Orange County Arrest Records

Orange County arrest records are official reports containing information on the arrest of individuals by law enforcement agencies within the county. Per Chapter 15 of the Texas Criminal Procedure Code, law enforcement officers in Orange County, Texas, may apprehend individuals they observe or suspect of engaging in unlawful activities. These acts may be categorized as felonies, misdemeanors, or infractions with varying legal implications. The County Sheriff's Office must provide access to Orange County Court Records upon request.

Are Arrest Records Public in Orange County?

Yes. The Texas Public Information Act protects the civil rights of Orange County citizens and the wider public to access, examine, and reproduce records generated or received by government agencies, bodies, and organizations while carrying out their public duties.

While the law grants an extensive range of access, it restricts accessibility to some documents for an equitable and just criminal justice and judicial system. Therefore, arrest records that are not available to the public include:

• Records that may hamper the detection, investigation, or prosecution of a crime
• Information that pinpoints crime locations tails or the details of a victim
• Information that could reveal the identity of a confidential informant
• Information that could endanger someone's life or physical safety
• Juvenile records
• Home addresses, social security numbers, phone numbers, and family details.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Orange County, the following information is available in arrest records in compliance with Chapter 351 of the Texas Local Government Code:

• The arrested person's first, last, and middle names, birth date, age, race, and gender.
• Sheriff's Office Number, Offense ID Number, arresting agency, date, time, arrest location, description of charges filed against the arrestee, and bail amount.
• Court location and bond amounts set by the court.
• Previous arrests and outstanding warrants for those arrests.

Orange County Arrest Statistics

A 5-year crime statistics report by the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) revealed that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported 5,348 arrests between 2019 and 2023. The gender makeup of the arrest data indicated that males accounted for 72.28% (3,865) of all arrests within the period, while females accounted for 27.72% (1,483).

The racial demographics of all arrests in the period under review showed that Whites were the prevalent ethnic group arrested for various offenses, with 86.61% (4.632). This was followed by Blacks or African Americans, Unknown, and Asians, who accounted for 12.98% (694), 0.19% (10), and 0.17% (9) of all arrests, respectively. American Indians or Alaska Natives constituted 0.06% (3) of all arrests made during the period.

A breakdown of the type of offenses law enforcement officers arrested suspects for between 2019 and 2023 showed that all other offenses aside from traffic were commonplace crimes, with 90.08% (4,817), followed by possession of other dangerous drugs at 3.76% (201) and simple assault at 1.29% (69). Others include unspecified assault, driving under the influence, and opium or cocaine possession, with 0.86% (46), 0.67% (36), and 0.56% (30), respectively.

Find Orange County Arrest Records

Requesters seeking Orange County inmate records may avail themselves of the following state and federal resources:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ): This web-based search tool enables visitors to find offenders currently serving time in a TDCJ facility. Users may search by last name and at least the first letter of the first name, the TDCJ number, or the State Identification (SID) number.

A name-based search on the site typically yields a precise match of the last name entered. The website also offers inquirer inmate information, such as location, offenses, and expected release date, via email or phone through the TDCJ's website.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator also enables visitors to look up federal inmates held between 1982 to the present. On the portal, they may search by name or BOP registry number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Orange County

The Orange County Sheriff's Office provides the general public with an online inmate roster. This site allows record searchers to obtain free inmate records such as an inmate's first, middle, and last name, birth date, race, gender, and physical description. Other details obtainable via the list include the offender ID Number, arrest date, offense description, arresting agency, charges, and bond amount.

Requesters may also visit the Orange County Sheriff's to submit a records request for inmate records. The County Sheriff's Office is located at:

205 S Border Street
Orange, TX 77630
Vidor Substation:
Phone: (409) 769-6391

Interested parties may also find Orange County arrest records in third-party public record repositories. They may search these third-party databases for free using the subject's first and last name. Nonetheless, these online companies typically charge a fee to produce a detailed report on an individual's criminal history.

Orange County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

When searching for arrest records, record searchers must make the distinction between arrest and criminal records.

Arrest logs document situations in which law enforcement took a person into custody. These reports offer about the arrest, including the arresting agency, the charges presented, and the date and time of the arrest. They merely demonstrate that the person was placed under arrest. This does not mean that the person was found guilty of a crime.

On the other hand, criminal records provide a thorough picture of a person's dealings with the criminal justice system. These documents supply details concerning charges, convictions, arrests, and punishments. They are updated by different legal and law enforcement organizations and represent the verdicts of criminal cases.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Texas arrest records, whether derived from local or state law enforcement agencies, will remain on an individual's record unless expunged or sealed.

Expunge Orange County Arrest Records

In Orange County, applicants may qualify for arrest records expungement under Chapter 55 of the Texas Criminal Procedure Code if they meet the following requirements:

• The court acquitted the applicant of charges against them.
• The applicant was pardoned or granted relief after being found innocent of charges against them.
• The applicant did not incur any further charges after the arrest, and the statute of limitations has expired.
• After the arrest, no charges were filed, and the statute of limitations had expired.
• The candidate successfully completed a Class C misdemeanor deferred adjudication.

Expungement Process

1. The petitioner must apply for an expunction in Orange County District Court.
2. The petitioner must inform the district attorney, law enforcement agencies, and any other organization with the petition's records.
3. The candidate must appear at a court hearing where a judge will assess the application and determine eligibility.
4. If approved, the judge will sign an expunction order ordering all relevant agencies to destroy the records.

Orange County Arrest Warrants

Orange County arrest warrants are court orders or magistrate's authorization for law enforcement to detain an individual. These documents are typically issued after law officers have presented the judge with enough evidence that a suspect has committed a crime.

To begin the process, a law enforcement agent presents an affidavit to a judge or magistrate to issue an arrest warrant. The affidavit explains the turn of events and evidence that explains the need for the warrant. If the judge is convinced by the evidence presented, they sign the warrant authorizing the arrest.

The following scenarios often result in the issuance of a warrant of arrest:

• A complaint is filed accusing someone of an offense.
• A grand jury indicts a person.
• Refusal of an individual to appear for a fixed court hearing.

Some features of an Orange County arrest warrant include:

• The identity of the subject of the arrest warrant.
• Description of the crime the person is being charged for.
• The date the warrant was issued.
• The signature of the judge or magistrate that approved the warrant.
• Instructions for peace officers regarding the arrest.

Do Orange County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants do not expire in Orange County or anywhere else in Texas. They remain active until the police arrest the person identified in the warrant or the judge who granted it cancels it. This means that an outstanding arrest warrant may result in an arrest at any time until settled through legal means.