Jefferson County Arrest Records

Jefferson County arrest records are official documents used by law enforcement to document incidents when their officers arrest individuals. Arrested persons in Jefferson County are held at the Jefferson County Adult Correctional Facility, where their arrest records are also created. The county sheriff's office handles the creation, maintenance, and preservation of these records.

Arrest records contain important information about arrests, mainly the arrestee's identification information, information about the charges, court information about the arrest, and information about the arresting agency and the circumstances of the arrest. If the charge against a person was filed with the court, the court shall have information about the arrest on the person's Jefferson County court records. Arrests happen for several reasons, including violation of parole terms, committing a crime, disobeying a court order, and violation of ordinances.

Are Arrest Records Public in Jefferson County?

Yes. Arrest records constitute public records under the Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.001 to 192.513). Per this law, law enforcement and other government records, including arrest records, relate to the conduct of public business, and therefore, are subject to access by the public. However, not all arrest records are public, with exemptions provided under ORS 192.245, 192.355, and 192.338. The following are exemptions from public arrest records:

• Sealed or expunged records
• Law enforcement investigative records
• Juvenile arrest records (ORS 419A.260, ORS 419A.255)
• Identifying victim information
• Information that could aid identification of a confidential informant
• Mental health evaluation and medical reports of arrestees.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Unless an entire record file is deemed confidential due to an expungement or sealing order or other reason, the following contents of an arrest record are public:

• The identity of the arresting agency
• The full name and date of birth of the arrestee
• Physical description of the arrestee: weight, height, sex, eye color, hair color, race
• The charge(s) associated with the arrest
• Arrestee custody status
• Bond amount and type
• Booking information: date, time, number, mugshots, fingerprints
• Arrest date, time, and location.

Jefferson County Arrest Statistics

According to the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, a total of 428 arrests were made by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in 2024. Notable cases included the following: driving under the influence (95), simple assault (38), aggravated assault (3), weapon law violations (25), burglary (1), motor vehicle theft (4), larceny (7), kidnapping (1), forcible rape (1), intimidation (20), and liquor law violations (2). Arrestees included 311 males (72.66%) and 117 females (27.34%).

Find Jefferson County Arrest Records

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records for the entire county. Notwithstanding, various police departments in the county usually have records for arrests made by their officers. The county sheriff's office maintains the Jail Viewer online tool, where interested persons can find a list of inmates currently held in the county jail. Information on this website may include an inmate's descriptive information, the offenses, and mugshot images.

For further information, a person may contact the jail control room at (541) 475-2869 or visit the sheriff's office at:

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
675 NW Cherry Lane
Madras, OR 97741.

Free Arrest Record Search in Jefferson County

The court where the charges against an arrested person were filed typically maintains information about arrest incidents in the person's case file. Record seekers may explore online case search tools maintained by the court or visit the Clerk's Office during business hours to request records. Note that while court-operated online resources are usually free, a nominal fee may be required for in-person research at the clerk's office.

Third-party websites also offer impressive tools for arrest record searches. In addition to covering several counties, these websites are usually easy to maneuver and are compatible with both mobile and desktop devices. Another advantage of using these resources is that a person only needs an arrestee's name to perform a search.

N/B: online resources for research purposes only. Official arrest records may only be obtained from the sheriff's office or the court clerk.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Unless the court grants a petition to seal or expunge a person's arrest records in line with Oregon's expungement laws, such records shall remain on file forever. Note that arrests that resulted in a conviction for certain crimes cannot be expunged.

Expunge Jefferson County Arrest Records

Under ORS 137.225, a minimum of three years (depending on the charges) must have passed after the pronouncement of a conviction before a person can apply to expunge such records. Moreover, the record's subject must have completed every sentence, parole, or post-conviction supervision associated with the conviction. The following are waiting periods for conviction arrests, depending on whichever event (conviction or release from imprisonment for the arrest they seek to expunge) is later:

• For class B felonies, seven years have passed since conviction or release from imprisonment.
• For class C felonies, five years have passed since conviction or release from imprisonment.
• For class A misdemeanors, three years have passed since conviction or release from custody.
• For Class B or C misdemeanors, ordinance violations, or contempt of court, one year has passed since conviction or release from custody.
• If a person had their probation sentence revoked, they must wait for at least three years from the date of revocation.
• For an arrest where no accusatory instrument or charges were filed, 60 days from the date the prosecuting attorney indicates that the state has decided not to proceed with prosecution.

Persons seeking to have their record expunged shall file a petition with the office of the prosecuting attorney who prosecuted the offense. This usually involves completing a Criminal Set Aside Form and submitting it alongside any supporting documents. A petitioner shall also mail to the Oregon State Police, a completed Request for Set Aside Form, a full set of their fingerprints using a fingerprint card (FD-258), alongside a $33.00 fee.

Oregon State Police, CJIS – Unit 11
ATTN: SET ASIDE
P.O. Box 4395
Portland, OR 97208-4395.

The police department shall forward a copy of the records to the prosecuting attorney. The attorney may either file an objection to an expungement motion (in which case, the petitioner and the court shall be notified within 120 days from the date the petition was filed) or schedule a date for an expungement hearing (if any). If none of the aforementioned scenarios apply, the court shall issue an expungement order, copies of which shall be served on such agencies as directed by the court, directing that the designated records be sealed.

Jefferson County Arrest Warrants

Jefferson County arrest warrants are writs issued by a legal authority (are magistrate or judge), ordering law enforcement to apprehend persons and bring them before the issuing authority for alleged involvement in criminal activity, contempt of court, violations, or other reasons (ORS 135.280). Under Oregon law, an arrest warrant may only be issued based on probable cause, which is usually preceded by a sworn affidavit by law enforcement, witness testimony, or evidence presented before the court.

Per ORS 133.140, a Jefferson County arrest warrant must be written and set forth the following information:

• Full name of the suspect. If unknown, a description that may aid identification of the suspect with reliable specificity.
• The alleged offense(s).
• Arrest clause.
• Issuing authority.
• Date of issuance.
• Any applicable bail/bond conditions.

Do Jefferson County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Jefferson County arrest warrants remain valid until the person named on the warrant is arrested by law enforcement or they voluntarily turn themselves in. Otherwise, a warrant can only go away if the charges are dropped or the suspect dies. While arrest warrants may be executed years after issuance, a peace officer is obligated to make the arrest as soon as possible.