Search Crawford County 72 Hour Booking Records

Crawford County 72 hour booking records are kept by the Crawford County Sheriff's Office in Roberta. This is a small, rural county with no online jail search, so you will need to contact the sheriff's office by phone or in person for booking information.

Crawford County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Lewis Walker heads the Crawford County Sheriff's Office. The mailing address is PO Box 1009, Roberta, GA 31078. Call 478-836-3116 for booking questions. This is a small office, and staff can usually answer your questions quickly. They can tell you if someone is in custody, what they are charged with, and what their bond is set at.

Crawford County does not have an online inmate search. The only way to check on a booking is to call or visit. The phone line works best during business hours, but dispatch can help after hours with basic questions about who is in the jail. Because Crawford County is small, the jail does not see a high volume of bookings. That means staff tend to know who is in custody at any given time and can give you a quick answer.

All arrests in Crawford County go through this office. That includes arrests made by the sheriff's deputies and any cases turned over by the Georgia State Patrol or other agencies working in the area. Whether the arrest happens in Roberta or on a back road out in the county, the booking takes place at the Crawford County jail.

How 72 Hour Booking Works in Crawford County

Georgia law puts strict time limits on holding someone after an arrest. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26 says a person arrested on a warrant must have a first appearance hearing within 72 hours. That is where the term "72 hour booking" comes from. The 72 hours starts at the time of arrest, not at the time the person arrives at the jail or gets processed.

For warrantless arrests, the timeline is even shorter. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 requires a hearing within 48 hours. This applies when a deputy catches someone in the act or responds to a call and makes an arrest on the spot. Crawford County follows the same rules as every other county in the state on these deadlines.

Hearings in Crawford County take place at the courthouse in Roberta. Because the county is small, the magistrate judge may not hold court every single day. But the 72 hour and 48 hour rules still apply. Judges will schedule hearings as needed to meet the deadline. Weekend arrests can push things close, since a Friday night arrest on a warrant means the hearing must take place by Monday night. If the court misses the window, the arrested person can petition for release. This is not common, but it is a legal right under state law.

The hearing itself is brief. The judge reads the charges and explains the person's rights. Bond is set at this point. In Crawford County, the magistrate court handles these first appearances. More serious cases then move to superior court for trial.

Crawford County 72 Hour Booking Records and Public Access

Booking records in Crawford County are public under Georgia law. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 is the Open Records Act. It gives anyone the right to request government records, including arrest reports and booking sheets. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The sheriff's office must respond within three business days.

To request records, call 478-836-3116 or visit the office in Roberta. You can ask for a copy of the arrest report, booking data, or the list of charges. A small copy fee may apply for printed records. Simple questions about current inmates can usually be answered right over the phone.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 sets limits on booking photos. Law enforcement can not hand over a booking photo to someone who plans to post it on a website that charges people to take it down. This law was made to fight mugshot extortion sites. The photo is still part of the arrest file. If you make a proper open records request and are not going to use the photo that way, the office can give it to you.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search helps with cases that have moved beyond the Crawford County jail.

This free tool shows people who have been sentenced to state prison. It lists their current facility, sentence length, and expected release date. It will not show someone still in the Crawford County jail awaiting trial.

State Resources for Crawford County Bookings

Several statewide tools can help you track down information tied to a Crawford County arrest. The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) runs criminal history checks through the GBI. Call 404-244-2639 for details. A GCIC check will show arrests and convictions from across Georgia, not just Crawford County. This is more of a full background search than a current booking lookup.

The VINE notification system is a free way to keep tabs on someone after they are booked. You sign up with the person's name or booking ID and VINE sends you alerts when their status changes. You can get a call, text, or email when they are released, moved, or have a court date. The phone number for VINE is 833-216-6670. It covers Crawford County and most Georgia counties.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association keeps a directory of every sheriff in the state.

This is handy if your search reaches into counties near Crawford. Bibb, Monroe, and Peach counties all border Crawford County. If someone was arrested near the line, they could be in a different jail than you think. The directory gives you the right number to call for each office.

72 Hour Booking Record Restriction in Crawford County

Some arrest records in Georgia can be restricted after a case is resolved. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 allows record restriction when charges are dropped, dismissed, or if the person is found not guilty. Once restricted, the booking record will not appear on most background checks. The record is not erased. It just becomes harder for the public to access.

The First Offender Act, found at O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60, offers another path. A judge can sentence a first-time felony offender under this act. If the person finishes their sentence without any problems, the conviction is sealed. That means a Crawford County booking that resulted in a first offender sentence could be invisible on a standard records search later.

O.C.G.A. § 35-3-34 spells out who can still see restricted records. Law enforcement has full access at all times. Certain employers and licensing boards do too. For the general public, though, a restricted record will not come up. If you search for someone in Crawford County and nothing shows, their record may have been restricted. It does not always mean they were never arrested.

To apply for record restriction, you file with the court in Crawford County that handled the case. The clerk's office at the courthouse in Roberta can help you find the right forms and explain the filing fees. The process takes several weeks from start to finish.

Nearby Counties

These counties sit next to Crawford County. If you are unsure which county processed a booking, try calling the neighboring sheriff's offices. Arrests near the county line could end up in a different jail.