Webster Parish Arrest Records

Webster Parish arrest records are reports that detail incidents in which individuals were arrested in the Parish. Law enforcement agencies primarily create these reports for record-keeping purposes following arrests they effected or facilitated. Additionally, arrest records and other reports like the Webster Parish Court Records provide information about a person's interactions with the criminal justice system in the Parish.

Generally, a peace officer in Webster Parish may make an arrest pursuant to an arrest warrant or without a warrant under the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure (CCRP) 213 in certain situations. For instance, peace officers are authorized to arrest without a warrant when an offense is committed in their presence, or they have reasonable cause to believe a person has committed an offense.

Are Arrest Records Public in Webster Parish?

Yes. Under the provisions of Louisiana Public Records Law, codified in Louisiana Revised Statute (RS) 44:1.1, records of law enforcement agencies, including arrest records, are usually available to members of the general public. As a result, anyone can query law enforcement agencies or other custodians of arrest records to access arrest records in Webster Parish.

However, RS 44:3 outlines several exemptions to the Louisiana Public Records Law that may affect public accessibility to arrest records. For example, an arrest record may be restricted from being public until the arrestee receives a final judgment of conviction or accepts a guilty plea. Furthermore, arrest records of juvenile offenders, as defined in the Children's Code, amongst others, may also be exempt from public disclosure under the statute.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Some information individuals can expect public arrest records in Webster Parish to contain includes but are not limited to the following:

• The arrestee's full name, age, date of birth, and home address
• The arrestee's mugshot, race, sex, eyes, and hair color
• The arrest date and location
• A description of the alleged offense the arrestee committed
• The arresting agency's details
• Charges and bond details (if available).

Webster Parish Arrest Statistics

Arrest Statistics provided by the FBI's Crime Data Explorer (CDE) report that 199 arrests were made in Webster Parish in 2023. Of this total, 144 (73.4%) arrests were for male offenders, 55 (27.2%) were for female offenders, and 13 (6.5%) were for juvenile offenders (18 years and under).

Meanwhile, Webster Parish reported 193 arrests in 2022. Male offenders accounted for 149 (77.2%) of those arrested that year, female offenders for 44 (22.8%), and juvenile offenders for 19 (9.8%).

Find Webster Parish Arrest Records

There is no central government-operated repository where all Webster Parish arrest records are kept. Instead, these records are typically maintained by and are accessible through local law enforcement agencies that generate them after an arrest. As a result, there is no general process for accessing arrest records in Webster Parish. Nonetheless, individuals looking for Webster Parish arrest records can utilize the following steps to find these records:

• Ascertain the custodian agency: This is usually the local law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest, such as the Webster Parish Sheriff's Office or municipal police departments like the Sibley Police Department, Minden Police Department, and others. It is worth noting that local police departments are responsible for most arrests within the municipality over which they have jurisdiction.
• Inquire about the custodian agency's procedures for requesting arrest records: This may involve contacting or visiting a local law enforcement agency to learn about their procedure for requesting arrest records under their custody.
• Submit a record request: Depending on how an agency operates, this may entail visiting the agency to make an in-person request, making requests over the phone, or submitting requests by mail. Most agencies accept in-person requests made at their physical location during regular business hours. Meanwhile, some agencies may provide a dedicated phone line that record seekers can call to request public arrest records. On the other hand, records seekers can draft a written request and mail it to an agency if they accept mail-in requests. Regardless of the method of request an agency permits, record seekers must supply details about the desired record to facilitate their request, such as the arrestee's name, the arrest date, and location.
• Pay required fees: Law enforcement agencies may charge records seekers a fee to process their requests. Additionally, record seekers who request copies of an arrest record are typically charged a fee for reproducing copies of the desired arrest record. These fees are usually minimal and may vary across agencies.

Free Arrest Record Search in Webster Parish

One of the most common ways to search for arrest records for free in Webster Parish is to visit a local law enforcement agency to request and inspect arrest records in their custody in person. Most agencies may allow individuals to inspect records for free in person. However, record seekers are usually charged a fee for copies of a record they request. It is worth noting Webster Parish Sheriff's Office Correction Division provides a public jail roster that contains information about individuals who were arrested and booked in the Parish Jail. The roster is accessible for free and searchable using an arrestee's name.

Record seekers can also access basic information about some arrests in Webster Parish for free through online third-party news resources like the Webster Parish Journal.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Generally, arrests do not have a set timeline after which they are removed from one's record in Webster Parish. As a result, they can remain on an individual's record permanently unless they are expunged.

Expunge Webster Parish Arrest Records

According to CCRP 972, expunging a record entails the removal of a record of an arrest, conviction, or any other information from public access. Although expunged records are removed from public access, they are still available to eligible persons and entities under CCRP 973. These include criminal justice agencies and officers, such as law enforcement agencies, judicial officers, courts, and private individuals under the authority of a court order.

Not all arrest records are expugnable in Webster Parish. Only those that meet the eligible requirements under specific Louisiana statutes are expungeable. Some examples of eligible arrest records and their applicable statutes include but are not limited to:

• Arrest records for a misdemeanor offense (CCRP 977)
• Arrest records for a felony offense (CCRP 978)
• Arrests that did not result in a conviction (CCRP 976)
• Record of a first-time offender (Constitution of Louisiana Article IV, Section 5(E)(1))

Record holders are advised to consult a licensed attorney to ascertain whether their arrest record qualifies for expungement under relevant Louisiana statutes. Records can also review relevant statutes to determine their record's eligibility themselves.

If an individual's record qualifies for expungement, they can draft a "motion for expungement" for each eligible arrest record and file it with the Webster Parish Clerk of Court's Office. Requesters must file each motion with the required non-refundable fees or a certification of fee waiver from the Webster Parish District Attorney's Office. These non-refundable fees include:

• $250 to The Louisiana State Police via money order
• $50 to 26th JDC District Attorney via money order
• $50 to Webster Parish Sheriff via money order
• $150 for a first-time offense of possession of marijuana or $200 for all other offenses to Webster Parish Clerk of Court via attorney check, credit card, or money order
• $50 to Office of Motor Vehicles (for DWI convictions only) via money order

Per CCRP 979, the Webster Parish Clerk of Court's Office would serve a notice of expungement to relevant entities after receiving the expungement motion and required fees or certification of fee waiver. These entities include the Webster Parish District Attorney's Office, the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information, and the arresting law enforcement agency. Under CCRP 980, these agencies are allowed 60 days to file an expungement motion. Subsequently, a hearing would be scheduled if any objection is filed. On the other hand, the court may grant the expungement request without a hearing and issue a judgment if there are no objections. Afterward, the court will serve the judgment to relevant entities per CCRP 982.

Webster Parish Arrest Warrants

A Webster Parish arrest warrant is a court order commanding peace officers to arrest a specific individual accused of committing an offense. A magistrate can issue an arrest warrant pursuant to CCRP 202 when a complaint supported by an oath detailing the nature, date, and place of an offense and the offender's name (if known) is presented to them. According to CCRP 203, an arrest warrant must:

• Be in writing and the name of the state of Louisiana
• State the issuance date and the issuing municipality or Parish
• State the name of the person to be arrested or any name or description that can be used to identify said individual with reasonable certainty
• State the offense the person to be arrested has been charged with
• Command that the person named or identified in the complaint be arrested and booked
• Be signed by the magistrate and contain the title of their office

Do Webster Parish Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Per CCRP 205, Webster Parish arrest warrants remain in effect until executed.