In Jefferson County, Missouri, an active warrant is solely issued based on the evidence collected in a case. However, this proof cannot be presented in court verbally, nor will an arrest order be issued just because the investigating officers presume a person to be guilty of a criminal matter. In accordance with the Missouri State Criminal Code, a proper legal protocol has to be followed when seeking arrest warrants.
Such an order for detention can be issued only when a complaint is filed by the sheriff’s office, the state prosecution team, or the victim. The complaint has to be made in writing, and the affidavit submitted must contain all case-related factors and evidence. This information is used to deliberate on the prevalence of a probable cause. In non-legal terms, probable cause is defined as the evidence that points to clear culpability. To put it simply, there must be enough proof in the matter for any layperson to believe that the criminal act was indeed the handy work of the accused.
Once such an order reaches the police, they are expected to serve it at once. However, this cannot be accomplished in some cases, and the decree is saved for later use. Such a directive is known as an outstanding warrant, and it can persist in the system for no less than 99 years if need be.
When you initiate an inquiry into an individual’s arrest records through Jefferson County law enforcement or any other local justice agency, you will also be provided details on all arrest warrants against the subject, even if such orders are bench warrants issued by the civil tribunals.
Apart from this, a warrant search will also bring back details on convictions, sentencing, and incarceration. The state agencies that can be contacted for this information are:
- The sheriff: PO Box 100, Hillsboro, Missouri 63050
- The magistrate: 729 Maple Street, Hillsboro, MO 63050-4317
- The clerk of court: Mailing and physical addresses as listed above
To find a list of Jefferson County’s most wanted, try the sheriff’s website at http://www.jcsd.org/.
How do access arrest records and details on warrants from Jefferson County over the phone? (Valid in 2021)
- Call the Jefferson County Jail if you’re looking for information about arrests, records of inmates or are interested in an inmate search- (636) 797-5513.
- Get in touch with the Records Division for incident/accident reports and arrest records- (636) 789-5254.
- Contact the Headquarters of the Sheriff’s Department for anything that’s related to arrests, incidents, and accidents- (636) 797-5000.
- Get in touch with the Warrants Division for further information on bench warrants and arrest warrants- (636) 797-5539.
- Contact the State Attorney’s Office in case you need victim assistance- (636) 797-5046.
- Call the Office of the Clerk of Court to learn about the process for initiating a judicial record search- (636) 797-5443.
Crime statistics of Jefferson County
Between 2018 and 2019, Jefferson County’s crime rate increased by about 13%, from an annual average of 2750 incidents to 3108. In 2019, 2722 complaints were submitted for property offenses, while the rest were for violent crimes.
More than 1656 reports were filed for larceny-thefts, and over 621 complaints were filed for burglary. Around 320 allegations of aggravated assault were among the 386 complaints lodged against violent crimes.
Only about 11% of cases of the estimated 4100 criminal complaints filed in Jefferson County, MO can be categorized as violent. This may not seem particularly alarming at first, given that only about 450 occurrences of violent crime are reported in the county per annum. However, between 1999 and 2008, the rate of violent crime incidents and overall crime has almost doubled, which has got residents concerned.