Find Stewart County Criminal History

Stewart County criminal history records are managed by the Superior Court Clerk and the Sheriff's Office in Lumpkin, the county seat in west-central Georgia near the Alabama border. The county is part of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. Criminal records here include arrest data, charges, pleas, court dates, and case outcomes. The clerk at the courthouse keeps felony case files and bound-over misdemeanors. The sheriff handles arrest logs and booking records from the county jail. State-level tools from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also cover Stewart County felony convictions. This page details each source and how to get the records you need.

Stewart County Sheriff and Criminal Records

The Stewart County Sheriff's Office is in Lumpkin, GA 31815. Call (229) 838-4381 to reach them. The sheriff runs the county jail and handles bookings for all arrests made in Stewart County. Each booking generates a record that includes the person's name, arrest date, charges, bond amount, and release status. This covers one side of the criminal history. Court outcomes sit with the clerk.

When someone is booked into the Stewart County Jail, the sheriff sends arrest data to the state. It goes to the Georgia Crime Information Center at the GBI. Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-34, local law enforcement is required to report all arrest data to the GCIC. So an arrest in Stewart County goes into the statewide system. Fingerprints taken at booking tie the record to a specific person. This is more reliable than a name-only lookup.

Stewart County is one of the smallest counties in Georgia by population. The sheriff's office is small and handles patrol, jail operations, civil process, and court security for the entire county. The jail has limited space. People held for extended periods often get transferred to a neighboring county or regional facility. To check on someone in the Stewart County Jail, call the phone number above. Staff can tell you if the person is held, list their charges, and give you bond information. Visiting the office in Lumpkin during business hours works too, but calling ahead is smart with such a small staff. You might find that the sheriff answers the phone directly.

Criminal Records at Stewart County Clerk

The Stewart County Superior Court Clerk is at the Stewart County Courthouse in Lumpkin, GA 31815. The phone number is (229) 838-6220. This office holds all criminal case files from the Stewart County Superior Court. Felony cases, bound-over misdemeanors, and appeals from lower courts end up here. Each file tracks charges, court dates, pleas, motions, and the final outcome. If you need to find out how a case was resolved in Stewart County, this is the office to contact.

You can visit the clerk in person to look through records. Per-page copy fees apply. Certified copies cost more and include the court seal. Those are needed for legal proceedings. The clerk works with the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority statewide database. Some Stewart County records may be available there. Stewart County is part of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, which covers several counties in the region. Judges rotate through the circuit, but each county clerk keeps its own case files.

A case number makes any search faster at the clerk's office. If you do not have one, staff will look by name. Stewart County also has a Magistrate Court that handles lower-level criminal matters. If you are unsure which court handled a particular case, check with both offices. Given the small population, the caseload is light and staff may be more available to assist than in a busier county.

Stewart County Criminal Record Restriction

Georgia uses record restriction, not expungement. A restricted record gets sealed from public access. It still exists. Law enforcement can still see it. The general public cannot.

Charges never sent to a prosecutor get restricted after a waiting period. Misdemeanors take two years from the arrest. Most felonies need four years. Serious violent felonies require seven. If charges were dismissed or a not guilty verdict was entered, the restriction process moves faster. The prosecutor has ten days to object after an acquittal. If there is no objection, the Stewart County record gets sealed from public view.

The First Offender Act at O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 is another option. It allows a judge to sentence someone without a formal conviction if the person meets all the terms. Once discharged, the case comes off public searches. There is a retroactive path as well. If someone should have been sentenced under First Offender but was not, they can petition the court in Lumpkin to apply it after the fact. In a very small county like Stewart, the court docket tends to be lighter, which may help petitions get heard sooner.

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

State Tools for Stewart County Criminal History

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

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free to use. It shows people currently in state prison or on parole. Someone convicted in Stewart County and sent to a GDC facility would show up here. It does not cover people in the Stewart County Jail or those who already finished their sentence. The search is narrow but helpful when the person was sentenced to state prison.

Under O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37, any person can request their own criminal history record. Get fingerprinted at a law enforcement agency, pay the state fee, and the GBI sends back a full GCIC report. The Stewart County Sheriff's Office can handle fingerprinting. Call ahead to make sure staff is available, since the office is small. This is the most thorough method to check what the statewide system has on file.

How to Search Stewart County Criminal History

There are several ways to search criminal history in Stewart County. The best approach depends on the type of record you need.

• Call the Stewart County Sheriff at (229) 838-4381 for jail bookings and arrest data
• Visit the Superior Court Clerk at the courthouse in Lumpkin 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 record. The clerk has court case results. The sheriff has arrest and booking data. State tools provide felony conviction data and prison info. Stewart County is one of the least populated counties in Georgia. The volume of criminal records is very low compared to urban areas. But the same state reporting rules apply. All arrest data goes to the GCIC. The Georgia Open Records Act lets you request public documents from both the sheriff and the clerk.

Nearby Counties With Criminal Records

Stewart County is in west-central Georgia near the Alabama line. It borders several other counties. If you do not find what you need in Stewart County, try a neighbor.

Webster County is to the north. Randolph County sits to the south. Quitman County is to the southwest. Chattahoochee County is to the west along the Alabama border. Marion County is to the northeast. Terrell County is to the east. All of them are small rural counties with their own clerks, sheriffs, and record systems. All report arrest data to the GCIC statewide database. For a larger court system with more resources, Muscogee County (Columbus) is the nearest major option to the northwest.