Search Butts County Bench Warrants

Butts County bench warrants come from the Superior Court and Magistrate Court in Jackson, which is the county seat. With a population of about 25,000, Butts County sits south of metro Atlanta and has seen growth as people move farther out from the city. Bench warrants in Butts County are issued when someone skips a court date or violates the terms of their bond. The Butts County Sheriff's Office manages all warrant processing and enforcement. If you need to search for an active bench warrant, you will work through the sheriff's office or the court clerk because there is no online warrant search tool for Butts County.

Butts County Sheriff's Office Details

Sheriff Gary Long runs the Butts County Sheriff's Office on Ernest Biles Drive in Jackson. The office is the primary agency that handles bench warrants in the county. When a Butts County judge signs a bench warrant, it goes straight to the sheriff's office. Deputies log the warrant into the county records system and then submit the information to the Georgia Crime Information Center. The GCIC system connects to the NCIC, making a Butts County bench warrant visible to law enforcement across the entire country. The sheriff's office processes warrants as they come in from both the Superior Court and the Magistrate Court.

Call the Butts County Sheriff's Office at 770-775-8216 for questions about bench warrants. For specific warrant status, visit in person with a photo ID during business hours.

Note: Butts County is part of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit, which also covers Lamar and Monroe counties.

Warrant Search Options in Butts County

Butts County does not offer a public online bench warrant search tool. To check on an active bench warrant, contact the Butts County Sheriff's Office at 770-775-8216 or go to the courthouse in Jackson. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains all case records for the county. If a bench warrant was issued as part of your case, the clerk's office will have that information on file. Bring a valid photo ID for any in-person visit. Staff can look up your name and let you know if there is an active warrant.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide covers the process for checking on a warrant anywhere in Georgia. The steps for Butts County are the same. Contact the local office, provide identification, and ask about your case. Many people in Butts County choose to have an attorney handle the inquiry first, especially if they think a felony bench warrant might be involved. An attorney can work with the court to set up a bond hearing or voluntary surrender before you turn yourself in.

The GBI oversees the statewide databases where Butts County bench warrants are tracked alongside warrants from every other Georgia county.

Butts County Bench Warrant Penalties

A bench warrant in Butts County means the court has ordered your arrest. But the penalties do not stop there. Georgia law adds charges for the act of failing to appear. O.C.G.A. 16-10-51 covers bail jumping. On a misdemeanor case, the penalty is up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Felony bail jumping carries one to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. These charges are added to the original case. One missed court date in Butts County can quickly turn into a much bigger legal problem.

Traffic bench warrants follow a separate path in Butts County. O.C.G.A. 40-13-63 says failing to appear for a traffic hearing can mean a $200 fine and up to three days in jail. The Georgia Department of Driver Services may also suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Reinstatement costs $100 in person or $125 by mail. Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11, the clerk sends a 30-day notice for traffic warrants, giving you a chance to deal with the case before the bench warrant goes into effect.

State Resources for Butts County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the GCIC database system that tracks bench warrants from Butts County. Once the sheriff's office enters a warrant, it is visible to all Georgia law enforcement and nationwide through the NCIC. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory confirms contact information for the Butts County Sheriff's Office and all other sheriffs in the state.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association maintains its own directory of Georgia sheriffs. Both sources are reliable for verifying contact info for the Butts County office. If you are not sure which county issued your bench warrant, these directories can help you track down the right office to call.

Note: Butts County sits between several metro Atlanta area counties, so make sure you are contacting the right county for your specific case.

Public Records Access in Butts County

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, Georgia's Open Records Act gives anyone the right to request public records from Butts County offices. Bench warrant records are public in most situations. Submit a request to the Clerk of Superior Court at the Butts County Courthouse in Jackson or to the sheriff's office. The request can be made in person or in writing. The office usually responds within three business days. Copies may come with a per-page fee.

Bench warrant records for missed court dates are almost always open to the public. Juvenile cases and certain sealed records are the exceptions. For a quick status check, calling the sheriff's office is more efficient than a formal records request.

Nearby Counties

A bench warrant belongs to the county that filed the case. If you are in the Butts County area and need to check another county, contact their sheriff separately. These counties share borders with Butts County.