Webb County Arrest Records

In Webb County, Texas, a law enforcement officer authorized to make arrests may, without a warrant, arrest an offender when an act constituting a felony or misdemeanor is done in his presence, when a breach of peace is committed in his presence, or when the offender is found in a suspicious place and under a circumstance that to any reasonable person can see that such a person is guilty of some felony, breach of peace, or offense under/against any law or code valid in the state of Texas.

Law enforcement agencies in Webb County, such as the Webb County Sheriff, the Laredo Police Department, and other city police departments, are responsible for generating arrest records of persons arrested within the county. If, after such an arrest, the offender is formally charged by the state prosecutor, court dates will be scheduled, and pre-trial processes will commence. Here, the trial court clerk must create a Webb County court record to document all events and filings during the criminal proceeding.

Are Arrest Records Public in Webb County?

Yes. Per Section 552.001 of the Texas Public Information Act, every person is entitled to public information or information that is produced, written, compiled, and collated or maintained under the law and in connection with the official business of a governmental body. Under the Act, governmental bodies are defined to include all boards, departments, agencies, and institutions created by the executive or legislative arm of government, including confinement and correctional facilities operated with any division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Any person, regardless of citizenship status or residency, may request copies of public arrest records except otherwise provided by law. Such exceptions in law may exist where arrest information is considered to be confidential by federal or state law, the Constitution of the State of Texas, or by an order of the court. All arrest records under this category are prohibited from public disclosure, and the custodian will refuse a request for such records. Record custodians may also exercise discretionary power and redact sensitive information from non-confidential records, often to protect the privacy and safety of persons named in the record.

The following sections under the Texas Public Information Act specify several exceptions to the right of access to arrest information:

• Information relating to law enforcement investigation or prosecution that may interfere where the release of such may interfere with criminal investigation and prosecution (Sec. 552.108)
• Sensitive crime scene image (Sec. 552.1085)
• Social security numbers and personal family information (Sec. 552.117, 552.147)
• Information about the victim of a crime (Sec. 552.1315, 552.1325) or claimant (Src 552.132)
• Personal information pertaining to a minor.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The Texas Public Information Act instructs law enforcement agencies to promptly release basic information about an arrested person, an arrest, or a crime and make such information available upon request. Generally, public arrest records in Webb County, Texas, will contain the following information:

• Personal identification information: this includes the name, alias, nickname, age, date of birth, and address of the arrested person
• Description and physical features of the arrestee (weight, height, hair and eye color, scars, tattoos, etc)
• Arrest and Booking Data: Booking ID, arresting agency, date, time, place of the arrest, charges, and bond information.
• Charges filed in relation to the nature or category of the offense (felony, misdemeanor, or traffic offense)
• Details about the charges for which they were arrested or summoned
• The Arresting agency names of the arresting officer
• The arresting agency
• Bail or bond amount.

Webb County Crime Rate

Per the Crime in Texas Report prepared by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the crime rate in Webb County is 1617.8 per 100,000. In 2022, the Webb County Sheriff's Office and Laredo Police Departments reported a total of 4,302 offenses. The most reported crimes in Webb County in 2022 were larceny (2707 reported offenses), burglary (429), auto theft (305), assault (258), and robbery (133).

Webb County Arrest Statistics

The 2022 Texas Crime Index Statistics for Webb County show that the clearance rate by law enforcement authorities in Webb County is 26.1%. The clearance rate represents the total percentage of persons arrested and charged. Of the 2,024 reported offenses in Webb County, only 1,256 arrests were made by law enforcement officials. The most prevalent offenses leading to arrests were:

• Larceny: 714 arrests
• Assault: 258 arrests
• Burglary: 91 arrests
• Robbery: 82 arrests
• Auto theft: 78 arrests.

Find Webb County Arrest Records

The Webb County Sheriff's Office is responsible for maintaining arrest records and inmate information for all persons arrested, booked, and incarcerated within the county. Individuals can visit the Webb County Sheriff's Office during business hours to inquire about a person's arrest status. They may also visit municipal police departments close to them to make inquiries.

Webb County Sheriff's Office
902 Victoria Street
Laredo, TX 78040
Phone: (956) 523-4500

Information on offenders arrested by state law enforcement agencies who are inmates in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (T.D.C.J.) facility can be found online, requested by email or telephone. The T.D.C.J. Inmate Information Search site is open and accessible to the public. Interested persons may find information on inmates by their first or last name, T.D.C.J. number, S.I.D. number, gender, and race. Likewise, one can locate a federal inmate with the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.

Free Arrest Record Search in Webb County

Interested persons should contact or visit the Webb County Sheriff's Office to view or inspect copies of arrest records. The Webb County Sheriff does not provide digital access to arrest information.

Alternatively, researchers can consider third-party public records search websites. Third-party sites have an online, accessible, and searchable database for arrest information. These search sites compile their information from government resources and compile it in a single database. Features like this are convenient for a searcher in Webb County who can now access a wide range of arrest records from different jurisdictions in their state. However, it is not without its disadvantages. Some challenges researchers may experience with such websites are that they are costly and that the information available may be inaccurate and incomplete. In some cases, individuals may not be able to find comprehensive records on third-party sites.

Get Webb County Criminal Records

A criminal record, simply put, is a comprehensive report of a person's criminal history, including arrests, prosecutions, and convictions. It is an extensive document detailing a list of crimes a person has been convicted of and all interactions with the criminal justice system (law enforcement authorities, the police, courts, correctional facilities). A Webb County criminal history search will provide information on arrests, prosecution, and disposition of cases, as well as sentencing, court orders, charges, fines, parole, and probation information.

The Texas Department of Safety's Crime Records Division (C.R.D.) provides computerized public access to criminal history information. The Criminal History Conviction Name Search lets users search for individuals arrested for offenses classified as a Class B misdemeanor or greater. Class C convictions may be available if they have been reported to the Texas Department of Safety. Please note that access to information on this site is not free and is only available to subscribed users. Additionally, the TX DPS has a search site for the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry to allow the public access to sex offender information within Texas.

Webb County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

It is important to differentiate between an arrest record and a criminal record. Although similar in that they both record a person's interaction with the legal system, they represent different stages of the criminal justice process.

An arrest record is essentially a report detailing the circumstances of an arrest. It is created when a person is arrested, booked, or placed in the jail or holding facility during formal charges or trial. When a person is taken into police custody, their personal information, fingerprints, and mugshot will be recorded. Webb County arrest records include details about the incident, including the reason for the arrest, arrest location, date, time, and arresting officer. It is crucial to note that an arrest does equate guilt. All accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If the state attorney/prosecutor believes there is probable cause to believe the suspect committed the crime, he/she will formally press charges. If the accused is found guilty of the offense and convicted, this will begin their criminal history record.

Webb County criminal records are official documents that show that a court has tried the accused and found them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. No criminal record is created if the accused is acquitted, found not guilty, pardoned, or the case is dismissed. Criminal records contain extensive information about the offense, court proceedings, prosecution, conviction, and sentencing. They are used for background checks, employment, and housing applications.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Texas, an arrest and other criminal information remain permanently on a person's record, whether it was a felony or a misdemeanor. Whether the charges are dropped or the person in question is found not guilty, information about their arrest will show up during a background or criminal history search. However, individuals can apply for an expungement or sealing order to remove an arrest from their record in Webb County.

Expunge Webb County Arrest Records

Under Chapter 55, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the legal framework guiding the expunction of criminal records, a person who has been arrested may be entitled to have all records and files relating to their arrest erased, subject to the extant provisions of the law.

Per Art. 55.01(a)-(d) T.C.C.P., a person who has been arrested for the commission of a felony or misdemeanor in Webb County may be eligible to have all records relating to the arrest expunged if they were never charged or following trial, the court either acquitted them, convicted and subsequently pardoned for any reason or granted relief on the basis of actual innocence, or the person has been released.

Furthermore, the charge, if any, has not resulted in any final conviction, is no longer pending in court, and there was no court-ordered supervision for the offense (unless the offense is a Class C misdemeanor), provided that no indictment or information charging the person with the commission of a felony or misdemeanor offense arising out of the same transaction which the person was arrested:

• Has not been presented against the person at any time following the arrest, and:
• At least 180 days have elapsed from the date of the arrest (for Class C misdemeanors), and there is no felony charge arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested.
• At least a year has elapsed from the date of the arrest (for Class A or B misdemeanors), and there is no felony charge arising out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested.
• At least three years have elapsed from the date of the arrest for an offense punishable as a felony unless no felony charge arose out of the same transaction for which the person was arrested.
• The attorney of the state certifies that the arrest records sought to be expunged are not needed for use in any criminal investigation or prosecution of the applicant or any other person or
• If at any time following the arrest, the arrest records or files were dismissed or quashed, and the court finds that the indictment or information was quashed because it was void, the statute of limitation has lapsed, the person was arrested due to a mistake or false information, or it was found that there was no probable cause at the time of the dismissal to believe the person committed the offense.

Irrespective of the above conditions, a person who intentionally flees the jurisdiction of their arrest after being released from custody is not eligible to petition the court to expunge records and files relating to that arrest.

A person who meets all the above conditions is entitled to any personally identifiable information in their arrest records or the records of another if they were arrested due to clerical error or the other person falsely provided the applicants' details without their consent to evade charges.

Procedure for Expunction

To seal an arrest order under Art. 55.01(a), complete and submit the relevant criminal procedure form, Expunction Petition-Arrest Records (Chapter 55). An application or petition for expunction must be directed to the trial court, the trial court that presided over the case where the applicant was acquitted, or the trial court in the jurisdiction where the arrest occurred. If the arrested person is charged and acquitted, the trial court must inform the person of the right to expunction. In cases where the arrestee is acquitted, pardoned, or granted relief, the trial court is mandated to enter an order of expunction for the entitled person within 30 days, and the court is not to charge any fee or costs for expunctions in this category.

The party requesting expunction shall provide the following details and must give a reason for any of the following not included:

• Full name, sex, race, date of birth
• Driver's license number
• Social security number
• Address at the time of the arrest
• Date the offense charged was committed
• Date of arrest
• Name of the county or municipality of arrest
• Name of the arresting agency
• The case number and name of the presiding court; and
• All physical and email addresses of all law enforcement agencies, as well as other public governmental agencies and private entities that compile and disseminate criminal history record information that the applicant believes has information related to records or files subject to expunction.

Upon a grant of an expunction order, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Department of Criminal Justice shall delete, as instructed, all information and files subject to that order from their public records, as well as those of other state officials and agencies.

Webb County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a written order by a magistrate of a competent court commanding a law enforcement officer or someone specifically named to arrest the accused and take him into custody. According to the Texas Criminal Procedure Code, Webb County arrest warrants must be issued in the name of the State of Texas and signed by the magistrate. His office must be named in the body of the warrant in connection with his signature. The warrant must also specifically identify the person to be arrested by name or a detailed description where the name is not known. Finally, an arrest warrant issued in Texas must state the offense the person is accused of.

Webb County Arrest Warrant Search

Residents of Webb County can find information on outstanding warrants by visiting the police department, sheriff's office, or law enforcement office in their municipality. They may also contact the clerk of the issuing court, the court in the county where the person was arrested, or the court presiding over a criminal case regarding the warrant.

Do Webb County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, they do not. Webb County arrest warrants do not have expiration dates; they remain active indefinitely. If a warrant has been issued for a person's arrest and they are subsequently stopped by the police for a traffic violation or any other reason, they may be arrested on the grounds of that warrant. In some cases, a person may be arrested in one state for a warrant issued in another.

An arrest warrant issued in Texas remains unserved and active until the subject is apprehended or fines are paid, thereby resolving the case. Individuals who have a warrant for their arrest or reasonably suspect that there is a warrant for their arrest are advised to take action to clear it promptly. It is advisable to speak to an attorney to strategize the next steps, which may be to turn oneself in at the police station/sheriff's office, post bond, or take action to recall or quash the warrant.