Jones County Arrest Records

In Jones County, Iowa, law enforcement agents are authorized by law to arrest and detain individuals suspected of committing a crime. The Jones County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county and generates arrest records. Arrested suspects are typically housed in the Jones County Jail, managed by the sheriff's office.

Arrest records may also be part of Jones County Court Records, maintained by the county court, or criminal history information maintained by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), particularly if the arrest led to charges filed and a criminal trial.

Are Arrest Records Public in Jones County?

Under the Iowa Open Records Law, Jones County arrest records are generally public information that anyone can view and copy unless the information is specifically restricted by the law. Records exempt from public disclosure by the open records law include the following:

• Records of juveniles and minors
• Records covered by attorney-client privilege
• Crisis intervention reports created by law enforcement
• Any records restricted from the public by state or federal laws
• Medical examiner reports when investigating a matter for law enforcement

Jones County Arrest Statistics

Jones County law enforcement, like the county sheriff's office, submits crime data to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System, including arrest statistics. According to data submitted in 2023, the sheriff's office reported 30 arrests. This included seven arrests for DUI offenses, five arrests for simple assaults, 3 for aggravated assault, three arrests for larceny, 3 for vandalism, and one arrest each for disorderly conduct, weapons charges, and drug possession.

Find Jones County Arrest Records

Interested parties may obtain inmate records and arrest information by contacting the Jones County Sheriff's Office. The Jail Division of the sheriff's office oversees the county jail and answers requests for inmate information. Requests can be made in person or by mail to the jail division at:

Jones County Jail
500 W. Main St.
P.O.Box 167
Anamosa, IA 52205

For further information, record seekers can call the jail before making their request at (319) 462-2720. The Sheriff's Office website also provides a link to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, where visitors may find details of registrants.

Record seekers may find records of inmates housed in state facilities on the Iowa Department of Corrections Website. The Offender Search tool allows users to search for documents using an inmate's full name, birth dates, inmate number, and location/county of commitment.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons(BOP) provides an online Inmate Locator that record seekers can use to look up inmates in their facilities. To use the locator, record seekers must provide information like the inmate's name and prison number.

Jones County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

John County arrest and criminal records are sets of documents that detail a person's interactions with law enforcement. They mainly differ in how comprehensive they are and what records they contain. Jones County arrest records are records of a person's arrests within the county. Arrest records will include information about the arrest, including the crimes committed, events surrounding the arrest, the arresting agency/agencies, information collected during booking, detention details, and court dates. An arrest record generally indicates an individual was once suspected of a crime and is not proof of guilt.

Criminal records are more comprehensive and show a person's criminal history. A criminal record will detail all of a person's arrests and usually include court records, verdicts, and details of sentences, including jail time or other supervision sentences such as probation. Unlike arrest records, criminal records are proof of guilt and are generated when a person passes through the legal system.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Typically, arrest records remain on an individual's record indefinitely unless they take steps to remove them. Iowa allows its citizens to expunge or seal certain records if they qualify and remove them from their records. An arrest record may be expunged if the offender was acquitted or the case was dismissed. However, there are some exceptions where the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation(DCI) does not add certain records to the criminal history database.

Records not included in the DCI criminal record include the following:

• Arrests for minor traffic infractions
• Arrests for simple misdemeanors
• Arrests where the DCI does not receive a case disposition for 4 years after the arrest date
• Arrests where the DCI does not receive a fingerprint card from the arresting agency

An arrest record may be expunged if the offender was acquitted or the case was dismissed.

Jones County Arrest Warrants

Jones County Arrest Warrants are legal documents issued by judicial officers, like a judge or magistrate, for the county instructing law enforcement agents to arrest and detain a person suspected of a crime. The proceeding commences with the filing of a complaint before the judicial officer via an affidavit. The complaint must show probable cause that an offense was committed and that the subject of the complaint committed it. If the judicial officer believes sufficient probable cause was provided, they may issue the arrest warrant.

Arrest warrants issued in Jones County must be in writing and contain the following:

• The warrant must give the name of the defendant or a general description by which they can be identified.
• The name or general description of the offense committed
• The date and location/county of issue
• Instructions for peace officers to arrest the defendant and bring them before the issuing court
• The name, signature, and name of the office of the issuing judicial officer

Do Jones County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest records in Jones County and the rest of Iowa do not expire. They remain active till the defendant is arrested, surrenders, passes away, or the warrant is cancelled or recalled. However, in some cases, if the warrant is not executed after a very long time, the case could be dismissed. This dismissal could come about because the statute of limitations of the crime itself has passed, or to prevent violation of the defendant's right to a quick and fair trial. This is a form of legal protection against prolonged delays for trials.

Expunge Jones County Arrest Records

Expungement in Iowa is primarily for non-conviction arrests, such as an acquittal or a dismissed case. A defendant can apply to have these non-conviction cases expunged 180 days after the dismissal or verdict if all fines, fees, and court costs have been cleared. The law in Iowa permits expungement for only one misdemeanor conviction after a waiting period of 8 years. To qualify for the expungement, there must be no pending cases or criminal charges, all fees, fines, and financial obligations to the court have been cleared, and no more than one deferred judgment.

Iowa law does allow the expungement of most felonies and serious misdemeanors, such as stalking, weapons offenses, sex offenses, harassment, elder abuse, and livestock abuse.

Interested parties can apply for an expungement using the following steps:

• Confirm eligibility by checking if the record involved meets the criteria
• Obtain a copy of your criminal history from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI)
• Obtain the expungement forms from the local court or the Iowa Judicial Branch Website. Fill out the forms accurately and completely.
• File the application with the Clerk of the Court in the county where the case was heard and serve a copy to the county prosecutor.
• If the prosecutor objects to the expungement, the court will schedule a hearing where the applicant must attend and defend their petition.
• The judge will listen to both sides and consider the applicant's rights, the prosecutor's objection, and the public interest.
• If the judge agrees with the applicant, they will issue the expungement order, instructing relevant parties to remove the record from public access.