Jeff Davis County 72 Hour Booking Records

Jeff Davis County 72 hour booking records are maintained by the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office in Hazlehurst. All arrest and booking inquiries for this southeast Georgia county go through the sheriff's office by phone or in person.

Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Preston Bohannon leads the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office. The mailing address is PO Box 237, Hazlehurst, GA 31539. Call 912-375-6600 for booking questions, to check if someone is in custody, or to ask about bond amounts. Staff at the office handle inquiries during business hours. Dispatch picks up after hours and can answer basic custody questions.

Jeff Davis County is in the southeast part of the state. Hazlehurst is the county seat and the main town. Most arrests in the county happen in or near Hazlehurst. The sheriff's office handles all bookings, including arrests made by Hazlehurst Police and the Georgia State Patrol. No matter which agency brought the person in, the booking goes through the county jail.

There is no online inmate search for Jeff Davis County. You cannot look up who is in the jail from a computer at home. Your options are calling the sheriff's office or stopping by in person. For a phone call, have the person's name ready. Staff can check the system and tell you if they are booked in, what the charges are, and what the bond looks like. For copies of arrest reports or booking records, a trip to the office is the best route.

Jeff Davis County sits at the crossroads of several state highways, including US 341 and US 221. Traffic through the county can lead to arrests, especially drug-related stops. If someone was picked up while passing through Jeff Davis County, this is the office to call.

How 72 Hour Booking Works in Jeff Davis County

Georgia law sets strict limits on how long someone can sit in jail before seeing a judge. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-26 says a person arrested on a warrant must go before a judge within 72 hours. The time starts when the arrest happens. This is the rule behind the term "72 hour booking."

Arrests made without a warrant have a shorter window. O.C.G.A. § 17-4-62 requires a probable cause hearing within 48 hours. In Jeff Davis County, warrantless arrests happen when deputies respond to calls and decide to take someone in based on what they see. A fight at a gas station or a DUI on Highway 341 can lead to this kind of arrest. The 48 hour deadline means the court has to act quickly.

First appearance hearings take place at the Jeff Davis County courthouse in Hazlehurst. The judge explains the charges and decides on bond. Common charges often come with a preset bond amount. More serious cases get reviewed one at a time. Arrests over the weekend can push close to the 72 hour mark, but the court makes it work.

The Georgia Department of Corrections runs a free offender search for state inmates:

This search covers anyone who has been convicted and sent to a state prison. It will not show inmates still in the Jeff Davis County jail awaiting trial.

Jeff Davis County Public Records

Booking records are public in Jeff Davis County. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72 is the Georgia Open Records Act. It says anyone can request government records, and that includes arrest reports, booking sheets, and charge details. You do not need to give a reason for your request. The sheriff's office must respond within three business days for written requests.

Call 912-375-6600 for quick questions about current inmates. If you need printed copies of records, visit the office in Hazlehurst. There may be a small copy fee. Quick phone inquiries about who is in the jail can usually be handled on the spot, so that is the fastest way to get an answer.

O.C.G.A. § 35-1-19 covers booking photos. Georgia law prevents agencies from releasing booking photos to people who will put them on a site that charges fees for removal. The booking photo remains in the file. A valid open records request that does not violate this law can be reviewed and approved by the sheriff's office.

For older records in Jeff Davis County, be specific about dates when you make a request. Smaller counties sometimes have limited digital records going back more than a few years. Giving exact date ranges helps staff find what you need faster.

State Resources for Jeff Davis County Bookings

The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) handles criminal background checks for the entire state. Call 404-244-2639 for more information. A GCIC check will pull arrest and conviction records from all Georgia counties, not just Jeff Davis. This is useful if you need a full history on someone.

The VINE notification system works with Jeff Davis County and most other Georgia counties. Sign up for alerts and you will get a call, text, or email when an inmate is released, moved, or has a court date. The VINE phone number is 833-216-6670. This beats calling the jail over and over to check on a case.

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

This is a handy resource for confirming contact info for the Jeff Davis County Sheriff's Office and for looking up sheriffs in the surrounding area.

72 Hour Booking Record Restriction in Jeff Davis County

Georgia law allows some arrest records to be restricted after a case ends. O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37 governs record restriction. If charges were dismissed, dropped, or the person was found not guilty, they can file to have the record restricted. A restricted record does not show up on most background checks. The data still exists, but public access is shut off.

O.C.G.A. § 42-8-60 is the First Offender Act. A judge can give first offender treatment to someone with no prior felony convictions. If they finish the sentence without issues, the conviction is sealed. A Jeff Davis County booking that ended with a first offender sentence may not appear in public records later. This is worth keeping in mind if a search turns up empty.

To file for record restriction, contact the Jeff Davis County Clerk of Superior Court in Hazlehurst. You will need to complete the right forms and pay the filing fee. It can take weeks for the restriction to go into effect across all state systems. Law enforcement still has access to restricted records, and some employers and licensing boards can see them through authorized channels.

Nearby Counties

These counties surround Jeff Davis County. If you are not sure where an arrest happened, the neighboring sheriff's offices can help. County lines in this part of Georgia are not always easy to pin down.