Hoke County Arrest Records

In Hoke County, committing a crime or breaking county ordinances can result in an offender's arrest. Per North Carolina General Statutes § 15A-401, law enforcement officers can arrest with or without a warrant in certain cases. For instance, officers can arrest without a warrant when they have probable cause to believe that a criminal offense has been committed in or out of their presence.

After an arrest in Hoke County, the arrestee may be held at the arresting agency's precinct or booked into the Hoke County Detention Center. Subsequently, a report will be prepared by the arresting officer to document pertinent information about the arrest, such as the arrestee's name, alleged office, and the arrest date and time. This report is commonly referred to as an arrest record, typically generated and preserved by law enforcement agencies. Hence, interested persons can obtain Hoke County arrest records by querying local law enforcement agencies in the county. Besides local law enforcement agencies, arrest information is accessible through Hoke County Court Records and criminal history records preserved by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Are Arrest Records Public in Hoke County?

Yes. The Virginia Public Record Law provides the general public with the legal right to records concerning public business, like arrests, produced or preserved by government agencies. Hence, anybody can obtain arrest records in Hoke County by querying the custodians of these records, such as local law enforcement agencies.

Notwithstanding, certain information and records are exempt from the provisions of Virginia's Public Record Law and, as a result, are inaccessible to the general public. Some examples of these records include expunged or sealed records and juvenile arrest records. An agency can also restrict public access to arrest records that are connected to an ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, social security numbers, account numbers, and other personally identifiable information are also not public.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Information individuals can expect to find in Hoke County arrest records includes but is not limited to the following:

• The arrestee's full name and date of birth
• The arrestee's height, weight, race, sex, hair, and eye color
• The arrestee's mugshot/booking photo
• The offense details, including the class (i.e., misdemeanor or felony) and enforceable statute
• Arrest information, such as the arrest date, time, and location, as well as a description of what happened during the arrest
• Booking information such as the booking number, holding facility, and booking date

Hoke County Arrest Statistics

According to arrest statistics provided by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), 739 arrests were made in Hoke County in 2023. A breakdown of the total shows that non-aggravated assaults (84), aggravated assaults (50), and larceny-theft (20) were among the most prominent offenses that resulted in arrest that year. In 2023, there were 7.5% fewer arrests in Hoke County than in 2022, when 797 arrests were recorded in the county.

Find Hoke County Arrest Records

As previously mentioned, local law enforcement agencies, like the Hoke County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments, are responsible for generating and maintaining arrest records in the County. Hence, requests for Hoke County arrest records can be directed to these agencies.

Depending on what a local law enforcement agency allows, requests may be made in person by visiting the appropriate agency's office address during regular office hours. Alternatively, record seekers can draft a written request and mail it to relevant agencies that accept mail-in requests. Regardless of the method of request that record seekers opt to use, they must supply identifiable information about the desired arrest records to assist in its identification. These include but are not limited to the arrestee's name and arrest date.

For instance, an interested person can request arrest records from the Hoke County Sheriff's Office by contacting the Sheriff's Office at:

429 E. Central Avenue
Raeford, NC 28376
Main Office: (910) 875-5111
Sheriff Admin: (910) 878-1203

It is worth noting that record seekers can find arrest press releases on the Hoke County Sheriff's official website. Furthermore, interested persons can also complete and submit the agency's online request for incident report form to request arrest records. Meanwhile, individuals can find information about arrestees held at the Hoke County Detention Center by contacting the jail administrator at:

125 E. Edinborough Avenue
Raeford, NC 28376
Phone: (910) 875-5113
Email: lthomas@hokesheriff.org

Free Arrest Record Search in Hoke County

A free arrest record search in Hoke County may be conducted in person at local law enforcement agencies. Although the search itself may be free, record seekers are usually charged a fee for copies of arrest records an agency furnishes. However, the fee is minimal, and it is typically the agency's access cost for reproducing copies of the requested arrest record. It is worth noting that interested persons can also find information about some arrests for free online by reviewing the Hoke County Sheriff's Press Releases.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Hoke County law enforcement agencies follow the Program Records Schedule: Local Government Agencies in determining how long they retain arrest records they generate. According to the Record Schedule, the timeline for the retention of some types of arrest records includes the following:

• Arrest records are not part of a case file - 5 years after the date of arrest.
• Arrest records that are part of a felony case file - 20 years after the disposition of the case or until the case is resolved
• Arrest records that are part of misdemeanor case files - 3 years after the case disposition or until the case gets solved.
• Juvenile arrest records for offenses that would have been a Class A, B1, B2, C, D, or E felony if committed by an adult - until the juvenile reaches 21 years old
• Juvenile arrest records are retained for all other cases - until the juvenile reaches 18 years old.

Expunge Hoke County Arrest Records

Individuals with qualifying records can petition to have their records expunged Under the North Carolina Expungement Statutes. Record expungement, also known as expunction, seals or destroys records of an arrest, charge, or conviction, making them inaccessible to the general public. Examples of arrest records that are expungeable under North Carolina Expungement Statutes include but are not limited to those connected to certain:

• Nonviolent felony(ies)
• Nonviolent misdemeanor(s)
• Prostitution offenses
• Gang Offenses
• Misdemeanor convictions
• Drug or drug paraphernalia convictions
• Convictions pardoned by the Governor of North Carolina
• Toxic vapors convictions

If an individual has an eligible record, they can begin the expungement process by completing the appropriate petition form. As eluded, there are different petition forms for expungement based on which expungement statute the record to be expunged falls under. Each form is available through the North Carolina Judiciary's Expunctions page. On the page, interested persons can find petition forms under the "Statute (N.C.G.S.) Records to Which Statute Applies" section by clicking on the link to the statute that applies to their record. Fortunately, each petition form comes with instructions for completing it.

Note that there is a $175 filing fee for an expunction petition. However, some expunction statutes do not require the filing fee, like expunction for charges that ended in a "not guilty" verdict or were dismissed. On the other hand, those who can not afford the filing fee can request to file their petition as an Indigent using this form.

After completing the expunction petition form, prospective petitioners can file the form and all other required items, like fees and other requested documents, to the Hoke County Clerk of Court office at:

Hoke County Courthouse
PO Drawer 1569
Raeford, NC 28376
Phone: (910) 878-4100

Subsequently, the court's judge may hold a hearing to determine if the petitioner has "good character" or review the petition and decide without a hearing. If the judge approves the petition, an expunction order will be granted and issued to relevant government agencies, including law enforcement agencies and the judicial system, that hold the affected record. Note that the entire expunction process may take several months to realize.

Hoke County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant, as defined by N.C.G.S. § 15A-304, is an order that includes a statement of crime and instructs law enforcement officers to arrest the person listed on the warrant. Generally, arrest warrants are issued by judges, magistrates, and court clerks. Per N.C.G.S. § 15A-30 (d), an arrest warrant may be issued on showing probable cause via an affidavit or oral testimony under oath or affirmation that the person to be arrested has committed a crime. An arrest warrant may also be issued when an individual repeatedly fails to appear in court when summoned, a suspect is at risk of escaping, or for serious offenses.

Do Hoke County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Hoke County arrest warrants typically have no expiration date. Hence, unless the issuing court recalls or nullifies the warrant, it typically remains active until the subject is apprehended, surrenders to the authorities, or dies.