Woodford County Arrest Records

In Woodford County, arrests become necessary when an individual/actor commits an act that constitutes a crime under the Kentucky Penal Code. Such an offender may be arrested with or without a warrant, where the arresting officer has probable cause to believe the suspect has committed a crime. An arrest record is created after a person is arrested and booked by the arresting agency.

A Woodford County arrest record is a document that details a person's arrest history, interactions with law enforcement, and other information such as the date, time, and location of the arrest, charges, and personal details of the arrestee. An arrest record is a document that shows that a person was arrested and taken into custody. It does not include information about subsequent legal proceedings or criminal convictions—it is found in court records instead.

Inmates arrested by local law enforcement in Woodford County are held in Woodford County Detention Center. Arrest information may be retrieved from the Woodford County Sheriff’s Office or through Woodford County Court Records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Are Arrest Records Public in Woodford County?

Yes, The Kentucky Open Records Act clearly and expressly provides that all public records shall be open for inspection by anyone. Each public agency must make these records reasonably accessible to the public (KW 61.872). The Act, in Section 61.870, defines a public agency as every state or local government officer, department, division, authority, local court, and judicial agency, among other entities.

To reiterate, all persons living in the Commonwealth of Kentucky have the right to inspect and copy records of public agencies, including law enforcement agencies. This right is, however, subject to any limitations contained in the Open Records Act. Certain public records in Woodford County are exempt from public inspection and are not available for viewing or copying. They include:

• Records containing personal information where public disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy
• Any public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited by federal law or regulation, or state law
• Information made confidential or prohibited from disclosure by the General Assembly
• Records confidentially disclosed to an agency
• Records maintained confidentially by a law enforcement agency
• Public records, the disclosure of which would threaten public safety.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Woodford County typically contain the following information:

• The arrestee’s biodata: Full name, date of birth, age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, height, weight, eye, and hair color.
• Booking Information: Booking ID, fingerprint, mugshot
• Date, time, and location of arrest
• Name of arresting officer
• Holding Facility
• Description of charges
• Bail Information: Bond amount, conditions for release.

Woodford County Arrest Statistics

According to statistics retrieved from the Commonwealth of Kentucky 2023 Crime Report, local law enforcement agencies in Woodford County reported a total of 988 offenses and 885 arrests in 2023. All arrestees were adult offenders, and the most prevalent offenses leading to an arrest were drug/narcotic offenses, assault offenses, driving under the influence, trespass of real property, nonviolent family offenses, and drunkenness.

Find Woodford County Arrest Records

The Woodford County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for generating and maintaining arrest records in its jurisdiction. Thus, the Woodford County Sheriff is the official custodian of arrest records for Woodford County. Interested persons may also find arrest records at other local law enforcement agencies in the county, like the Versailles Police Department and the Woodford County Public School Police Department.

To obtain arrest information and find inmates in Woodford County, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (859) 873-3119 or send a written request. Individuals submitting a written request form may use the Record Request Form. The request must include the sender's name, signature, a description of the record needed, the sender's address, and phone number. It can be sent by mail, email, fax, or hand-delivered to the address below:

Woodford County Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Records Custodian
103 South Main Street
Versailles, KY 40383
Phone: (859) 873-3119
Fax: (859) 873-8371
Email: sheriff@woodfordso.org.

Furthermore, publicly available state resources may be used to find arrest and incarceration information online. For example, the Kentucky Online Offender Lookup allows users to search for offenders by their photos, names, aliases, conviction information, and other advanced filters.

Free Arrest Record Search in Woodford County

Residents of Kentucky can search for arrest records through the following resources for free at the Sheriff’s Office or the Woodford Circuit Court Clerk’s Office. Arrest information is usually included in criminal case court records.

Woodland County criminal case court records are open for inspection and copying. These records may be accessed in person at the Court Clerk’s office or online. Although inspecting records is free, requests for copies of public records are subject to fees for copying and certification.

Another search option is a third-party public records search site. These privately owned sites are search tools that collate arrest records and other public records from government agencies. Unlike official custodians, access to these records may not be free of charge. However, researchers can opt for more affordable payment options. Nevertheless, verify the accuracy of the documents obtained from these sites, as they may be incomplete and contain errors.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Woodland County, arrests remain on your record indefinitely. Individuals seeking to have their arrest records removed or deleted must first be eligible to expunge their records. They then need to petition the court in the county where they were arrested or formally charged to have their arrest record expunged.

Expunge Woodford County Arrest Records

Where an individual who was charged with a criminal offense who has been acquitted of the crime or whose charges have been dismissed with prejudice by the court on or after July 15, 2020, the court shall order the record expunged after 30 days from when it entered the order of acquittal or the order dismissing the charges, a person whose record has not been expunged may petition the court where the charges were made to expunge all the charges and related records (KW 431.076).

An individual with felony charges initially filed against them in the District Court which have not resulted in an indictment by the grand jury or the Attorney of the state may petition the District Court where the charges were filed to dismiss and expunge all charges and related records for which an indictment or information filed by the Attorney of the State has not been issued.

The expungement petition must be filed within 60 days after the court orders acquittal or dismissal with prejudice, and six months after the District Court's decision to file the matter with the grand jury. For charges dismissed without prejudice, the petition must be filed within three years after the date of the order of dismissal for felony charges and one year for misdemeanor charges.

Where due process is followed correctly, the court shall grant the petition and order the records expunged.

Woodford County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a writ issued by a judge commanding a police officer or law enforcement officer to arrest the person named in the warrant and bring them before a court of law. In Kentucky, an arrest warrant shall be issued if the court finds clear and convincing evidence that the crime in question and the evidence giving rise to the charge would qualify the alleged offender as a violent offender. It shall also be issued where giving prior notice of the arrest will endanger the life or safety of any person, and lead to loss or destruction of valuable evidence that may give rise to a charge of violent offense (KW 566.180).

Do Woodford County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Woodford County arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until they are executed or recalled. No statute of limitations affects the validity of an arrest warrant. Nevertheless, police or law enforcement officers are to execute warrants as soon as possible. This is because undue delay may affect the grounds for probable cause.