Seward County Arrest Records

Arrest records for Seward County, Kansas, document the arrests made by law enforcement. Law enforcement is authorized by law to arrest individuals suspected of or confirmed to have committed a crime. The Seward County Sheriff's Office is the central arresting agency in the county and detains people arrested in the county at the Seward County Detention Center.

The Seward County Sheriff generates arrest records and responds to public requests for these records. Seward County arrest records may also be part of Seward County Court Records, in custody of the local courts, or criminal histories managed by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

Are Arrest Records Public in Seward County?

Under the Kansas Open Records Act, Seward County arrest records are classified as public information. This means that the general public may request such records from its custodians unless the record is exempt from public disclosure. Records and information exempt from public access under the law may include the following.

• Arrest records involving juveniles and minors
• Certain personal information in the arrest records, if its release would be considered an invasion of privacy
• Records that have been sealed or expunged
• Records of an ongoing criminal investigation

Seward County Arrest Statistics

The Seward County Sheriff's Office collects arrest information for the year and submits it to the FBI crime database. The information is maintained and displayed on the FBI Crime Data Explorer on request. According to the data, the Seward County Sheriff reported 62 arrests in 2023. This total includes 20 arrests for DUI offenses, five arrests for simple assaults, four arrests for drug possession, three arrests for drug sale, two arrests for vandalism, and one arrest each for burglary, aggravated assault, liquor law violations, and murder.

Find Seward County Arrest Records

Inmate records and information for Seward County may be found using the following resources.

The Seward County Sheriff's Office

Record seekers may request inmate records by contacting the Seward County Sheriff's Office. The Jail Division of the sheriff's office is in charge of inmates housed in the detention center and may provide records of current inmates. Record seekers may visit the office at the address below during business hours from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Seward County Sheriff's Office
501 N. Washington Avenue
Liberal, KS 67901

The sheriff's office website also provides a link to the sex offender registry, where visitors may look up Registered Offenders in the county.

Kansas Department of Corrections

Interested parties may be able to look up inmates arrested and convicted in Seward County using the Offender Search tool maintained by the Kansas Department of Corrections. Searches may be made by providing the name, race, gender, ID number, conviction county, and facility name.

Federal Bureau of Prisons

The Inmate Locator provided on the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website allows users to look up inmate records for those housed in federal facilities. Users typically must enter sufficient search criteria in the locator to find the inmate, including the inmate's full name, FBI number, or BOP ID number.

Seward County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Seward County arrest records are generated by arresting agencies to document the events surrounding a person's arrest. These records will detail the events surrounding the arrest and typically contain the person's name and physical description, the crimes committed, the laws broken by the crime, the arresting agency, and information collected from the booking, such as fingerprints and mugshots. Arrest records do not confirm guilt, only that the defendant was once suspected of a crime and detained.

On the other hand, criminal records are proof of an offender's guilt. They are generally more comprehensive and generated as the offender passes through the various law enforcement agencies. A typical criminal record will contain arrest, court, and prison records and provide verdict and sentencing information.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests will typically remain on a person's records forever unless they take the necessary steps to remove them. The government provides a legal process to remove certain offenses from the applicant's records called expungement. Expungement may be possible for various offenses, including arrests and convictions, after certain waiting periods. For example, most minor offenses may be expunged after 3 years, and eligible felonies may be expunged after a 5-year waiting period.

Seward County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a judicial officer, such as a magistrate, authorizing law enforcement to arrest a person suspected of a crime and bring them before a judge. Seward County arrest warrants may be issued when a complaint is filed with a local magistrate, either with an affidavit or sworn testimony showing probable cause that a crime was committed and the defendant in the warrant committed it. The magistrate may issue the warrant if satisfied there is enough probable cause.

Arrest warrants in Seward County may contain a combination of the following information.

• The name of the defendant, any alias, or a description by which they may be identified
• The crime charged and the statutes it violates
• The date, time, and location where the warrant was issued
• Bond information, if available
• The name, signature, and title of the issuing magistrate

Do Seward County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest warrants issued in Seward County do not have an expiry date. These documents remain active until they are resolved. This may be done by the defendant being arrested, voluntarily surrendering, or otherwise satisfying the conditions that led to the warrant issuance. Sometimes, the issuing magistrate may have cause to recall or cancel a warrant, usually after the defendant or their attorney files a petition showing why the warrant should be cancelled.

Expunge Seward County Arrest Records

Expungement in Kansas allows citizens to remove arrests or convictions from their records. To qualify for expungement, the applicant and the offense typically must meet certain criteria, including the following.

• No charges were filed, and the case was dismissed
• A mistaken identity led to the initial arrest
• The expungement would be best in the interest of justice
• There was no probable cause for the arrest

Most offenses would also require a waiting period before they may be expunged.

• Misdemeanors, Class D or E felonies, and traffic infractions may be expunged 3 years after completing all sentences or probation and paying all fines.
• Class A, B, or C felonies, DUI offenses, perjury, and other non-violent felonies may be expunged 5 years after completing all sentences, including supervision and paying all fines.

It should be noted that serious violent felonies such as rape and murder may not eligible for expungement.

To file for expungement in Seward County, Kansas, the applicant typically must file a petition at the Seward County District Court. They then obtain the forms and fill them out. And submit them with the filing fee, after filing with the court. Additionally, the applicant generally needs to inform the arresting county prosecutor and the arresting agency of the petition. If law enforcement contests the expungement, the court will set up a hearing to hear from both sides, which the applicant typically must attend. The court will review the petition and grant or deny the expungement. If granted, the court will issue an expungement order to all relevant parties, who will remove the offense from their records.