, bond, and court dates, call back during the day when the jail staff is in. Walk-in visits work too. Bring a photo ID.

Due to the small size of the Calhoun County jail, inmates may be transferred to a regional facility after booking. If the person you are looking for was booked in Calhoun County but is no longer there, ask the staff where they were moved. The state databases below can also help you track them down.

The 72 Hour and 48 Hour Rules

Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26, anyone arrested on a warrant in Calhoun County must appear before a judge within 72 hours. The judge reads the charges and decides on bond. This first hearing is a legal right. The 72 hour clock runs from the moment of arrest.

If the arrest was made without a warrant, O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 sets a 48 hour deadline. Officers make warrantless arrests when they see a crime happen or have probable cause to act right away. The shorter deadline means the court has to move fast to schedule the hearing. If the 48 hours pass without a hearing, the person can ask the judge to let them go.

Calhoun County is in the Pataula Judicial Circuit, which covers several small counties in southwest Georgia. Judges rotate through these counties, and first appearance hearings may not happen every day. The court works to stay within the 72 and 48 hour windows. Weekend and holiday arrests can make scheduling tight, but the law applies no matter when the arrest happens.

At the first appearance, the judge reviews the case and sets bond. Options include cash bond, surety bond, or own recognizance. For some charges, a bond schedule is in place that lets the person pay before seeing a judge. The jail staff in Morgan can tell you if a bond has been set and what the amount is.

72 Hour Booking Public Access in Calhoun County

Georgia's Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72, makes booking records available to the public. Anyone can ask for them. No reason is needed. The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office has three business days to respond. If they deny the request, they must explain why in writing and cite the specific legal exemption.

Write your request and send it to PO Box 211, Morgan, GA 39866. Include the name of the person and the arrest date. Mail the request or drop it off at the office. There may be a small charge for paper copies. For requests that take the staff more than 15 minutes, they can also bill for time. These fees are set by the office and they are usually modest.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 applies to booking photos. The law says agencies cannot release booking photos to someone who will post them on a website or in a publication that charges for removal. This targets mugshot sites that make money from arrest photos. You can still request a booking photo for personal use. The sheriff's office reviews each request.

With a county this small, the open records process tends to be straightforward. The staff knows the records well and can usually pull what you need without a long wait.

Statewide 72 Hour Booking Search Tools

If someone has left the Calhoun County jail, several state resources can help. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search covers all state prison inmates. The search is free. If a Calhoun County arrest led to a prison sentence, the person will show up here with their facility, sentence, and release info.

The Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI runs background checks statewide. Call 404-244-2639 to find out how to request one. A GCIC check costs a fee and covers all 159 counties. It is the most complete way to see a person's full criminal record in Georgia.

The GBI's Georgia Crime Information Center handles criminal background checks that cover every county in the state.

VINE sends free alerts when an inmate is released or transferred. Register with a phone number or email. VINE covers Calhoun County and most other Georgia counties. Call 833-216-6670 for help signing up. This tool is especially useful in a small county where the jail may move people out quickly.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists every sheriff in the state. Use it to find contact info for neighboring counties if you need to widen your search past Calhoun County.

These tools, along with the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, cover the full range from initial booking to final disposition.

Restricting a Calhoun County Record

O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows record restriction in Georgia. If charges in Calhoun County were dropped, dismissed, or the person was acquitted, they can apply to have the record restricted. A restricted record does not appear on most background checks. Law enforcement still has access, but the public does not.

The First Offender Act, O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, provides another path. If someone was sentenced as a first offender and completed the full sentence, the conviction can be restricted. This is done through the Pataula Judicial Circuit court. Having a lawyer helps with the paperwork and the process.

Restriction does not erase the record. It limits who can see it. In a small county like Calhoun, the clerk of court can walk you through the steps. If your Calhoun County case ended without a conviction, ask the clerk about your options or consult with a local attorney. The process takes time but it is worth looking into.

Nearby Counties

Calhoun County is in the southwest corner of Georgia. These neighboring counties each run their own jail and booking process. If you are not sure where an arrest was processed, check the arresting agency on the report.