Search Haralson County Criminal History

Haralson County criminal history records are managed by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Buchanan. The county is in west Georgia and has a population of about 34,919. If you need to look up criminal records in Haralson County, both offices on Georgia Highway 120 are the places to start. The clerk keeps court case files with charges, pleas, and final outcomes. The sheriff's office holds arrest and booking data from the county jail. State tools from the GBI and the Georgia Department of Corrections can also turn up records tied to this county. This page walks through each source and how to use them.

Haralson County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Haralson County Sheriff's Office is at 2245 Georgia Highway 120, Buchanan, GA 30113. Call (770) 646-2011 to reach them. The sheriff handles law enforcement across Haralson County and runs the county jail. Every time someone gets booked into the jail, a record is made. That record has the person's name, the date of arrest, charges at the time of booking, the bond amount, and the officer who brought them in. The jail is also where families can check on someone who was just arrested in the county.

The Haralson County Sheriff's Office website shows how to reach the records division and what services the department provides to the public.

Arrest data from Haralson County feeds into the state criminal history system. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, all law enforcement in Georgia must report arrest data to the Georgia Crime Information Center. That means a Haralson County arrest ends up in the GCIC database. The sheriff's office can also help with fingerprint-based record checks. If you need a copy of your own criminal history, you can go to the office in Buchanan, get fingerprinted, and file the request through them. The GCIC then pulls your record and sends it back.

Booking records may take a short time to update after a new arrest is processed at the Haralson County Jail.

Criminal Records at Haralson County Clerk

The Haralson County Clerk of Superior Court is at 4485 Georgia Highway 120, Buchanan, GA 30113. The phone number is (770) 646-2005. This office holds all criminal case files from the Haralson County Superior Court. Felony cases go here. Some misdemeanor cases do too. Each case file tracks the charges filed by the district attorney, hearing dates, motions, plea deals, the verdict, and the sentence if there was one. When you need to know how a criminal case ended in Haralson County, the clerk has that on file.

The Haralson County Clerk of Courts page has details on how to reach the office and request criminal history documents in the county.

You can go in person to search the case index. There is a fee for copies. Certified copies cost more but carry the court seal, which matters if you need the document for legal use. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person can request their own criminal history record by filing a written request and paying the fee. That fee is capped at $15 not counting fingerprint costs. The clerk works with the GCIC to pull a full record when someone files a self-request. Some Haralson County court records may also be available through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, which runs a statewide database of court filings from local clerks across the state.

Haralson County is part of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. Cases from Haralson and Polk counties both go through this circuit. The district attorney for the circuit handles felony prosecutions in both counties.

Haralson County Criminal Record Restriction

Georgia uses record restriction. Not expungement. A restricted record in Haralson County gets sealed from public view. It still sits in the system. Law enforcement can still see it. The public cannot pull it up in a standard search. This matters for people who want to clear their record after charges were dropped, dismissed, or resolved.

There are a few paths to restriction for a Haralson County criminal record. If charges were dropped or the prosecutor chose not to move forward, that record may qualify. For misdemeanors that were never sent to a prosecutor, the wait is two years from the arrest date. Most felonies take four years. Serious violent felonies require seven years before restriction is possible. If the person was found not guilty, the Haralson County prosecutor has ten days to object. No objection and the record gets restricted.

People who finish their sentence under the First Offender Act, found at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60, can also get their Haralson County record restricted. The First Offender Act lets a judge sentence a first-time offender without entering a formal conviction. Once the person completes the terms of the sentence, the court discharges them and the record gets restricted from public searches. This applies to both Superior Court and State Court cases in the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit. People who qualified for First Offender treatment at the time of sentencing but did not get it can petition the court to apply it after the fact.

For Haralson County arrests on or after July 1, 2013, the restriction process goes through the district attorney. Older arrests need contact with the arresting agency first. The GBI FAQ page explains the full process and what qualifies for restriction across all Georgia counties.

State Tools for Haralson County Records

You do not have to drive to Buchanan to check criminal history tied to Haralson County. Georgia runs state-level search tools that cover all 159 counties. The Georgia Felon Search costs $15 per search and checks the GCIC database for felony convictions. You need the person's first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results show up fast. The fee applies even if the search finds no record. A Haralson County felony conviction would appear through this tool since the data flows from the local court system into the state database.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free. It covers people serving time in a state prison right now. If someone was convicted in Haralson County and sent to a GDC facility, they would show up here. The GDC tool does not list people held in the Haralson County Jail or those who already finished their sentence. It is a narrow tool but useful if you know the person went to state prison after a conviction in this county.

The GBI criminal history FAQ page covers common questions about getting records in Georgia. The GBI manages the Georgia Crime Information Center, which stores criminal history data from every county. Haralson County arrest data from the sheriff and court outcomes from the clerk both feed into the GCIC system. You can mail a request to GCIC at P.O. Box 370808, Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808, or call (404) 244-2639 for an appointment at their office.

What Haralson County Criminal Records Show

A criminal history record from Haralson County pulls from more than one source. Arrest data from the sheriff's office shows the charges at booking, the arrest date, and the bond set by the magistrate. Court records from the clerk track what happened after the arrest. You see the charges filed by the district attorney, any plea deals, trial outcomes, and the sentence. State-level data from the GCIC adds convictions from other counties and corrections information if the person served time in a state facility.

Not all criminal history data is open to the public. Restricted records do not show up in public searches. Juvenile records are sealed in most cases under Georgia law. Federal criminal cases are not in the state GCIC system. Those stay with federal agencies. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, the GCIC can share criminal history with a defendant's attorney when they submit a written request. In civil cases, criminal history is only available with the person's written consent unless the record involves a felony conviction. Haralson County follows these same state rules.

How to Look Up Haralson County Criminal History

There are a few ways to get criminal history records in Haralson County. The right choice depends on the type of record you need and how quickly you want it.

• Visit the Haralson County Clerk of Superior Court at 4485 Georgia Highway 120 in Buchanan for court case records and certified copies
• Call the Haralson County Sheriff at (770) 646-2011 for jail booking records and arrest data
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction checks
• Search the GDC offender database for people serving time in state prisons
• Email gacriminalhistory@gbi.state.ga.us for questions about your own criminal history record

Each source covers a different part of the criminal history picture in Haralson County. The clerk has court case files with charges, pleas, and outcomes. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools add felony conviction records and corrections data. You may need to check more than one source to build a full view of someone's criminal history in the county. Both offices sit on Georgia Highway 120 in Buchanan, which makes it easier if you plan to visit in person.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Haralson County shares borders with several other Georgia counties in the western part of the state. It also sits near the Alabama line. If you cannot find a record in Haralson County, one of these neighboring counties may have what you are looking for. Criminal cases near the county line can sometimes end up in a different jurisdiction.

Carroll County is to the south and east. Polk County shares the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit with Haralson and borders it to the north. Paulding County is to the east and has been one of the faster-growing counties in the metro Atlanta area. Douglas County is further east toward Atlanta. Each county has its own court clerk, sheriff, and criminal record system that feeds into the statewide GCIC database.