Bradford County Arrest Records

Criminal incidents in Bradford County, Florida, frequently result in the arrest of the person(s) presumed to have committed the crime(s). When peace officers arrest an individual in Bradford County, the person is taken to the police station or local jail to be processed or booked.

The arrest record is created during booking procedures. It comprises information collected from the suspect and that provided by the arresting officer regarding the incident. The record is useful for investigations (especially linking suspects to past offenses), initiating criminal cases, determining court sentences, and maintaining public safety.

However, an arrest record only shows that a person was formally detained and questioned for an offense. It does not reveal the events of any ensuing court proceedings or confirm a person's guilt. Individuals can obtain Bradford County court records to find out if an arrestee was later charged or review court proceedings.

Are Arrest Records Public in Bradford County?

Yes. Under the Florida Public Records Act, sometimes called the Sunshine Law, members of the public have the right to demand records held by law enforcement and other governmental entities. Accordingly, arrest records can be requested from police agencies in Bradford County, and these agencies are mandated to release these records unless an exemption applies.

The following are records deemed confidential to the public:

• Juvenile records
• Medical information
• An arrested person's confession until the criminal case is disposed
• Identities of victims of child abuse, child human trafficking, sexual offense, and mass violence
• Criminal intelligence and investigative records
• Identities of protected informants

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following are considered public arrest records in Bradford County:

• An arrested individual's name, age, sex, and last known address
• The arrest date, location, and time
• The charge(s)
• The booking date, time, and facility
• Manner of release, as well as the date and time
• Bail amount

Bradford County Arrest Statistics

Bradford County arrest statistics can be retrieved from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Crime Data Explorer (CDE). The portal's data is arranged by a reporting agency and can be constrained to a particular timeframe (3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.).

Data extracted from the CDE reveals that the Bradford County Sheriff's Office, which enforces laws and maintains order in the county, reported 635 arrests. Of these arrests, 454 involved male suspects while 181 involved female suspects. More arrests were made for Drug/Narcotic Offenses (50), Simple Assault (41), and Aggravated Assault (38).

On the other hand, the Starke Police Department—overseeing Starke, the county seat and largest city in Bradford—recorded 347 arrests, comprising 222 male suspects and 125 female suspects.

Other agency stats can be obtained from the CDE portal. In addition, county arrest totals (through and prior to 2021) are available on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's (FDLE) Annual State Summary Crime Data Reports website.

Find Bradford County Arrest Records

To find Bradford County arrest records, inquirers may visit or contact the sheriff's office. The sheriff runs the county jail, where individuals arrested for offenses are booked and kept in custody until they go to court or bail out (if permitted). The sheriff provides the Jail/Inmate View, where interested persons can review recent bookings. However, those requiring additional information about an arrest make a Sunshine Law Request to the specific arresting department within Bradford.

Another way to look up Bradford County arrest records is to access a person's Florida criminal history for a fee. The FDLE maintains statewide criminal histories and includes arrests reported to the state. However, the results are limited to arrests where the arresting agency submitted a criminal fingerprint card to the FDLE, and the general public cannot obtain sealed/expunged arrest records.

It should be noted that a person arrested in Bradford may have been sent to state prison after their court case was concluded. In such cases, county authorities will not be able to provide further information about the individual. However, parties can access search tools on the Florida Department of Corrections' Offender Network website.

If the arrestee were transferred to federal custody, the Federal Inmate Search, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, can be used to locate them.

Free Arrest Record Search in Bradford County

Individuals can look up some information about people arrested in Bradford County for free by accessing the local sheriff's jail/inmate search system. A Sunshine Law query can also be submitted to the relevant arresting department, in which case a fee may not be assessed if the requester only wants to examine a record.

Alternatively, several third-party aggregator databases on the internet offer a free arrest record search to interested members of the public. These databases can be searched by first and last name and can provide arrest searches in other U.S. regions. However, users may be charged when accessing extensive records.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

The Florida legislature does not include a provision that authorizes the uniform deletion or destruction of a person's arrest record across all criminal justice agencies after a particular period lapses. For this reason, an arrest tends to stay on a person's criminal record indefinitely. However, former defendants may qualify for sealing or expungement, which limits who can inspect their criminal information, including records of arrests.

Expunge Bradford County Arrest Records

Different Florida statutes permit the sealing or expungement of arrest records. These laws provide for two kinds of sealing/expungement: automatic and by application.

Generally, those whose records do not meet the statutory requirements for automatic sealing or expungement can seek expungement or sealing by applying to the respective agency. With automatic sealing/expungement, a particular operation of law permits the concealment or withdrawal of a person's arrest or criminal records. Meanwhile, requests for sealing/expungement are mainly submitted to the circuit court, but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement handles some record relief processes.

Any person seeking expungement or sealing from the Bradford County Circuit Court will need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from the FDLE. This document costs $75 and verifies that a person can petition the court for sealing or expungement. If the FDLE releases a Certificate of Eligibility, the applicant can submit the application, an expungement/sealing petition, and any other required documentation to the Bradford County Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

If the court enters a sealing order, the petitioned record will be restricted to authorized entities (see F.S. 943.059(6)(a)). However, if the court approves an expungement, the record will only be accessible by court order.

The circuit clerk's expunge or seal packet has forms, instructions, and other pertinent details for filing expungement or sealing petitions in Bradford County.

Bradford County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are legal documents that allow the police to carry out a specific enforcement action—to arrest and bring an alleged offender before a court. While Florida law permits judges or magistrates to issue arrest warrants upon law enforcement requests, the law requires a "probable cause" determination before the court can issue such documents. In other words, the court must decide if the facts or circumstances in a police complaint are sufficient to detain a person for a crime.

Per Rule 3.121 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, Bradford County arrest warrants name or describe the person to be apprehended (or the accused), specify the offense alleged to have been committed, state the issuing county and date, carry the issuing judge's signature and title of office, and indicate a bail amount (if applicable).

The Bradford County Sheriff's Office maintains an online database that can be used to find county arrest warrants.

Do Bradford County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Once a Bradford County court issues an arrest warrant, it remains in effect until the accused is apprehended or surrenders. Nonetheless, a court can withdraw an arrest warrant in certain circumstances, such as if the charges are dropped/dismissed or new information surfaces challenging the basis for the warrant.