Find Crawford County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Crawford County are issued by judges when someone fails to show up for court or does not follow the terms of their release. Crawford County is a small rural county in central Georgia with a population of around 12,000. The county seat is Roberta. Sheriff Lewis Walker runs the Crawford County Sheriff's Office and oversees all bench warrant service for the area. The county's courts process a modest number of cases compared to metro areas, but bench warrants here are entered into the same state and national databases used throughout Georgia. If you need to check on a bench warrant in Crawford County, the sheriff's office in Roberta is the main contact. No online search tool is available for warrants in this county.

Crawford County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Lewis Walker oversees the Crawford County Sheriff's Office in Roberta. The office handles all warrant service for the county courts, including bench warrants for failure to appear, bond violations, and probation violations. When a Crawford County judge issues a bench warrant, the sheriff's staff enter the warrant into the local system and transmit it to the Georgia Crime Information Center. GCIC connects to the national NCIC network, which makes the bench warrant visible to officers across the country. A traffic stop in any state could turn up a Crawford County bench warrant.

Crawford County is close to Macon and the Bibb County line. Some residents may have cases in both counties without realizing it. Each county tracks its own warrants separately, so you may need to check with both if you are unsure where your case was filed.

Note: Crawford County's proximity to Bibb County means some residents may need to check both counties for active bench warrants.

Searching Crawford County Bench Warrants

There is no online tool for looking up bench warrants in Crawford County. The county does not post warrant lists anywhere on the internet. To check on an active bench warrant, call the sheriff's office at 478-836-3116. Provide the full legal name and date of birth. The staff will check local records and the GCIC statewide system. If they find an active bench warrant, they can share basic information including the issuing court and the charge.

The Crawford County Clerk of Superior Court in Roberta is another place to ask. The clerk has access to all court files and can tell you whether a bench warrant was issued in a specific case. Having a case number speeds things up, but a name search is also possible. If you are the person named on the bench warrant, going in person could lead to arrest. Calling ahead or having a lawyer handle the inquiry is the smarter move. An attorney can also file a motion to recall the bench warrant if there is a valid reason you missed court.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through the standard process for checking warrants across Georgia, and Crawford County follows the same general procedures.

This state guide covers the basics of what you need and where to start when looking for a warrant in Georgia.

Crawford County Bench Warrant Consequences

A bench warrant in Crawford County brings new charges on top of the original case. Georgia treats failure to appear as a separate crime. O.C.G.A. 16-10-51 makes bail jumping on a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. For felonies, it can be one to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000. Leaving Georgia to dodge a Crawford County bench warrant can escalate a misdemeanor to a felony. The added charges come on top of whatever the original case carried, making the situation much worse.

Traffic bench warrants follow O.C.G.A. 40-13-63, with a fine of up to $200 or three days in jail. The court notifies the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which suspends the license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Getting it back means paying $100 in person or $125 by mail plus clearing the traffic case. O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 gives a 30-day notice period for certain traffic bench warrants, allowing the person to resolve the citation before the warrant takes effect.

Crawford County Warrant Records

Bench warrants in Crawford County are public records under the Open Records Act. O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 gives anyone the right to request and inspect government records, including served bench warrants. Unserved warrants may be restricted. Submit a written request to the Crawford County Clerk of Court or the sheriff's office. Include the name, case number, and type of records. The office has three business days to respond.

Crawford County Bench Warrant Resources

State agencies provide tools for bench warrant research in Crawford County. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation runs the GCIC database and accepts fugitive tips at 1-800-597-8477. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists the Crawford County Sheriff with up-to-date contact info. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory is another reliable source for verifying the Crawford County Sheriff's phone number and address before calling about a bench warrant.

Nearby Counties

If your case was filed in a different county, reach out to that county's sheriff for bench warrant information. These counties border Crawford County.