Search Evans Recent Arrests
Recent arrests in Evans are handled by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and processed through the county jail system. Evans is a census-designated place with about 37,718 residents in Columbia County, near Augusta. Because Evans is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own police department. The Columbia County Sheriff provides all law enforcement services. Arrest records from Evans are public under Georgia law and can be found through the sheriff's office, state databases, and open records requests filed with the county.
Evans Quick Facts
How Recent Arrests Work in Evans
Evans is a census-designated place, not an incorporated city. This means it has no city government and no city police force. All law enforcement in Evans comes from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Clay Whittle runs the department from PO Box 310, Appling, GA 30802-0310. You can call 706-541-1043 to reach the sheriff's office. Deputies patrol Evans and make all arrests in the area. When someone gets arrested in Evans, the person goes to the Columbia County Detention Center for booking.
Under O.C.G.A. 17-4-27, Columbia County deputies can arrest someone in Evans with or without a warrant. If a deputy sees a crime in progress, a warrantless arrest can happen on the spot. For felonies, the deputy only needs probable cause. Warrant arrests require a judge to sign off first. The booking process is the same for all types. The person gets fingerprinted, a booking photo is taken, and the charges are logged into the county system. Recent arrests in Evans show up in the Columbia County records once booking is complete.
Because there is no city police department, all arrest records for Evans are with the Columbia County Sheriff. There is no separate city office to check. This actually keeps things simple. You have one agency that handles everything from the arrest to the jail booking. If you want to find a recent arrest in Evans, the sheriff's office is the only place you need to contact.
| Law Enforcement | Columbia County Sheriff's Office |
|---|---|
| Sheriff | Clay Whittle |
| Address | PO Box 310 Appling, GA 30802-0310 |
| Phone | 706-541-1043 |
Columbia County Jail and Recent Arrest and Evans Bookings
The Columbia County Detention Center is where all people arrested in Evans get booked and held. Sheriff Clay Whittle oversees the jail along with the rest of the sheriff's office operations. After a deputy brings someone in from Evans, the jail staff takes a booking photo, runs fingerprints, and enters all charge details into the county system. The booking record for recent arrests in Evans shows the person's name, date of birth, charges, bond amount, and the booking date.
Columbia County may offer an online jail roster or inmate lookup through the sheriff's office website. Check with the sheriff's office at 706-541-1043 for the most current way to search for inmates. You can also call the jail directly to ask if a person is in custody after a recent arrest. Give them the full name and date of birth of the person you are looking for. They can tell you if that person is booked in and what the charges are.
The jail handles warrant service for all of Columbia County, including Evans. If someone in Evans has an outstanding warrant from any agency, Columbia County deputies carry out the arrest. Those records go through the same booking process and end up in the same system as any other Evans arrest. Bond amounts are set by a judge based on the charges and the person's history.
State Databases for Evans Recent Arrest Records
Georgia runs several state databases that include arrest records from Evans. These tools pull data from law enforcement agencies across the state. Arrests made by Columbia County deputies in Evans get fed into these systems after booking. Using state databases gives you a wider view of someone's arrest history, not just what shows on the local jail roster.
The Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) is the main state repository for criminal history records. Every arrest in Evans gets reported to GCIC through Columbia County. You can request your own criminal history for a fee. The Georgia Felon Search is a free tool that shows felony conviction records for people who served state prison time.
If an arrest in Evans led to a felony conviction and state time, the person's record will appear in the Felon Search results along with their conviction details.
Third parties who want GCIC records need a signed release or a reason allowed under O.C.G.A. 35-3-37. Under that same code section, certain Evans arrests that did not end in a conviction can be restricted from public view. The cost is $25 paid to the GBI. The process takes about 90 days. O.C.G.A. 35-3-35 covers electronic access to felony records and sets rules for who can use that data.
The E-Access portal lets you search court records from participating Georgia courts.
Use E-Access to look up case numbers, hearing dates, and outcomes for cases that started with an arrest in Evans and moved through the Columbia County court system.
Other state tools include the GDC Offender Search for people in state custody, re:SearchGA for court filings, and the Georgia Sex Offender Registry for registered offenders near Evans.
Georgia Arrest Laws That Apply in Evans Recent Arrests
Georgia law controls how arrests work in Evans. O.C.G.A. 17-4-27 is the main arrest authority statute. Columbia County deputies can arrest with a warrant or without one when probable cause exists. After an arrest in Evans, the person has a right to a first appearance hearing within 48 hours if held in custody. The judge sets bond at that hearing based on the charges and the person's risk of flight.
Arrest records from Evans are public. O.C.G.A. 50-18-72 is the Open Records Act. It says anyone can ask for arrest records without giving a reason. Send a written request to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for both arrest reports and jail booking records. The office has three business days to respond. The initial arrest report is always public, even during an active investigation. Other parts of the file may be held back while the case is open, but that first report must be released when asked for.
O.C.G.A. 35-1-19 covers how booking photos and arrest data get shared between agencies and the GCIC. Some agencies post booking photos online and some do not. O.C.G.A. 10-1-393.5 targets websites that post mugshots and charge fees for removal. That practice is against state law in Georgia. If you see an Evans booking photo on a commercial site that wants money to take it down, the person in the photo can demand free removal with a written request. The site must comply within 30 days.
O.C.G.A. 35-3-37 lets people restrict certain arrest records from public view. This applies when charges were dismissed, the person was found not guilty, or the case ended without a conviction. Once a record is restricted, it does not come up in standard public searches. Law enforcement still has access, but the general public does not see it. The restriction does not erase the arrest. It just limits who can find it.
Court Cases from Evans Arrests
Arrests in Evans lead to court cases in the Columbia County court system. Felony charges go to Columbia County Superior Court. Misdemeanors are handled in the State Court or Magistrate Court. Magistrate Court also does bond hearings and preliminary hearings after a recent arrest. There is no municipal court for Evans since it is not an incorporated city. All cases go through the county courts.
You can search Columbia County court records through the E-Access portal or re:SearchGA if the county participates. These tools let you find case numbers, hearing dates, charges, and outcomes tied to arrests in Evans. For in-person access, go to the Columbia County Courthouse. The clerk's office can pull case files for you. There is a small fee for copies.
Tracking a case from the arrest through court gives the full story. The arrest record shows what charges were filed at booking. The court record shows what happened after that. Charges can get reduced, dropped, or lead to a conviction. Knowing which court handles the case helps you find the right records.
Columbia County Arrest Records
Evans is in Columbia County. All arrests in the area go through the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and Detention Center. For a full look at arrest resources, jail info, and court records in Columbia County, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
These are the closest qualifying cities to Evans. Martinez is also in Columbia County and uses the same sheriff. Augusta is in neighboring Richmond County with its own booking system.