Sampson County Arrest Records

Sampson County law enforcement is authorized by law to apprehend suspects of a crime and take them into custody. Article 20 of the Criminal Procedure Act permits law enforcement in North Carolina to arrest offenders and bring them before a judge.

When suspects are arrested in Sampson County, they are usually held at the detention center operated by the sheriff’s office. The suspects are booked and processed there and will be arraigned to stand before a judge in court. The judge at the arraignment determines whether a suspect is released on bail or remains in jail, usually according to the circumstances of the case.

Arrest records consist of information the arresting agency generates and form part of the individual’s criminal records. Various agencies maintain arrest records, including the county sheriff's office and state police. Arrest information may also be available as part of Sampson County Court Records maintained by the local judiciary.

Are Arrest Records Public in Sampson County?

Under North Carolina’s Public Record Law, Sampson County arrest records are considered public records. By law, custodians of public records must provide record seekers access to inspect or copy public records, including public arrest records with some exceptions. The following are examples of information and records that are exempted from disclosure to the public.

• Any records that a court order has sealed
• Confidential records under state or federal laws and statutes
• Financial information such as account numbers, passwords, or social security numbers
• Records of criminal intelligence investigations conducted by organizations like the State Innocence Inquiry Commission
• Information that would likely identify a confidential informant for law enforcement

Although these records are legally confidential, the general public may still access them by acquiring a court order. Government agencies and law enforcement may also have access to the complete records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Sampson County arrest records usually contain details about the offender and the arrests. The record's specific style may differ from agency to agency, but an arrest record will contain a combination of the following information.

• Identifying information and physical description of the subject, including their full name, date of birth, ethnicity, gender, weight, height, hair color, and eye color
• Biometrics such as mugshot photographs and fingerprints
• The charge brought against the subject including details of the crime and the law violated by the crime
• Details of the arrests, including dates, times, locations, warrants, arresting agency, and bail at the time

Arrest records may also detail court case information, including the court dates and the current disposition of the case, whether ongoing, dismissed, or if the subject was convicted and served jail time.

Sampson County Arrest Statistics

The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office reports arrest statistics for the county to the FBI uniform crime reporting program. According to the statistics for 2023, the sheriff’s office reported about 735 arrests for the year. Counted in that total are 84 arrests for simple assaults, 200 arrests for various drug offenses, 32 arrests for weapons carrying/possession, 47 arrests for burglary, 27 arrests for robbery, 11 arrests for motor vehicle theft, eight arrests for fraud, and four arrests for rape. One arrest each was recorded for murder, embezzlement, and robbery, respectively. There were also 236 arrests for other crimes, including property crimes.

Find Sampson County Arrest Records

Sampson County arrest records and inmate information are available from different custodians. Records seekers may be able to request these records from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office or the Sampson County Clerk of Courts.

Arrest records may be obtained by visiting the Sheriff’s Office in person at:

Sampson County Sheriff's Office
112 Fontana Street
Clinton, NC 28328

Record seekers may ask questions before their visit by calling the sheriff’s office at (910) 592-4141 or the Detention Center at (910) 592-8178. Inquiries about arrest records and inmate information may also be made using the contact information on the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Connect. Sampson County inmate information is also available online via the Detention Center Online Search Tool.

Arrest records may also be part of criminal case information maintained by the Clerk of the Sampson County Superior Court. Visitors to the county courthouse may be able to search, view, or email criminal records from public access computers at the courthouse. These records may be looked up online using the North Carolina Judicial Branch Online Search Portal. The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction also maintains an Offender Locator that may be used to look up inmates' records online.

Free Arrest Record Search in Sampson County

Record seekers in Sampson County may be able to search for arrest records free of charge by contacting the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office. Criminal and arrest records may also be available for free viewing at the Sampson County Superior Courthouse. Visitors may call and request an appointment to view arrest records at the office for free. Although viewing records in person at these offices may be free, physical copies will always incur a copy fee or search fee.

Requesters may also view arrest records or inmate information for free using any online databases provided by the State Department of Corrections or Sheriff’s Office. The offender search allows users to search inmate arrest records online for free.

Third-party record websites are also a reasonable alternative for free arrest record searches. These record websites may allow users to search for arrest records online for free and download the search results directly. However, third-party websites are not affiliated with government agencies, so their information cannot be guaranteed.

Sampson County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Sampson County criminal records and arrest records detail an individual’s criminal history. Law enforcement agencies generate these records during interactions with suspects. Criminal records are typically more comprehensive than arrest records.

An arrest record will usually document an individual’s arrests. They will contain identifying and physical information taken from the subject during their booking after the arrest. Name, age, race, arresting agency, details of the crime, and charges filed are among the information found on arrest records.

On the other hand, criminal records will cover all aspects of the subject’s criminal history, including arrests, bookings, bail details, court case information, case results, sentencing information, prison time, and so on.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In North Carolina, arrest records and other criminal records will remain on record indefinitely, depending on certain factors. For example, arrests for certain driving offenses such as driving under the influence remain on records permanently. Arrests that went to trial remain on a record but depending on the result of the trial the subject may qualify to have the record expunged. In general, arrests remain on a person's record permanently until the subject follows legal steps to seal or expunge it.

Expunge Sampson County Arrest Records

Expunging a record means following a legal process to remove a criminal charge from a record and sealing or destroying the state’s records of a charge, arrest, or conviction. Article 5 of the North Carolina Criminal Procedure Act details the expungement or expunction of criminal records.

There are several expungement/expunction laws in North Carolina that cover several groups of people. Some cover expungement for convictions, some for dismissed charges, and some for offenders who were underage at the time of their arrest.

It is recommended to consult a local attorney and the clerk of the local superior courts as the exact process may differ between counties. However, the general steps for expunging records are as follows.

• Step one: Determine your eligibility.

Eligibility for expunction in Sampson County depends on several factors, including the type of offense, the time since all sentences or supervision were completed, and the applicant’s age at the time of the offense. For some types of applications, the applicant cannot have any other convictions on their record

• Step two: Collect the necessary documentation.

Applications for expungement must contain a certified copy of the final disposition of the record to be expunged and a complete criminal record check. These records may be obtained from the clerk of the court in the county where the case was heard and the State Bureau of Investigation, respectively

• Step three: Fill out the correct petition/application forms

Several forms are available depending on the type of petition. There are forms for charges dismissed, or the applicant was found not guilty, and forms for convictions for non-violent felonies. These Expunction Application Forms are available online from the North Carolina Judiciary website

• Step four: Submit the petition.

Fill out the application form and file it and the other supporting documents with the clerk at the court in the county where the original case was heard. Study the instruction sheet on the application forms thoroughly and notarize the forms before submission. There is usually a filing fee of $175, but some petitions do not require a fee, such as cases where the applicant was found not guilty or the charges were dismissed. Applicants who cannot afford the filing fee may request to file without paying using the Indigent Form

• Step five: Wait for the petition to be reviewed and attend any hearings.

After the petition is filed, it will be reviewed by the court. The District Attorney and the Bureau of Investigation will also be notified of the petition. After performing background and expunction checks, these agencies may review the petition and respond. Where there are challenges to the petition, the court will schedule a hearing where the applicant will present their case. If no hearing is scheduled, the judge will review the case based on the submitted documents

After the judge reviews the petition, a decision is made on whether or not to grant the petition. If the petition is granted, the judge will instruct all parties concerned to erase the record from the applicant’s history. The applicant must follow up and obtain a copy of the expunction order from the court clerk. The process may take several months, including updating records with law enforcement and other agencies.

Sampson County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document that orders law enforcement to arrest an individual and bring them before a judicial official to answer to charges made against them. Arrest warrants are usually issued when the suspect fails to appear when summoned, when it is apparent the subject will not appear, or due to the seriousness of the crime. Normal citizens or law enforcement officers may initiate arrest warrants in Sampson County.

A judicial official may issue an arrest warrant after they are given sufficient information or probable cause to believe a crime was committed and the person the warrant names committed it. Judicial officials that may issue an arrest warrant include judges from the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Superior Court, and District Court. Court clerks and magistrates may also be authorized to issue arrest warrants. This information/probable cause may be shown by affirmation, oral testimony under oath before the issuing officer, or by an affidavit.

An arrest warrant in North Carolina will contain the following.

• Identifying information about the suspect, including full name, age, gender, physical description, and so on
• Statement of the crime describing the crime the subject of the warrant is accused of and statutes it violates
• It must contain an Order for Arrest authorizing law enforcement officers to take the subject into custody.
• Name and signature of the issuing judicial official

Do Sampson County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Arrest warrants in Sampson County do not expire. Simply put, an arrest warrant will remain active until the subject of the warrant is arrested, dies, or the warrant is canceled. A judge may quash or recall an arrest warrant for a few reasons. The subject of the record or their lawyer must prove to the judge that the warrant should be canceled.