Clatsop County Arrest Records

In Clatsop County, Oregon, law enforcement officials can make arrests to ensure public safety, enforce legal orders, or prevent ongoing criminal activity. These officials have the power to arrest with or without a warrant.

Arrested individuals in Clatsop County are typically detained at the local jail while awaiting bail, release, or trial, as the case demands. During a person's detention, the arresting officer is responsible for generating an arrest record, which will include essential details about the arrest, such as the arrestee's biodata, charges, and booking information. Arresting departments are the primary custodians of arrest records.

Because an arrest record only highlights who was arrested, where they were arrested, and why the arrest occurred, it is not sufficient to determine the outcome of an arrest. The Clatsop County court records are better resources for these purposes; they can provide the current status of a case, i.e., whether it is still ongoing, suspended, closed, etc., and other details about the consequent legal process.

Are Arrest Records Public in Clatsop County?

Yes. Arrest records are generally considered public records under Oregon's Public Records Law. This law furnishes the public with the right to inspect and copy official records from a public body upon request. However, certain information within these records or the records themselves may be exempt from disclosure. These exemptions include:

• Sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers
• Law enforcement records whose release would endanger public safety or hinder ongoing investigations
• Attorney-client privileged communications
• Records containing data on minors or victims of certain crimes
• Sealed or set-aside records
• Health information

Certain parties, such as an arrested party, their attorney, or a government official, may still access restricted Clatsop County arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A public Clatsop County arrest record often includes these details:

• The Arrestee's Information: The arrested person's name, age, sex, hair color, eye color, height, weight, and other physical characteristics
• Arrest Details: Arrest date, time, and place
• Charges: The offense(s) with which the arrested person is charged
• Booking Information: Booking date, time, and inmate number
• Arresting Agency
• Custody Status: Whether the arrestee is still in custody or has been released

Clatsop County Arrest Statistics

The Oregon State Police's Uniform Crime Reporting Dashboard reveals that 2,100 arrests were made in Clatsop County in 2023. Of that figure, 68.95% (1,448) were classified as male arrests (i.e., arrests with a male-gender subject), and 31,05% (652) were classified as female arrests.

In 2023, the majority of arrests in Clatsop were for Driving Under the Influence (331), Traffic Crimes (327), Larceny/Theft Offenses (257), Disorderly Conduct (190), and Simple Assault (100).

Find Clatsop County Arrest Records

A person must typically have the arrestee's name or arrest date to find Clatsop County arrest records. It is also important to know the municipal agency that made the arrest, which may have been the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office, Astoria Police Department, Warrenton Police Department, Seaside Police Department, Gearhart Police Department, or Cannon Beach Police Department. The State Police may also have been the arresting agency.

Requesters can visit the respective agency during business hours to submit a records request or contact the agency's records department through acceptable means. However, it is necessary to note that fees may be collected from the requester to process their request. For example, the Astoria Police Department charges $6 per name to produce an arrest record. A public records request can be submitted through the Astoria Police Department's website.

An inquiry can also be made at the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office for information about people who were arrested but confined in the local jail. The Sheriff's office can be contacted using the address information below, or the requester can access the office's Jail Roster for information.

Clatsop County Sheriff's Office
1190 Southeast 19th Street
Warrenton, OR 97146
Phone: (503) 325-8635
Fax: (503) 325-8675

If an inmate was sent to a state or federal prison after an arrest, the inmate's incarceration data can be accessed through the Oregon State Offender Search or Federal Inmate Locator, respectively.

Free Arrest Record Search in Clatsop County

Depending on the local enforcement agency, an individual may be able to conduct a free Clatsop County arrest records search. However, agencies are not prohibited from charging reasonable fees to satisfy a request.

Additionally, some third-party websites offer searchable databases where individuals may find limited arrest information from Clatsop County at no cost.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrest records in Oregon stay on a person's file until legally set aside (expunged) under ORS 137.225. However, this form of relief is only available to eligible defendants (more on that below).

Expunge Clatsop County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process that removes one's criminal arrest and conviction history from public records. In Oregon, this is called "setting aside a conviction" (ORS. 137.225).

Under ORS. 137.225), a person can apply for adult criminal records expungement or juvenile records expungement. To expunge juvenile arrest records, one must complete the Juvenile Expunction form and apply to the juvenile department. If they meet all requirements, their records will be set aside.

To expunge adult Clatsop County arrest records, one must fulfill the waiting period of seven years for Class B felonies, five years for Class C felonies, three years for Class A misdemeanors, or one year for Class B or Class C misdemeanors. If the arrest did not lead to a conviction, the defendant can usually apply at any time. However, a minimum of 60 days must elapse if no charges were filed or pursued by the prosecution.

Applicants should:

• Ensure that their arrest, charge, or conviction is eligible for expungement and that the required time has elapsed.
• Prepare a petition and other relevant forms (check for form availability at the Clatsop County Circuit Court or the court that heard the case). For an arrest with no charges, the filer is the Plaintiff, and the prosecuting attorney is the Defendant. In all other cases, the "State of Oregon" is the Plaintiff, and the filer is the Defendant.
• Create two copies of the completed forms and submit one copy to the prosecuting attorney (typically the District Attorney).
• Obtain a standard fingerprint card and a legible set of fingerprints from a police department.
• Send a completed Request For Set Aside Criminal Record Check form, fingerprint card, and a $33 fingerprint-based criminal record check fee by mail to the following address:

Oregon State Police
Criminal Justice Information Service
Unit 11
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 97208-4395

Expungement/set-aside petitions are generally filed by the petitioner in the court that heard the case. If a petition is granted, the court will send copies of the order to relevant agencies, and the record will be sealed from public view and treated as though it never existed (ORS 137.225(4)).

Certain crimes, sex crimes, violent felonies, and traffic offenses, cannot be set aside. Similarly, federal, tribal, or court cases from other states or local courts (not Circuit Courts) are also ineligible for expunction under Oregon state laws.

Hiring an attorney when applying for an expungement is not mandatory, and they can do it themselves.

Clatsop County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant in Clatsop County, Oregon, is a legal order from a magistrate authorizing law enforcement to detain an individual suspected of committing a crime. Per ORS. 133.110, et. seq, a warrant is issued when a judge believes that there are sufficient facts or circumstances (probable cause) that an individual has committed a criminal offense.

Clatsop County arrest warrants are issued in writing and carry the following information:

• The suspect's name or description for reasonable identification
• The alleged crime
• The date and location (city and county) of issuance
• The issuing magistrate's signature and official title
• Explicit instructions empowering peace officers or other law enforcement officials to arrest the named/described individual and present them before the issuing magistrate or next available magistrate
• Permission for law enforcement to enter a premise without prior notice if there is probable cause to believe the warrant's subject is present
• The amount set for security or release

Do Clatsop County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. In Clatsop County, arrest warrants generally do not expire. They remain active indefinitely until resolved by a subject's arrest or a court's formal dismissal. Until that happens, law enforcement can act on the warrants at any time.