Dorchester County Arrest Records

Individuals who are arrested in Dorchester County, South Carolina, on suspicion of committing a crime are taken to the county jail (detention center) or police station to be booked. The booking process, which can span several hours, is necessary to ensure that an official record of the arrest is created. Typically, the process involves:

• Recording the arrestee's name, background information, demographic details, and the alleged crime
• A full body search
• Taking the arrestee's mugshot and fingerprints impressions
• Taking the suspect's clothing and personal belongings as exhibits or to be held pending the arrestee's release
• Searching for outstanding warrants in the arrestee's name

Note: Individual arresting agencies within Dorchester County may have additional or unique procedures for booking suspects.

The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency and is responsible for generating arrest records in the county. Other local law enforcement agencies, such as the Saint George Police Department and the Summerville Police Department, also maintain records of their arrests. Typically, prosecutors file formal charges against the suspect after reviewing the available arrest records. Consequently, arrest records become part of Dorchester County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Dorchester County?

Yes. The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) guarantees the rights of members of the public to inspect and copy records (including books, papers, photographs, tapes, and recordings) maintained by government bodies in the state. Arrest records fall under this category. Per the law, the record custodian is permitted to charge reasonable fees for searching, retrieving, redacting, and reproducing such records at the lowest possible costs. The Act also provides for prompt responses to written requests for public records.

Individuals must note, however, that specific arrest information may be exempt from public disclosure by applicable laws. These include information that:

• Invades a person's personal privacy
• Interfere with a prospective law enforcement proceeding
• Deprive a person of their right to a fair trial or impartial adjudication
• Disclose a confidential source’s identity
• Disclose law enforcement’s current investigative or prosecutorial techniques and procedures
• Endangers a person's life or physical safety
• Reveal contents of intercepted communications (oral, wire, or electronic) that have not been disclosed during a trial

Note: Juvenile arrest records are not accessible to the public.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The information contained in a public arrest record in Dorchester County is outlined below:

• The subject's full name, address, date of birth and age
• Arrestee's physical characteristics/identifying information (height, weight, gender, race, eye/hair color)
• Custody details (booking date and time)
• Arresting/charging agency
• Crime details
• Bond information (bond type and amount)

Dorchester County Crime Rate

According to the 2022 Crime in South Carolina Book (the most recent year available), there were 1715 crimes under the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, with larceny accounting for 1,014 of the number. Other common crimes include MVT (246), B&E (229), and aggravated assault (159). However, the entire county reported the following crime data for 2022:

• Larceny (2,222)
• MVT (415)
• B & E (366)
• Aggravated assault (308)
• Sexual battery (64)
• Robbery (50)
• Arson (14)
• Murder (7)

Dorchester County Arrest Statistics

Based on the above statistics, Dorchester County had a total of 3,363 arrests in 2022, which represented an 18.6% increase from the previous year. The most arrests (770) were made on suspicion of drug law violations, followed by simple assault accounting for 423 apprehensions. Other common crimes for which arrests were made in Dorchester County in 2022 include larceny-theft offenses (392 arrests), weapon law violations (326 arrests), and driving under the influence (238 arrests).

Find Dorchester County Arrest Records

Individuals can find Dorchester County arrest records by available federal, state, and local resources as highlighted below:

Federal Resources

Different federal law enforcement agencies provide public access to records of individuals arrested for committing federal offenses in Dorchester County. Generally, federal offenders are incarcerated in various facilities operated by or under the authority of the U.S. Bureau of Prison (BOP). Consequently, searchers can find the arrest records of subjects serving their sentences by taking advantage of the Inmate Search tool maintained by the Bureau. For more detailed arrest record information, they are advised to submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the BOP using the arrestee's details found on the website.

However, interested parties are advised to kickstart a federal arrest record search by verifying the specific agency responsible for the arrest, as lookup tools vary per agency. For example, instead of the BOP’s webpage, one can find records of individuals in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the agency's Online Detainee Locator System.

State Resources

Interested parties can find information on individuals in state prisons through the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC)’s inmate search tool. Searchers may also expect to find results as recent as the name the midnight of the previous day when conducting their search. Upon accessing the Incarcerated Inmate Search tool, parties can conduct a basic search of a subject's record by inputting the appropriate SCDC ID, SID, first and last name. Members of the public can also choose to conduct an advanced search with additional parameters such as:

• Certificates
• Programs
• Earned work credit
• Most serious offense/ category types
• Projected release date start
• Projected release date end

An alternative method for searching arrest records through the SCDC is by sending an FOIA request to the Department. To do this, parties are to submit their written requests to the SCDC’s FOIA coordinator via mail or email to:

FOIA Coordinator
Office of General Counsel
South Carolina Department of Corrections
Post Office Box 21787
Columbia, SC 29221-1787
FOIA@doc.sc.gov

The written request should describe the requested information in simple terms and include the requester’s name, address, and phone number. The South Carolina Department of Corrections charges a fee for providing records, which may require a deposit upfront. The cost includes a per-page fee for physical copies and an hourly rate for staff time spent searching, retrieving, and redacting the records. The hourly rate is based on the salary of the employee handling the request, and may vary depending on their level of expertise.

Local Resources

The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office maintains an Inmate Lookup tool where members of the public can search arrest details of individuals confined in various facilities in the County. Obtainable records include those that are generated by the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office and other local police departments across the county. Parties can streamline their searches by current confinements, admits by date range, name, charges, and arresting agency.

Alternatively, individuals can request publicly accessible arrest records from the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office (including the Dorchester County Detention Center) through the agency's online records request portal.

Free Arrest Record Search in Dorchester County

Generally, per the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, copies of arrest records that are transmitted electronically through official channels are not subject to charges. However, there may be reasonable costs related to the fulfilment of records requests. Third-party websites may also offer free arrest record search service. However, such no-cost arrest record lookup services provide limited information and are often a marketing tactic for a more comprehensive subscription-based service.

Get Dorchester County Criminal Records

Dorchester County criminal records refer to documented details of a person's run-in with the various criminal justice agencies in the county. These include the law enforcement agencies (especially the Sheriff's Office and local police departments), the Dorchester County Detention Center, and the Dorchester County criminal court system. To obtain criminal records in Dorchester County, members of the public can take advantage of various available resources including:

• The Official Website of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) offers public access to criminal histories generated by criminal justice agencies within South Carolina (Dorchester County included) through its SLED CATCH system. One can search a criminal record through SLED CATCH online tool by providing the subject's first and last name, initials, and date of birth. However, for more accurate, more reliable, and comprehensive results, parties will be required to opt for a fingerprint-based search. South Carolina criminal record searches cost a non-refundable fee of $25 with an additional $1 charge for online background checks.

However, individuals can obtain criminal records via mail by filling out a Criminal Records Check Form and submitting it to:

SLED Records Department
P.O. Box 21398
Columbia, SC 29221-1398

A self-addressed stamped envelope and proper payment should be attached to the form. Individuals who require notarized or certified copies of documents should indicate their preference in their request.

• The South Carolina Courts Public Index Website for Dorchester County

Another resource for obtaining Dorchester County criminal records is through the public index website of the South Carolina Courts. Here, parties can access court rosters and find criminal court case information in a few minutes.

Dorchester County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Dorchester County, criminal records and arrest records are related documents that differ mainly in scope. Criminal records detail a person's full criminal history information, cutting across interactions with numerous criminal justice entities, including police departments, criminal courts, and detention facilities. In contrast, arrest records are specific to arrest information generated by law enforcement agencies.

Based on the contents of a subject's criminal record may include their:

• Arrest information (arrest record)
• Conviction details
• Incarceration information

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In South Carolina, arrests can remain on a person's record indefinitely. Even if the case (whether misdemeanor or felony) was dismissed or the subject was not found guilty of the charges, the record will remain publicly accessible unless expunged.

Expunge Dorchester County Arrest Records

Expungement refers to a process whereby records of an arrest or conviction are removed from public access. The expunged record is completely destroyed and is treated as never existing. Per the South Carolina Code of Laws, expungement of criminal records can only be done by applying to the court and obtaining a signed order by a judge.

The first step to expunging a Dorchester County arrest record is determining eligibility as specific categories of convictions cannot be expunged. They include:

• Traffic convictions (except it is a first offense failure to stop for a blue light)
• Fish and wildlife convictions
• Felonies or heinous crimes convictions

On the other hand, the following offenses can be expunged:

• “Not guilty” verdicts and charges that were dismissed, no-billed, or not prosecuted (nol prossed)
• Dismissed charges after successfully completing Pre-Trial Intervention (PTI) program, Alcohol Education Program (AEP), or the Traffic Education Program (TEP)
• A conviction for a first offense misdemeanor fraudulent check (there must have been no additional convictions within 1 year from the conviction date)
• A first offense drug possession charge ( the subject must have received a court-ordered conditional discharge and complied with it)
• A first-time conviction for a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 30 days and/or a fine of $500 (there must have been no additional convictions within 3 years from the conviction date; if it is a first offense domestic violence conviction, the subject must have had no additional convictions within 5 years from the conviction date)
• Convictions under the Youthful Offender Act (YOA), where there have been no additional convictions within 3 years from conviction date
• First offense failure to stop for a blue light when there are no additional convictions within 3 years from conviction date

Juvenile offenses are eligible for expungement when:

• The subject has reached 17 years old
• The sentence has been completed and there are no additional charges
• The offense in question was a status or non-violent crime
• There is no record of prior adjudications that would carry at most 5 years sentence or more if the offender were an adult

The process for applying for a record expungement in Dorchester County begins with the subject applying in person at the First Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office in the area where the charge originated. They are advised to complete an expungement application, which can be downloaded from the First Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office website, before application. The subject must have certified copies of their disposition for the charge they seek to expunge. Out-of-state applicants are to submit the filled-out application along with the appropriate court documents via mail to the appropriate office address.

There are no costs attached to expungement for charges that were dismissed, not prosecuted or where the subject was found not guilty. Other cases attract a $250 administrative fee, $35 filing fee, and $25 verification fee from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Dorchester County Arrest Warrants

A Dorchester County arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a judicial officer (judge or magistrate) in Dorchester County, granting law enforcement officers the powers to apprehend and arrest the named subject of the warrant. Dorchester County arrest warrants are often issued to police officers acting in their official capacity who have probable cause to believe that the subject has committed a crime. Oftentimes, the law enforcement agent submits a signed and notarized warrant affidavit to the judicial officer as part of their application. The judicial officer then examines the facts and evidence before it and grants the application if the court finds for the applicant.

Information contained in an arrest warrant includes:

• The complete name and physical description of the person to be arrested
• The alleged crime
• The date of offense
• Name of affiant
• The issuing judge or magistrate's signature
• The date and time of issuance

Dorchester County Arrest Warrant Search

Arrest warrants in Dorchester County are often signed by judicial officers in the magistrate and municipal courts. As such, individuals may visit the respective issuing courts to obtain a subject's arrest warrant information. However, interested parties should note that some courts prevent their staff from disseminating arrest warrant information to members of the public. For example, the Summerville Municipal Court does not allow employees to provide details of active warrants to individuals. Instead, interested parties are encouraged to query the appropriate local law enforcement agency. One may also send a public records request to the official custodian of arrest warrant records to obtain publicly available information regarding a warrant of interest.

Do Dorchester County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants in Dorchester County do not expire until they are executed.