Codington County Arrest Records

In Codington County, South Dakota, law enforcement officials, including those from the Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments, are authorized to make arrests under various circumstances. These include situations where an individual's behavior raises reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity or when there is an active court-issued warrant for an individual's arrest.

If an arrest was carried out under a warrant, it automatically becomes part of the Codington County Court Records. Likewise, if an arrest was made without a warrant, it may be recorded in the court files if the individual was subsequently arraigned and formally charged.

Regardless of whether an arrest eventually led to arraignment or prosecution, law enforcement agencies often maintain a log for all arrests. These logs may include details on individuals being held in the Codington County Regional Detention Center pending their first court appearance.

Are Arrest Records Public in Codington County?

Arrest records, such as date, charges, and location, are generally public under South Dakota Codified Laws (Section 23-5-27). Suspect Identification records, including fingerprints, DNA samples, measurements, and non-felony mugshots, are restricted unless the suspect is a fugitive or the record is a felony mugshot. Only authorized law enforcement officers are permitted to access restricted documents.

The Sheriff's Office maintains most arrest logs and data. The address is:

14 1st Ave Southeast
Watertown, SD 57201
Phone: (605) 882-6280

Codington County Arrest Statistics

Maintaining the peace and safety in Codington County is an endeavor that requires the concerted effort of the Sheriff's office and local police departments. The crime data released by these agencies in 2018 reveals 16 cases of violent crime, including 1 case of murder or manslaughter, 4 cases of rape, zero robbery, and 11 cases of aggravated assault. In the same year, 25 property crimes were recorded. These included four burglaries, 17 larceny offenses, four motor vehicle thefts, and zero arson — FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Data. These figures suggest a relatively safe community, with low incidents of criminal activity.

Find Codington County Arrest Records

Individuals seeking inmate information in Codington County may employ all or any of these resources, depending on the most suitable option:

The Codington County Sheriff's Office website

Individuals desiring to know whether a loved one is being held at the Codington County Detention Center can consult the inmate register on the Codington County Sheriff's Office website. To access this information, they can visit the website, click "Department Links", and navigate to "Current Inmates". The researcher will be prompted with a PDF listing all inmates held in the Sheriff's Office detention facility at the time of inquiry.

The South Dakota Department of Corrections Offender Locator

An arrestee convicted of a felony may be transferred to a State correctional facility. Interested individuals may find out their whereabouts using the Department of Corrections' Offender Locator tool. They will need to enter the inmate's unique ID number and full name in the search field and click "Submit" to initiate a search.

Bureau of Prisons' Inmate Locator

The Bureau of Prisons' Inmate Locator tool offers convenience to individuals who wish to find records of inmates incarcerated in federal custody. Through this portal, users can locate an inmate using their BOP number, FBI number, or full name.

Codington County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record documents an individual's pretrial interactions with the criminal justice system. It includes details of their initial encounter with the arresting officer, the subsequent detainment, and holding in a county jail pending bail. A typical arrest record contains the name of the arrestee, physical description, the name of the arresting agency or officer, the time and location of arrest, booking details, mugshot, fingerprint impressions, and the specific charge.

In contrast, a criminal record provides comprehensive information about a person's interactions with the criminal justice system, from their initial encounter with the arresting officer to their court trial and subsequent incarceration or acquittal. A criminal record contains details such as the charges filed, trial outcomes, convictions, sentences, parole status, and any post-conviction information. Criminal records are created only after legal proceedings and reflect the case's final disposition. While criminal records provide information on innocence or guilt, an arrest record merely documents the fact of an arrest.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An arrest typically remains on record until the individual has clocked 75 years of age. Only then does the law allow the Attorney General to destroy their arrest record, provided the arrestee has not been charged with any offense in the preceding 10 years.

Codington County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a court-issued document authorizing a law enforcement officer to effect the arrest of an individual. Under 23A-2-2. (Rule 4(a)), a warrant for the arrest of an individual, if requested by the prosecuting attorney, will be issued to any officer authorized by law to execute it if it appears from a complaint, or from an affidavit or affidavits filed with a complaint, that there is probable cause to believe that an offense has been committed and that a particular person has committed it.
A typical arrest warrant contains:

• The name of the person to be arrested
• The signature of the committing magistrate

Once issued, the individual can be detained anywhere within state borders.

Do Codington County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Arrest warrants typically remain active indefinitely until the individual named on the warrant has been arrested, the alleged offense for which the warrant was issued has ceased to be a crime under state law, or the individual named in the warrant has died.

Expunge Codington County Arrest Records

Although an arrest record will cease to exist by law after the arrestee has clocked 75 years of age, individuals do not need to wait that long to remove an arrest from their criminal history record. Any individual whose DNA profile is on file for an arrest in Codington County may request expungement on the following grounds:

• The arrest that led to the procurement of their DNA has not resulted in a felony charge within one year.
• The arrest has been resolved by a dismissal, acquittal, or misdemeanor conviction.
• The arrest did not result in a felony conviction.
• The conviction has been reversed and the case dismissed.

An individual with an arrest record may apply via a written request to the court having jurisdiction over the crime for which they were arrested for an expungement order regarding their arrest record, if they were not charged with the offense or at any time after acquittal.

Upon receiving a written request for expungement and a certified copy of the final court order reversing and dismissing the conviction, the South Dakota State Forensic Laboratory is mandated to expunge all DNA records and identifiable information in the database about the person.

The effect of an expungement is to restore the arrested individual to the status they would have had if the arrest had never occurred. They are not obligated to disclose their arrest history to anyone.