Find Charlton County 72 Hour Booking Records

Charlton County 72 hour booking records are handled by the Sheriff's Office in Folkston, Georgia. Sheriff Robert Phillips leads the office that takes care of all arrests and jail operations in this rural south Georgia county. You will need to call or visit in person since there is no online inmate search.

Charlton County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Robert Phillips runs the Charlton County Sheriff's Office. The office is at 1548 Third St, Folkston, GA 31537. Call 912-496-7321 to ask about recent arrests or to check if someone is in the jail. Staff can look up booking records by name and tell you the charges and bond amount. Charlton County is one of the smaller counties in Georgia, so the jail holds a limited number of inmates at any given time.

There is no online jail roster for Charlton County. You cannot check bookings from a phone or computer. The only way to get current booking info is to call the Sheriff's Office or go to the jail in Folkston. This is common for smaller Georgia counties that lack the budget for a web-based inmate search system. When you call, have the person's full name ready. A date of birth helps too. Staff will check the roster and give you what they can over the phone.

Folkston is a small town. The Sheriff's Office is close to the county courthouse. If you visit in person, you can also stop by the Clerk of Court for case records tied to a booking. The jail and the courthouse are both in the center of town. This makes it easy to handle all your records needs in one trip if you are in the area.

How 72 Hour Booking Works in Charlton County

When a person is arrested in Charlton County, they go to the county jail for booking. Staff take a photo, collect fingerprints, and log the charges. Georgia law then sets time limits for what happens next. Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26, anyone arrested on a warrant must see a judge within 72 hours. That is the basis for the term "72 hour booking." The Waycross Judicial Circuit handles first appearance hearings for Charlton County cases.

The 72 hour clock starts when the arrest happens. It does not stop for weekends. If someone is arrested on a Saturday morning in Charlton County, they must see a judge by Tuesday morning at the latest. Judges will schedule hearings to meet this deadline. For warrantless arrests, the time frame is even shorter. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 sets a 48 hour limit for a probable cause hearing. This kicks in when deputies arrest someone without a warrant based on what they see at the scene.

Charlton County sits near the Okefenokee Swamp. The county is large by area but has a small population. That means the jail sees fewer bookings than metro counties. Most booking cases move through the system at a steady pace. But the same state laws apply here as they do in Atlanta or Savannah. Every person arrested in Charlton County has the right to see a judge within the time set by law.

Charlton County Public 72 Hour Booking Records

Booking records in Charlton County are public under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 is the Open Records Act. It says most government records must be made available to anyone who asks. You do not need a reason. The Charlton County Sheriff's Office must respond to requests within three business days. This covers arrest reports, booking logs, and jail records.

To request booking records, call 912-496-7321 or write to the Sheriff's Office. Put your request in writing if you can. Include the person's full name and an approximate date. The law lets agencies charge for the cost of copies. For a few pages, the fee is usually small. Charlton County staff can also let you view records in person at no cost, though copies will have a charge attached.

The Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI is shown in this screenshot:

The GBI handles statewide criminal history requests that go beyond a single Charlton County booking.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 covers booking photos. These are public records in Georgia. But the law blocks agencies from giving photos to sites that charge a fee to take them down. If you need a booking photo from Charlton County, ask the Sheriff's Office directly. They will review the request and decide based on the law.

Georgia Statewide 72 Hour Booking Resources

Charlton County does not have its own online search. But several state tools can help you find records. The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free and covers anyone in state prison. If a Charlton County booking resulted in a prison sentence, you can track the person through this tool. It shows where they are, how long their sentence is, and when they might get out.

The GCIC at the GBI handles criminal background checks under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37. You can call 404-244-2639 for details on how to request a full criminal history report. This covers all Georgia counties, not just Charlton. A fingerprint-based check gives the most complete results.

VINE Link lets you track inmates in Charlton County. Sign up for alerts and VINE will call, text, or email you when the person's status changes. This works for releases, transfers, and court dates. The VINE phone line is 833-216-6670. It covers all Georgia jails. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association also has a directory with contact info for every sheriff in the state.

Record Restriction in Charlton County

Some booking records in Charlton County can be restricted from public view. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 lets a person apply for record restriction if the case was dismissed, they were acquitted, or if they finished a diversion program. The arrest record does not get erased. It stays in the jail log. But the state criminal history report will show the entry as restricted, which keeps it off most background checks.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association sheriff directory is shown here:

This directory helps you find contact details for the Charlton County Sheriff and other Georgia sheriffs.

O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 covers first offender treatment. If a judge gave someone first offender status after a Charlton County arrest and they completed all terms, the conviction can be sealed. This means it will not show up on their public criminal history. Not every charge qualifies for this. Serious felonies and sex crimes are excluded. To start the process, contact the Charlton County Clerk of Court or talk to a lawyer in the Waycross Judicial Circuit.

Cities in Charlton County

Charlton County includes Folkston, the county seat, and a handful of smaller communities. All arrests in the county go through the Charlton County Sheriff's Office for booking.

No cities in Charlton County meet the population threshold for a separate page. Contact the Sheriff's Office at 912-496-7321 for all booking inquiries.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Charlton County in south Georgia. If you are not sure where an arrest took place, check the neighboring county records. The border between Charlton and its neighbors can be unclear in rural areas.