Access Evans County Criminal History

Evans County criminal history records are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Claxton, the county seat in southeast Georgia. The county is part of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. If you need to search for a criminal record here, local offices and state databases can both help. The clerk at the courthouse holds case files showing charges, pleas, and court outcomes. The sheriff keeps arrest logs, booking data, and jail records. State tools from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation let you search for felony records that include Evans County. This page covers each source, what it holds, and how to search it.

Evans County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Evans County Sheriff's Office is in Claxton, GA 30417. Call (912) 739-2224 to reach them. The sheriff runs the county jail and processes all bookings for people arrested in Evans County. Each booking has the person's name, arrest date, charges, bond amount, and release status. This data forms one part of the criminal history picture for the county. The clerk handles the court side of things.

When someone is booked into the Evans County Jail, that data goes to the state. The report is sent to the Georgia Crime Information Center. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, local law enforcement must report arrest data to the GCIC. An arrest in Claxton or anywhere in Evans County ends up in the state system after the sheriff submits it. Fingerprints from booking tie the record to a specific person. This is more accurate than searching by name alone.

Evans County is a small county in the coastal plain. The sheriff's office is the main law enforcement agency outside Claxton city limits. To check on someone in the Evans County Jail, call the number above. Staff can confirm if a person is held, list charges, and provide bond information. You can visit in person too. The jail is small. People held for longer periods may get transferred to a regional facility. Open records requests for arrest reports can be filed with the sheriff's office in writing.

Criminal Records at Evans County Clerk

The Evans County Superior Court Clerk is at 3 Freeman Street, Claxton, GA 30417. The phone number is (912) 739-3868. This office holds all criminal case files from the Evans County Superior Court. Felony charges, bound-over misdemeanors, and appeals from lower courts end up here. Each file has the charges, court dates, plea details, motions, and the final outcome. If you need to know how a criminal case ended in Evans County, start here.

Visit the clerk in person to search the case index. Copies come with a per-page fee. Certified copies cost more and carry the court seal. These are what you need for legal proceedings. The clerk connects with the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority statewide database. Some Evans County records appear there as well.

A case number speeds up any search at the clerk's office. Without one, staff will look up records by name. Evans County is part of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, which also includes Bryan, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Tattnall counties. The same judges rotate through all of them. But each county clerk keeps its own set of records. The Evans County Magistrate Court handles some lower-level criminal cases on its own, so check there if you are not sure where a case was filed.

Evans County Criminal Record Restriction

Georgia uses record restriction. It is not expungement. A restricted record gets sealed from public view. It still exists in the system. Law enforcement can see it. The public cannot.

Charges never sent to a prosecutor get restricted after a set wait. Misdemeanors take two years from the arrest date. Most felonies need four years. Serious violent felonies require seven years. Dismissed charges or acquittals can be restricted faster. The prosecutor has ten days to object after an acquittal. If no objection comes, the Evans County record is sealed from public access.

The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 offers another path. A judge can hand down a sentence without a formal conviction if the person completes all terms. Once discharged, the case falls off public criminal history searches. There is a retroactive option for people who should have gotten First Offender treatment but did not. You can petition the court in Claxton to apply it after the fact. This is a real opportunity for anyone who went through the Evans County court system without knowing about the law.

Restriction rules are in O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. For arrests on or after July 1, 2013, start with the Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney. Older arrests need contact with the arresting agency first. The GBI FAQ page explains the full process and who qualifies.

State Tools for Evans County Criminal History

State-run tools can pull up criminal history tied to Evans County. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search. It checks the GCIC database for felony convictions across Georgia, Evans County included. You need a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex to run a search. Results come back fast. The fee applies even when no record is found. Only felony convictions appear. Misdemeanors and pending charges are not included.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It shows people currently in state prison. Someone convicted in Evans County and sent to a GDC facility would appear here. It does not include people in the Evans County Jail or those who already served time. The search is narrow but helpful when the person went to state prison after a case in Claxton.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person can request their own criminal history from the GBI. Get fingerprinted at a law enforcement agency, pay the fee, and the GBI sends a full GCIC report. The Evans County Sheriff's Office can handle fingerprinting for people in the area. This is the most thorough way to check what the state has on file.

How to Search Evans County Criminal History

There are several ways to find criminal history records in Evans County. The best path depends on what you need.

• Call the Evans County Sheriff at (912) 739-2224 for jail bookings and arrest data
• Visit the Superior Court Clerk at 3 Freeman Street for case files and certified copies
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction records ($15)
• Search the GDC offender database for people in state prison (free)
• File an open records request with the sheriff for specific arrest reports

Each source covers a different part of the system. The clerk has court case outcomes. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools add felony conviction info and prison records. Evans County is small but the same rules apply as in any Georgia county. All arrest data goes to the GCIC regardless of the county's size. You may need to check more than one source to get the full picture.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Evans County is in southeast Georgia. Criminal cases near the county line may end up in a different jurisdiction. If you cannot find what you need in Evans County, try a neighbor.

Bulloch County is to the north and is a larger county with Statesboro. Candler County is to the northwest. Tattnall County borders Evans to the south and west, sharing the Atlantic Judicial Circuit. Bryan County is to the east toward the coast. Chatham County is farther east with Savannah as its seat. Each has its own court clerk, sheriff, and criminal record system. All report arrest data to the GCIC statewide database.