Brookhaven Criminal History Records

Criminal history records in Brookhaven are maintained by the Brookhaven Police Department and the DeKalb County court system. Brookhaven was incorporated in 2012, making it one of the newer cities in the Atlanta metro area. Despite being a young city, it has its own police force that handles arrests and incident reports within city limits. Criminal court cases from Brookhaven go through the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation keeps state-level criminal history data that includes Brookhaven arrests and convictions. You can also use the Georgia Felon Search and the Department of Corrections database to check records from this area.

Brookhaven Police Department Records

The Brookhaven Police Department is at 2665 Buford Hwy NE, Brookhaven, GA 30324. The main phone number is (404) 637-0600. This department handles all law enforcement within Brookhaven city limits. When someone is arrested in Brookhaven, the police write the initial report. It shows the charges, date, time, and the arresting officer.

Arrest data from the Brookhaven Police Department goes to the Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI. That means a Brookhaven arrest shows up in the GCIC statewide database. To get a copy of a police report, you file an open records request with the department. Georgia law gives the public the right to request these documents. The agency has three business days to respond. Fees may apply for search time and copies.

Brookhaven PD only covers incidents inside the city boundaries. Areas right next door in unincorporated DeKalb County fall under the DeKalb County Police Department. The city borders Atlanta, Chamblee, and Dunwoody, each with their own police force. If you are not sure which agency handled a particular arrest, you may need to check more than one department.

Before Brookhaven became a city in 2012, the DeKalb County Police handled law enforcement in this area. Records from before that time would be with the county, not the city. If you need an older record from the Brookhaven area, check with DeKalb County directly.

DeKalb County Court Records for Brookhaven

Brookhaven sits in DeKalb County. Criminal court cases from the city go through the DeKalb County Superior Court. The Superior Court Clerk keeps files for felony and serious misdemeanor charges. These records have the charges, plea information, trial results, and sentencing details. The DeKalb County Courthouse is in Decatur.

The DeKalb County criminal history page covers the clerk's office, the sheriff, and other county resources in more detail. You can get copies of court records by visiting the courthouse. Certified copies cost more than plain ones. The clerk charges a per-page fee.

DeKalb County is part of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit. That circuit covers a large caseload since DeKalb is one of the most populated counties in Georgia. The county also has a State Court for misdemeanor cases and a Magistrate Court for preliminary hearings. Records from each court are kept separately. If a misdemeanor arrest in Brookhaven went to state court, the records would be there rather than in superior court.

State Criminal History Tools

The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across Georgia, including Brookhaven and the rest of DeKalb County. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee applies even if the search turns up nothing. Misdemeanors and restricted records do not show.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people who are currently in a GDC state prison. Someone convicted from a Brookhaven case serving time at a state facility will appear here. It does not cover people in the DeKalb County Jail or those who have finished their sentence.

The GBI FAQ page answers common questions about the criminal history process. It explains how to request your own record, how third-party searches work, and what information the state makes available. The GBI also runs a fingerprint-based check, which gives the most complete version of your record.

Record Restriction for Brookhaven Cases

Georgia calls it record restriction, not expungement. When a record is restricted, it gets sealed from public view. Law enforcement can still see it. But it will not show up in a public search.

Charges that were dropped or dismissed may qualify for restriction. Completing a pretrial diversion program is another path. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 lets first-time offenders finish their sentence without a formal conviction on their record. Once done, the court discharges them and the record gets restricted from public view.

Full rules are in O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, start with the prosecuting attorney. For older arrests, go through the arresting agency. In Brookhaven, that would be the city police for post-2012 arrests or DeKalb County Police for earlier ones.

A retroactive First Offender option exists as well. People who should have gotten First Offender treatment at sentencing but did not can petition the court later. If granted, the conviction comes off the public criminal history record.

What Brookhaven Criminal Records Show

Criminal history tied to Brookhaven pulls from both local and state sources. It shows the person's name, date of birth, and physical traits. Arrest entries list the agency that made the arrest, the date, and the charges. Court records add the final outcome. That could be a conviction, plea, dismissal, or acquittal. If someone went to state prison, it shows in the GDC database.

Not all records are open to the public. Restricted records are hidden from public searches. Juvenile records are sealed in most cases. Federal crimes handled in federal court are separate from the state system. If you need a complete picture, you may need to check both state and federal sources. Also, since Brookhaven only started in 2012, records from before that year are tied to DeKalb County rather than to the city directly.

Getting Your Own Record in Brookhaven

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, anyone in Georgia can review their own criminal history. Visit the Brookhaven Police Department or the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office. Get fingerprinted and pay a fee capped at $15. The prints go to the Georgia Crime Information Center, and they send back your record.

If the record has errors, you can challenge it. File a written request with the GCIC. They have 60 days to investigate. Mail your request to P.O. Box 370808, Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808. Or call (404) 244-2639 for questions. You cannot walk in without an appointment at the GCIC office, so set one up ahead of time if you plan to go in person.

Brookhaven Municipal Court

The Brookhaven Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations, traffic cases, and certain misdemeanor charges. Felony cases do not go through this court. Those move to DeKalb County Superior Court. If you are looking for a record from a minor matter in Brookhaven, the municipal court is the place to check.

Contact the municipal court clerk for records. Not everything is available online. You may need to visit or call ahead to find out fees and what information to bring. The court handles a good volume of cases since Brookhaven has grown quickly since incorporation. Traffic cases along the Buford Highway corridor make up a large share of the docket.