Franklin County Arrest Records

An arrest is defined as the legal act of physically taking or seizing an individual. Law enforcement officers primarily conduct arrests to maintain law and order within their jurisdictions. In Franklin County, law enforcement officers can make arrests under the authority of an arrest warrant or without a warrant per N.C.G.S § 15A-401. For example, an officer can arrest an individual without a warrant if said individual commits any crime in their presence. An officer can also make an arrest if they have probable cause or reasonable grounds to believe that an individual committed a felony.

Franklin County arrest records are typically created after an arrest following the suspect being booked in a detention facility or released on bail. Depending on the arresting agency, the type of offense, and its legal implication, the suspect may be booked in the Franklin County Detention Complex or held at the arresting agency. Generally, Franklin County arrest records contain pertinent details about arrests conducted within the county. These details include but are not limited to the arrestee's personal information, information about the alleged offense, and circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Besides being responsible for creating and preserving arrest records, local law enforcement agencies in Franklin County also report arrest records they create to other criminal justice agencies when needed. For instance, arrest records are usually reported to the local judicial system when an arrest leads to a criminal case. Furthermore, arrest records are also reported to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) for inclusion in statistical and criminal history records the agency maintains. As a result, arrest records are usually featured in Franklin County Court Records and the NCDPS criminal history records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Franklin County?

Yes. Per Virginia Public Record Law, codified in N.C.G.S § 132, records generated or maintained by government agencies in connection with public business are public records. Arrest records are subject to the provisions of the law. As a result, arrest records are public in Franklin County and accessible to the general public upon request.

However, the Virginia Public Record Law has several exemptions. These exemptions restrict public access to certain types of arrest records or their specific information. For instance, juvenile arrest records are considered confidential. Social security numbers and other personally identifiable information are also considered private and usually omitted from public arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Some of the typical contents of public arrest records in Franklin County include but are not limited to:

• The arrestee's personal details: full name and date of birth
• The arrestee's physical description: mugshot, weight, height, sex, race, hair, and eye color
• Offense details: the type of offense (i.e., misdemeanor or felony) and applicable statute
• Arrest and booking details: the arrest date, time, location, and the arresting agency/officer's information. Additionally, the booking date, time, and facility.

Franklin County Arrest Statistics

North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) 2023 arrest statistics show that Franklin County recorded 442 arrests in 2023. Of these, 420 arrests were for adult offenders, and 22 arrests were for juveniles. Furthermore, larceny theft was the leading cause of arrests in Franklin County that year, with 122 arrests solely attributed to the offense. Other offense categories with high numbers of arrests include non-aggravated assaults (39), possession of marijuana (34), and driving under the influence (21). Franklin County experienced a significant 73.6 % decrease in arrests in 2023 compared to 2022. 2022 statistics show that 957 arrests were recorded in Franklin County that year.

Find Franklin County Arrest Records

Record seekers can find Franklin County arrest records through local law enforcement agencies, like the Franklin County Sheriff's Office and municipal police agencies. As previously mentioned, these agencies are generally responsible for creating and maintaining Franklin County arrest records and providing the public with access to them on request. Depending on how an agency operates, it may accept in-person or mail-in requests for local arrest records it maintains. Nonetheless, requesters would need to supply sufficient information about the desired record, such as the arrestee information and the incident's date, to facilitate their request.

Record seekers can make requests in person by visiting an agency's physical office during regular business hours. Most local law enforcement agencies accept in-person requests.

For mail-in requests, requesters can draft a written request containing information about the desired record and their contact information and mail it to the appropriate agency. Record seekers can find the office address and contact information of municipal police agencies through the Franklin County Sheriff's Office law enforcement agencies directory. Meanwhile, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office can be contacted or visited at;

285 T Kemp Road
Louisburg, NC 27549
Office: (919) 496-2186
Fax: (919) 340-0172

It is worth noting that the County Sheriff's Office is working on an online portal that will allow users to access arrest records through its official website soon.

Free Arrest Record Search in Franklin County

In Franklin County, interested persons may be able to search for arrest records for free at local law enforcement agencies. Although an agency may not charge requesters a fee for conducting an arrest record search, they usually charge requesters fees for copies of arrest records they furnish. Interested persons can also employ the use of third-party websites that offer arrest record search services to search for arrest records for free. Some of these also allow free search for basic arrest information, while comprehensive searches are usually subject to a one-time or subscription-based fee.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

According to the retention and disposition schedules followed by local law enforcement agencies in Franklin County, arrest records that are not made part of a case file are maintained for 5 years after the date of arrest. However, if an arrest record is made part of a felony case file, it will be retained for 20 years after the disposition of the case or until the case is solved. Meanwhile, arrest records that are made part of misdemeanor case files are retained for 3 years after the case disposition or until the case gets solved.

Arrest reports of juvenile offenders arrested for offenses that would have been a Class A, B1, B2, C, D, or E felony if committed by an adult are preserved until the juvenile reaches 21 years old. Meanwhile, juvenile arrest records are retained for all other cases until the juvenile reaches 18 years old.

Expunge Franklin County Arrest Records

Expungement, also known as expunction, is a legal process that removes a criminal charge or conviction from an individual's criminal record, destroying or sealing the parent's arrest, charge, and/or conviction record. However, only specific types of records and offenses are expungeable per North Carolina expunction statutes. These include but are not limited to:

• Charges that were dismissed or where an individual was not found guilty.
• Convictions for misdemeanors or felony offenses. Provided five (5) years (for misdemeanors) or ten years (for felony) has passed certain the conviction.
• Records pardoned by the North Carolina's Governor.

People with eligible records can pursue the following steps to request record expungement in Franklin County:

• Obtain the appropriate expungement petition form through the North Carolina Judicial forms page. Alternatively, prospective petitioners can query the Franklin County Clerk of Court office for an expungement form.
• Properly complete the expungement petition form
• If applicable, prepare the expungement filing fee of $175 (via check or money order).
• Submit the petition form, the fee, and other required documents to the Franklin County Clerk of Court at;

Franklin County Courthouse
102 S Main St.
Louisburg, NC 27549

Subsequently, the expungement petition will be reviewed by the court. A hearing may be scheduled to determine whether the petitioner's record qualifies for expungement. If the petition gets approved, relevant law enforcement agencies will be notified and allowed 30 days to respond. Provided the agency does not object to the court's decision, a court order for record expungement will be issued to the custodians of the petitioned record(s).

Prospective petitioners are advised to work with a licensed attorney for needed assistance when petitioning to have their record expunged, as the North Carolina expunction process can be complicated.

Franklin County Arrest Warrants

Per N.C.G.S § 15A-304, an arrest warrant is a court order that authorizes law enforcement officers to arrest an individual accused of committing a crime and bring them to court to answer for the charges levied against them. In Franklin County, an arrest warrant may be issued by a judge, magistrate, or court clerk upon showing probable cause that a crime has been committed, supported by oath or affirmation. Generally, an arrest warrant must consist of a statement of crime detailing the crime the prospective arrestee committed.

Do Franklin County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Franklin County arrest warrants never expire and typically remain active until the suspect turns themselves in or gets apprehended. Notwithstanding, the issuing judicial officer can recall an arrest warrant upon the suspect death or the statute of limitation for their alleged offense expires.