Yates County Arrest Records

In Yates County, New York, just like any other jurisdiction, when law enforcement officers have reasons to believe a crime has been committed, it becomes necessary to make arrests. Arrests can be deemed necessary when a crime is witnessed by an officer who can then make an immediate arrest, or if a judge issues an arrest warrant, instantly giving a law enforcement officer the authority to arrest a person. An individual can also be arrested if a police investigation leads an officer to believe he has a suspect who may be guilty of committing a crime.

When such an arrest is made, inmates are typically held at the Yates County Jail while the arrested individual's Arrest Records are generated by the Yates County Sheriff's Office. The Yates County Arrest Records also contain arrest details through criminal case records such as the individual's information, the charges, the date and time of the arrest, and the arresting officer involved. They can also be accessed through Yates County court records. The county's criminal court cases, especially arraignment records, will contain arrest details.

Are Arrest Records Public in Yates County?

In New York State, Yates County, precisely, arrest records are public according to the New York Freedom of Information Law. This law contains provisions that guide public access to government agency records. It contains publicly accessible documents, including arrest and restricted records that must be sealed or redacted. Some of these restrictions include:

• juvenile records
• sealed records by court orders
• records that can expose confidential sources
• records from an ongoing law enforcement investigation or a pending court case
• personally identifiable records such as full address or Social Security Number

These records are primarily maintained by the Yates County Sheriff's Office, which can be accessed at:

Yates County Sheriff's Office
227 Main Street, Penn Yan
New York 14527
Phone: (315) 536-4438

Yates County Arrest Statistics

Yates County arrest statistics are available through the FBI UCR website. This website provides access to arrest data for the past two years, which reveals 21 arrests for all other offenses. The county recorded 21 simple assault arrests, four aggravated assault arrests, and six larceny arrests. There was one arrest for burglary and manslaughter by negligence. The county did not record any arrests for arson, motor vehicle theft, murder and nonnegligent homicide, rape, and robbery.

Find Yates County Arrest Records

Yates County arrest records are generally available through the sheriff's office. Other government agencies, such as courts and New York State Police, can also provide access to certain arrest records. These records can be obtained using walk-in or mail-in requests sent to the relevant agency. The requests will contain the requester's information and a description of the arrest and the arrestee.

Generally, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) is the primary resource for locating persons incarcerated in New York State prisons. The DOCCS keeps a database of people currently and formerly imprisoned in their facilities, accessible through the Inmate Lookup website. Requesters can use the inmate's Department Identification Number (DIN), name, or New York State Identification Number (NYSID). Yates County's Public Records website also provides access to county criminal court records, which usually contain arrest information.

Yates County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Yates County and the rest of New York, there is a clear difference between arrest records and criminal records. Arrest records take into account the event of an individual being detained by law enforcement. It clearly indicates that a person was detained because they were suspected of committing a crime. The arrest record consists of information such as the alleged criminal's name and identifying information, the date and location of the arrest, and the alleged charges or offences.

On the other hand, a criminal record documents an individual's history with the criminal justice system. It includes arrest records as well as additional details about what happened after an arrest was made. These additional details include; charges filed by the prosecutor, court appearances and proceedings, convictions if any sentences imposed by the court, information about probation, parole or incarceration.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In New York State, an arrest can remain on a person's record indefinitely if steps are not taken to remove or expunge it. However, New York state uses a process called sealing, which limits public access to these records. These processes can either be automatic, whereby charges against a person have been dismissed, or in cases involving a youthful offender, or by application, which requires applying to the court to have a record sealed. Individuals who want to apply for the process of sealing their arrest records must meet certain conditions for eligibility. These conditions include

A person's eligibility for record sealing in Yates County depends on some major factors, such as:

• Criminal Procedure law (CPL) 160.59: This law gives individuals with limited number of convictions usually not more than two with restrictions on felony, the right to apply for record sealing after a waiting period of 10 years after the sentence.
• Youthful offender: Being granted a Youthful Offender status automatically grants such a person the right to have their records sealed.
• Sealing provisions are available for specific crimes such as drug related offenses or cases where a person successfully completed a court mandate program.

Yates County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are legal documents issued by a judge that give the right to law enforcement officers to arrest a criminal suspect. In Yates County, the process of obtaining an arrest warrant involves:

• An application by a law enforcement officer that is submitted to a court, either a local town or village court, or the Yates County Court.
• Probable cause is provided by an officer who provides the court with a sworn statement or evidence that proves a crime has been committed.
• Judicial Review of application filed by a law officer to determine if probable cause exists.
• The judge issues the warrant that authorizes law enforcement to arrest a person if probable cause exists.

An arrest warrant contains specific information such as the name of the suspect, the charges against the person, the law enforcement agency authorized to execute the warrant, the court that issued the warrant, the date the warrant was approved, and the name of the judge who issued it. However, it is important to note that arrest warrants are issued when a crime has been committed but the suspect is not present, failed to appear in court, violates probation, or to prevent the alleged criminal from fleeing or committing further crimes during an ongoing investigation.

Expunge Yates County Arrest Records

In Yates County, arrest records that are considered public information in New York are not destroyed or expunged. Rather, they are sealed and removed from publicly available documents. Arrest details are automatically sealed if the arrest charges are dropped and do not lead to a conviction or there's an acquittal. However, if an arrest leads to a conviction, such a case may be eligible for sealing under certain circumstances, particularly under the new Clean Slate Act.

An Arrest Record may be eligible for sealing if the following requirements are met:

• Limited Number of Convictions: A criminal record may be sealed if the individual involved has no more than two criminal convictions.
• Waiting period: For an arrest record to be sealed in Yates County, at least 10 years must have passed since the date of the sentencing or release.
• No pending Charges: The suspect must have no current pending criminal charges to have his/her Arrest Record sealed.
• The convict should have no new convictions during the 10-year waiting period.
• Eligible Offenses: In this type of situation, not all offenses are eligible for sealing such as; Class A felonies, Violent felonies, sex offenses, homicide offenses.