Butts County Criminal History Search

Butts County criminal history records are held by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Jackson, the county seat. Criminal case files, arrest logs, and jail booking data all flow through these two offices. The county sits in the Towaliga Judicial Circuit in central Georgia, south of the Atlanta metro area. If you need to find a criminal record tied to Butts County, the clerk's office on Third Street has court case files while the sheriff on Courthouse Drive tracks arrests. State tools from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also cover Butts County. This page breaks down each source and how to use it.

Butts County Superior Court Clerk Records

The Butts County Superior Court Clerk is in Jackson at 25 Third Street, Jackson, GA 30233. Call (770) 775-8225 for help. This office keeps every criminal case file that goes through the Butts County Superior Court. Felony charges make up most of the criminal docket. Some misdemeanors that get bound over from lower courts also end up here. Each file has the indictment, motions, plea, hearing dates, and the final judgment.

You can visit the clerk in person to search records. Staff at the courthouse can look up cases by name or case number. Copies cost a per-page fee. Certified copies cost more but carry the court seal, which you need for legal use. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, the Butts County court system reports criminal case data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. That means local convictions feed into the state database over time.

The clerk also handles requests for documents from older cases. Butts County records go back many years. If the case is old, staff may need more time to pull the file. Call ahead if you know the case is from a while back.

Butts County Sheriff Criminal History Records

The Butts County Sheriff's Office is on Courthouse Drive in Jackson, GA 30233. The phone number is (770) 775-8210. The sheriff handles law enforcement in the county and runs the Butts County Jail. Booking records from the jail show each person's name, arrest date, charges, and bond amount. These records form one part of the criminal history picture.

Every arrest made by the Butts County Sheriff gets reported to the GCIC. That is the Georgia Crime Information Center. O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34 makes this reporting mandatory for all law enforcement in the state. So when someone gets arrested in Butts County, that data enters the statewide system. Fingerprints taken at booking also go to the state and link the arrest to a specific person.

You can call the sheriff's office to check on someone in the jail. Staff can tell you if a person is in custody and what they were booked on. Arrest reports are available through open records requests. Some reports may be held back if there is an active investigation. The staff will let you know what they can release.

The Jackson Police Department also makes arrests in the city. Those records follow the same GCIC reporting path as county arrests.

Record Restriction in Butts County

Georgia does not use the word expungement. The state uses record restriction. A restricted record still exists but the public cannot see it. Law enforcement keeps access. Everyone else is locked out.

Several types of cases qualify for restriction in Butts County. Charges that were never sent to a prosecutor can be restricted after a set wait. Misdemeanor arrests need two years from the arrest date. Most felony arrests need four years. Serious violent felonies take seven years. If charges were dropped or the person was found not guilty, the timeline can be shorter. The Butts County prosecutor has ten days to object after an acquittal. No objection means the record gets sealed. These rules all come from O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37.

The First Offender Act matters here too. Found at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60, this law lets a first-time offender in Butts County finish their sentence and get discharged without a formal conviction on the record. The file then gets restricted from public view. There is also a retroactive path for people sentenced before the law was updated. For Butts County cases on or after July 1, 2013, you start the restriction process with the district attorney in the Towaliga Judicial Circuit. Older cases need contact with the arresting agency first.

State Tools for Butts County Criminal History

State databases can pull up criminal records from Butts County. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across the state. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results show up fast. The fee applies even when no record is found. This tool only covers felony convictions. Misdemeanors and pending charges from Butts County will not appear.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people who are in a state prison right now. Someone convicted in Butts County and sent to a GDC facility would show up here. People held in the Butts County Jail or those who already served their time will not appear. It is a narrow tool but useful when you know the person went to state prison.

For a full check of your own record, the GBI FAQ page explains how to request a fingerprint-based background check. You get printed at a local agency like the Butts County Sheriff, pay the fee, and the request goes to the GCIC. That gives the most complete view of what is on file for you in Georgia.

How to Search Butts County Criminal History

There are a few ways to look up criminal records in Butts County. The best option depends on what you need and how fast you want it.

• Visit the Butts County Superior Court Clerk at 25 Third Street in Jackson for court case records and certified copies
• Call the clerk at (770) 775-8225 for case lookups over the phone
• Contact the Butts County Sheriff at (770) 775-8210 for arrest records and jail booking data
• Run a Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction records
• Use the GDC offender search for people serving time in state prisons

Court records from the clerk cover charges, pleas, and case results. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools add felony convictions and prison info. For the full picture of someone's criminal history in Butts County, you may need to check more than one of these sources.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Butts County sits in central Georgia and borders several other counties. If you cannot find a record in the Butts County system, it may be filed in one of these neighboring counties instead.

Henry County is to the north. Newton County sits to the northeast. Spalding County is west. Lamar County borders to the south. Monroe County is to the southeast, and Jasper County is to the east. Each county has its own clerk, sheriff, and criminal records system.