Cherokee County Bench Warrants

Cherokee County bench warrants are handled through the sheriff's office in Canton. This fast-growing county north of Atlanta has around 266,000 residents. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office keeps all active warrant records and processes new ones as courts issue them. You can call the warrants division at 678-493-4251 to ask about a bench warrant. Online tools are also on the sheriff's site. If you think there may be a bench warrant in your name in Cherokee County, reaching out to the office or having a lawyer check for you is the best first step.

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office runs all warrant services for the county. Sheriff Frank Reynolds leads the office from its main location on Chattin Drive in Canton. The warrants and civil division is the group that handles bench warrant records. They process new warrants that judges sign and track the ones still active. Staff also help people who call in to ask about their warrant status in Cherokee County.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office website has a section for warrants and civil matters along with a jail inmate list that the public can search online.

The main site gives you access to several tools for looking up warrant info and jail records in Cherokee County.

Note: The Cherokee County warrant inquiry line at 678-493-4251 can tell you if there is an active bench warrant in your name.

Search Cherokee County Bench Warrants

The fastest way to check for a bench warrant in Cherokee County is to call 678-493-4251. That line goes to the warrants division. Give them the full name and date of birth of the person you want to check. They can tell you if there is an active bench warrant on file. This works for checking on yourself or someone else. No fee is charged for a phone inquiry about bench warrant status in Cherokee County.

You can also go in person to the sheriff's office at 498 Chattin Drive in Canton. Bring a government-issued photo ID with you. The staff can look up bench warrant records and give you details about any active cases. Keep in mind that if you show up and you have an active bench warrant in Cherokee County, you could be arrested on the spot. Many people hire a lawyer to handle the inquiry for them. An attorney can check your status and file a motion to recall the bench warrant before you turn yourself in.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office also posts an online jail inmate list. While this is not a direct warrant search tool, it does show who is currently in custody and what charges they face. You can view the inmate list through the sheriff's website. If someone was picked up on a bench warrant in Cherokee County, the booking record will show that.

How Cherokee County Bench Warrants Are Issued

A bench warrant in Cherokee County starts with a missed court date. The judge notes that the person did not show. Under O.C.G.A. § 17-7-90, the court can then issue a bench warrant for that person's arrest. The clerk sends the warrant to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Deputies enter the warrant into both the Georgia Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center databases. From that point on, any law enforcement officer in the country can see the bench warrant during a routine check.

Cherokee County bench warrants do not expire. A warrant from three years ago carries the same weight as one issued last week. The only way to clear a bench warrant in Cherokee County is to go before the judge and address the case. Some attorneys can file a motion to lift the warrant and set a new court date. Until that happens, the person risks arrest at any traffic stop or police contact in Cherokee County or anywhere else.

The Cherokee County warrants page explains how residents can handle an active warrant.

The page states that you can call the office at 678-493-4251 and ask deputies to attempt service at your address after 5pm. They will tell you when the next evening service date is. This lets people with bench warrants in Cherokee County arrange a time to deal with the situation rather than getting surprised by an arrest.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Cherokee County

Getting a bench warrant in Cherokee County adds more legal trouble on top of the original charge. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-51 treats failure to appear as bail jumping. For a misdemeanor case, that means up to 12 months in jail and fines up to $1,000. For felony cases, penalties go up to one to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. These are extra penalties. They stack on top of whatever the person was originally charged with in Cherokee County.

Traffic bench warrants carry their own set of problems. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-13-63, willful failure to appear on a traffic citation is a separate offense with fines up to $200 or three days in jail. O.C.G.A. § 40-5-56 triggers an automatic license suspension when someone misses a traffic court date in Cherokee County. The Georgia Department of Driver Services handles these suspensions. Getting a license back costs $100 in reinstatement fees after the bench warrant is resolved.

Note: Driving on a suspended license from a bench warrant in Cherokee County is a separate criminal charge under Georgia law.

Cherokee County Warrant Records Access

Bench warrants are public records in Georgia. The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 gives people the right to get copies of government records, including warrants. Once a bench warrant has been issued and served in Cherokee County, the record is available to the public. Before service, some details may be held back to avoid alerting the person.

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office connects to the Georgia Crime Information Center database. GCIC stores all active bench warrant data for the state. Only law enforcement can search GCIC directly. The public must go through the local sheriff's office for warrant checks. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs GCIC and also handles the National Crime Information Center link. That is why a Cherokee County bench warrant shows up during police stops in other states too.

For a step-by-step guide on checking warrant status, the Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through what information you need and where to go. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists every county sheriff with contact details if you need to check warrants in other counties besides Cherokee.

Resolving a Bench Warrant in Cherokee County

If you have a bench warrant in Cherokee County, the worst thing to do is ignore it. The warrant will not go away on its own. There are a few ways to deal with it. The first option is to call a local attorney. A lawyer can contact the Cherokee County court on your behalf. They may file a motion to recall the bench warrant and get a new court date set. This avoids a surprise arrest. Many attorneys in the Canton area handle bench warrant cases regularly.

The second option is to turn yourself in at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. You go to the office at 498 Chattin Drive in Canton. Staff will process you on the bench warrant. You may be held until a bond is set, or you may be released on your own recognizance depending on the charge. The Cherokee County warrants page notes that you can call 678-493-4251 and ask for evening service at your home if that works better for your situation.

Under O.C.G.A. § 17-6-11, the court must send a 30-day notice by mail before issuing a bench warrant in certain traffic cases. If you did not get that notice, your attorney may use that as grounds to challenge the bench warrant in Cherokee County. After the warrant is recalled, the judge sets a new date. Show up to that hearing and the bench warrant issue is behind you.

Cities in Cherokee County

Cherokee County has several cities and towns. All bench warrants for Cherokee County residents are handled by the county sheriff's office in Canton. Which city you live in does not change where the warrant is filed. The court and sheriff serve the whole county.

Other towns in Cherokee County include Ball Ground, Holly Springs, Waleska, and Nelson. All bench warrant matters for these areas go through the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cherokee County. If you are not sure where a bench warrant was issued, check with the sheriff's office in each county. You need to contact the county where your case was filed.