Sagadahoc County Arrest Records

The criminal prosecution process in Sagadahoc County, Maine, is typically flagged off with an arrest. The basis for an arrest is usually an arrest warrant or probable cause (evidence showing that a person has committed a crime), after which the suspected criminal may be taken into custody before appearing in court.

In Sagadahoc County, arrest records are created when the official who made the arrest books the arrestee. This process of gathering information about the arrest is done at the booking department within the law enforcement office. Overall, Sagadahoc County arrest records help law enforcement keep track of a person's criminal history. They are also significant to the judicial process and are featured within Sagadahoc County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Sagadahoc County?

Yes. According to the Maine Criminal History Record Information Act, Sagadahoc County arrest records are public records. The Maine Freedom of Information Act also permits public access to most arrest records in Sagadahoc County. However, specific categories of Sagadahoc County arrest records may be exempt from public disclosure due to privacy and public safety concerns. In Sagadahoc County, arrest records may also be kept private per a ruling and additional court orders. Some examples of court records that are exempt from public disclosure include:

• Juvenile court records.
• Arrest records are part of child abuse records.
• Arrest records that are part of an ongoing investigation.
• Expunged and sealed arrest records.
• Arrest records of persons in witness protection.
• Arrest reports that show information on victims of a sexual crime.

Courts in Sagadahoc County have the Authority to make any arrest record confidential if they determine that doing so will lead to an unfair invasion of privacy or that making it public will jeopardize public safety.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Some examples of arrest records created by law enforcement in Sagadahoc County include arrest records, arrest reports, booking records, and arrest history reports. Arrest records created by law enforcement in Sagadahoc County usually contain the following information:

• The name of the arrested person
• A physical description of the arrested person
• The date of birth and age of the arrested individual
• The date and time of the arrest
• The cause of the arrest
• The place of the arrest
• The name of the arresting agency
• The name of the arresting officer
• Charges against the suspected person
• Bail information

Sagadahoc County Arrest Statistics

Arrest statistics from the FBI uniform crime reporting portal show that the Sagadahoc County sheriff's office made 215 arrests in 2023. The highest number of arrests was for driving under the influence (74). There were also many arrests for simple assault (29), drug/narcotics possession (19), and liquor law violations (16), making up 13%, 9%, and 7% of arrests conducted, respectively.

Find Sagadahoc County Arrest Records

Interested members of the public may find Sagadahoc County arrest records at any law enforcement office in the county. Requests can also be made to the police department that made an arrest. Each police department has its unique way of processing requests for arrest records; however, the process usually involves completing a records request form. Each department or county sheriff's office also has a division/person in charge of accepting and processing requests, usually called a records clerk or records system manager. For example, individuals can request arrest records from the Bath city police department in Sagadahoc County by completing a records request form and sending it to the records clerk in person, by mail, or through email. Interested persons may provide the following information on the request form:

• The name of the document(arrest records, arrest report, or arrest incident report)
• Incident number (if known),
• Booking number
• The type of document(s),
• Exact date or date
• Range of requested document(s),
• Name(s) of the involved person(s) and any other information that will identify the record

Persons arrested by any agency in Sagadahoc County are held within the agency's temporary holding facility before being transferred to the Sagadahoc County Jail 24-48 hours later. Interested persons may also locate the person in jail by contacting the county jail administrator at (207) 386-5834

Free Arrest Record Search in Sagadahoc County

Interested members of the public may perform a free Sagadahoc county arrest record search through the county court public access terminals located at the county courthouse. Free record searches may also be done by requesting inmate records from the Maine Department of Correction records.

Third-party sites also provide an alternative option for performing an arrest records search in Sagadahoc County. These sites are operated as independent sources of official government resources. Arrest records can also be searched using the name of the arresting agency and the time and date of the arrest.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Sagadahoc County arrest records will remain on a person's criminal record forever if steps are not taken to have them cleared. No specific retention schedule or automatic expungement statute targets arrest records in Sagadahoc County. The only way to remove an arrest record from a person's criminal history report is to apply for expungement or sealing of the record.

Expunge Sagadahoc County Arrest Records

Maine law allows eligible persons to expunge and seal Sagadahoc County arrest records per Maine state legislature. Expungement removes a record from the public domain, while sealed records are not entirely removed; they will not be shared with other parties, such as employers, lenders, landlords, school admissions officers, etc.

The first requirement for expunging arrest records is meeting the criteria set out by the Maine expungement legislature. Persons can only expunge their records if:

• They were arrested but not charged with a crime.
• Individuals Were acquitted or found not guilty of a crime.
• Individuals who were arrested in a case of mistaken identity.

In general, a person convicted of Class E, Class D, or Class C offenses may petition the court where the conviction was recorded to have the record expunged after 5 years from the completion of the sentence. Certain types of violent crimes can also be expunged if the person convicted was younger than 17 or older than 65 years when the crime was committed.

To expunge Sagadahoc County arrest records, individuals must complete a petition to expunge at the county court where the case was tried. The applicant must also get a copy of their arrest record and submit it along with the petition. After considering the petition, the court will decide whether to grant the expungement. If the petition is approved, the court will issue an order and send it to the arresting agency and the Maine state police to clear the arrest records from their database.

Sagadahoc County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a court order directing law enforcement to find and detain a specific person, as per §208 of the Maine legislature. Sagadahoc County courts issue different types of arrest warrants. Some examples include bench warrants, extradition warrants, and fugitive warrants.

County courts issue arrest warrants in Sagadahoc County when a law enforcement officer makes a complaint, known as a warrant affidavit. The warrant affidavit must show probable cause for its issuance and convince the judge that it is necessary in that case.

Warrants issued by courts in Sagadahoc County should provide the following information:

• The name of the accused person.
• A physical description of the accused person.
• The cause of the issuance of the warrant.
• The defendant's last known address.
• Charges against the suspect.
• Name of the issuing court and county.

Individuals can search for warrants issued by a Sagadahoc county court by visiting the court to request a search of the court's warrant docket management system. The county court clerk can also provide interested persons with a list of active warrants. The court's warrants database can be searched using a person of interest's name. Interested persons may also visit the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's office to request an arrest warrant search. Individuals visiting the office must provide a valid ID to request a search of the sheriff's in-house database.

Do Sagadahoc County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants issued in Sagadahoc County do not have a date when they expire. These warrants remain active until they are executed or a judge recalls them in light of new evidence.