Freestone County Arrest Records

The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure governs the authority for and procedure of conducting arrests in Freestone County. Law enforcement officers in Freestone County are authorised to conduct arrests when individuals break the law or cause a disturbance. As set forth in Chapter 14, arrests may be lawful under specific circumstances, with or without a warrant. When an officer witnesses a crime in progress or has probable cause to believe that a crime is being committed, they may arrest without a warrant.

Although multiple law enforcement agencies, including municipal peace officers from city police departments, are authorized to make arrests, the primary law enforcement agency is the Freestone County Sheriff's Office.

Arrestees are taken to the county jail. Upon arrival, the offender undergoes processing, which includes a body search, fingerprinting, and a mugshot. Information collected during processing is used to prepare the arrest report. Subsequently, the arrestee is either placed in a holding cell or released on bail pending their arraignment. Interested parties may learn about the legal proceedings held after an arrest by reviewing Freestone County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Freestone County?

Under the Texas Public Information Act, arrest records are deemed public in Freestone County. The act requires record custodians to grant access to arrest records upon request.

However, there are exceptions to the general access granted by the Public Information Act. Record custodians cannot grant public access to arrest information that includes:

• Juvenile records
• Sealed or expunged records
• Information about ongoing investigations
• Information about confidential informants
• Law enforcement agents
• Victims of domestic violence or sexual offenses

Only the owners of Freestone County arrest records, law enforcement agents, and other duly authorized entities may access exempted arrest records. Inquiries about arrest records should be channelled through the arresting agency, or interested individuals should contact the Freestone County Sheriff's Office at:

Freestone County Sheriff’s Office
103, South Keechi Street,
Fairfield, TX 75840
Phone: (903) 389-3236

Freestone County Arrest Statistics

According to the Uniform Crime Report compiled by the Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS), in 2023, law enforcement officers in Freestone County made 116 arrests. Of this figure, there were 59 arrests resulting from larceny, 26 arrests due to assault, and 31 arrests for burglary.
In comparison, there were fewer arrests in the previous year. The leading causes of arrests were larceny, assault, and auto theft.

Find Freestone County Arrest Records

Interested parties seeking Freestone County arrest records may query local law enforcement departments. Multiple agencies provide policing services within the county, and they have the authority to make arrests. As such, arrest records may be available online or by reaching the arresting agency directly by mail, email, or in person.

At the state level, records of offenders serving time at the state's facilities may be accessible through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). The department provides an online tool to search for inmates. Moreover, record seekers may find information about federal inmates with the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. They can search using the inmate's name or number.

Freestone County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Freestone County arrest and criminal records play complementary roles in law enforcement, but they are not the same. Arrest records contain information about individuals apprehended for committing arrestable offenses. They contain the names of the arrestee, reasons for the arrest, processing information and the terms of bail or bond.

Arrest records in Freestone County do not imply that the individual is guilty or innocent; suspects are innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Moreover, arrest records do not affect the quality of life or societal status of the subjects who have not been convicted of the underlying charges.

Freestone County criminal records are a compilation of input from law enforcement and the courts. They encompass Freestone County arrest records and other documents related to trials conducted in the jurisdiction. Criminal records are a legal confirmation of conviction by the court and may affect the subject's employment, societal status, accommodation, education, and access to credit facilities.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Freestone County, arrest records remain permanently on an individual's record and are publicly accessible unless the courts remove them or issue orders of non-disclosure to the record custodians or agencies involved. Interested parties seeking to expunge Freestone County arrest records must meet the eligibility conditions stipulated in Title 1, Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. However, expungement does not prevent law enforcement from accessing arrest records; it only restricts public access.

Freestone County Arrest Warrants

Freestone County arrest warrants are legal orders by judges or magistrates in Freestone County courts commanding law enforcement officers to take an individual into custody. The judge issues a warrant when they are satisfied that an officer has met the standard of probable cause for an individual's arrest. They may also issue a warrant when an individual fails to abide by court orders, fails to pay fines, violates parole, or fails to appear for scheduled court hearings.

Freestone County arrest warrants typically contain the following information:

• Name and physical descriptions of the individual
• Charges against the subject
• Statutes allegedly broken
• The name of the issuing court
• The date of issuance
• The name of the issuing judge
• Instructions to law enforcement or recommendations on how to execute the warrant
• Statement of probable cause

Do Freestone County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants issued in Freestone County do not expire. Once issued, they remain active until law enforcement arrests the subject or they voluntarily surrender. However, warrants become inactive when the courts revoke them or the person named on the warrant dies.

Expunge Freestone County Arrest Records

Having an arrest record may present challenges to the subject, even though it may be less serious than a criminal record. The law in Texas offers record relief by way of sealing or expungement to qualified individuals. However, not all offenses are eligible for expungement.

Under Title 1, Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the conditions of expungement depend on factors such as the outcome of the arrest, the presence of a conviction, the severity of the charge, and whether the individual has completed any programs or served time.

Individuals can apply for expungement if:

• They were arrested for a Class C misdemeanor that led to a deferred adjudication.
• The individual was not convicted, charges were not filed, or were filed but later dismissed, or the individual was acquitted.

There is a mandatory waiting period before filing for expungement, depending on the offense. To begin the expungement process, individuals must obtain their arrest records and fill out and submit the petition form, accompanied by the requisite fees, to the court. The application must be filed in the county of arrest. Subsequently, the court would schedule a hearing, typically not earlier than 30 days.

If granted, the court would issue an expungement order to the law enforcement agencies and relevant record custodians. This effectively renders the records inaccessible to the public. Alternatively, if the expungement is unsuccessful or the arrestee is not eligible for expungement, they may seek a non-disclosure. This limits public access to the records. For first-time misdemeanor offenders, non-disclosure may be automatic. For other offenses, the subject may have to petition for a non-disclosure.