Execute a free Greene County warrant search to check records of anybody wanted by the local courts or law enforcement. The public is able to view, scrutinize, and reproduce warrant records in Greene County thanks to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Anyone can look at warrant records from county and state agencies — typically at no cost — except if document copying costs apply. This streamlined resource provides helpful information and steps for finding information on wanted persons in Greene County, Virginia.
A Look at Conducting a Free Greene County Warrant Search
Public agencies in Greene County will require persons searching for warrant records to have some information about the subject—the most important data would be the full names of the defendant.
It is crucial to know which county issued the warrant and which county the subject lives in—there are 95 counties in Virginia, including Greene County; this makes this information critical to be aware of.
Having tertiary information such as the defendant’s date of birth (DOB) and physical characteristics such as height, gender and race can make pinpointing the record easier.
Public agencies have the mandate to release warrant data to the public in Greene County due to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.1 This law permits citizens access to warrant records without any limitations except in cases where the release of information may interfere with a criminal investigation.
A noteworthy example is search warrants; these documents cannot be released since they may prompt suspects to destroy evidence of criminal wrongdoings.
However, for the most part, all other warrant records are available for public consumption. Several types of warrants are issued in Greene County, including search, bench, and arrest orders. These are covered in detail in subsequent sections.
In Greene County, citizens may contact the Circuit Clerk of Court or the Sheriff’s Office to view the different types of warrants.2, 3 Moreover, interested parties seeking information on wanted persons can seek these records from local public agencies such as police departments.
How To Check if You or Someone Else Has an Active Warrant in Greene County Virginia
Citizens can seek warrant data from the Greene County Circuit Clerk and the Sheriff’s Office. These agencies provide this information electronically; interested persons may also seek warrant records via mail, phone and in-person requests.
Acquire Warrant Records from the County Circuit Clerk: Interested individuals who need to find out if they or someone else is wanted can contact the Greene County Circuit Clerk, who maintains court records for the 16th Judicial Court of Virginia.4
This court has several divisions, including the Circuit Court, which deals with felonies, and the General District Court which oversees traffic violations, civil and minor criminal cases.
Moreover, the Clerk is responsible for records from the Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court (J&DR).
The fastest and most convenient way to access court records of all these divisions would be using the Greene County Case Search Tool furnished for free by the Virginia Judiciary.5
Depending on the court that issued the warrant, users can select from one of the 3 court levels: Circuit, General District, or J&DR Courts; they may then proceed to search records by name, case number, or hearing date.
Warrant information is under the Pleadings/Orders section. Data displayed will include warrant date, type, judge that issued the order and any remarks.
In addition, citizens can obtain court records via a FOIA request or visit the courthouse to view warrant information. While requests need not be in writing, the court prefers it this way to allow the requestor to detail exactly what records they are looking for. The county must respond to the record request within 5 business days after receipt of the application pursuant to § 1-210(A) of the Code of Virginia.
The Clerk charges for copies not exceeding $1.00 for the first page, and $0.50 for subsequent pages.6
Patrons can send the request to the Circuit Court Clerk, who is the designated FOIA Officer; they may do so by mail, fax, phone, email, or in person using the information below.
Circuit Court Clerk’s Office
22 Court Street
Stanardsville, Virginia 22973
Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 386
Stanardsville, Virginia 22973
Fax: 434.985.6723
Phone: 434.985.5208
Email: [email protected]
View Data on Wanted Persons via the Sheriff’s Office: The Greene County Sheriff’s Office serves warrants authorized by the courts and is a viable source for these records. The Sheriff’s Office has no online database of persons with warrants in Greene County. Nevertheless, they do have a link to wanted offenders both nationally and at a worldwide level from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.7
Therefore, interested parties will need to call or visit the Sheriff’s Office to ascertain this information. The contact number is 434.985.2222, and the address appears below.
Greene County Sheriff’s Office
10005 Spotswood Trail
Stanardsville, Virginia 22973
Similarly to the courts, the Sheriff of Greene County is a designated FOIA officer and can accept written requests for records including warrant documents. Mail and in-person requests are completed at the address above. Fax and email requests are executed by faxing 434.985.3373 or emailing [email protected].
Acquire Warrant Records via Local Public Agencies: There is only one town in Greene County, Stanardsville and two census-designated areas, Ruckersville and Twin Lakes. None of these towns and areas have a police department.
The Town of Stanardsville does not also provide a way to access warrant information. Thus, citizens will need to contact the county agencies outlined above for information on warrants.
How To Access Information on Anybody Wanted Throughout the State (Virginia Warrant Lookup)
Interested parties may need to find information on wanted individuals beyond Greene County state lines; they have two state agencies where they can acquire these records for free— the Virginia Judiciary and the state’s Department of Corrections.
As seen earlier, citizens can seek case status and information from the Virginia Judiciary’s electronic database that accesses records from all of the courts in the state including the District and General District Courts.9 This Virginia Courts Case Search Tool is free for public use, and the index permits users to find court records by county, name of the subject, and type of court.
See the section above for more information on the database. Interested individuals can also view this directory on Virginia’s Court System to obtain contact information and addresses of all the courts in the counties. Moreover, requesters can view these frequently asked questions to answer any queries they may have.
Furthermore, the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) maintains a list of the most wanted persons in the state.10
Data on offenders on this list appears below.
- Full Names of the Offender
- Mugshot (Photograph)
- Date of Birth
- Race
- Height
- Eye & Hair Color
- Sex
- Weight
- Alias
The VDOC provides a tip number—+1-(877)-896-5764, for vigilantes to anonymously submit a tip on any of these fugitives. They may also do so by calling 911 or the sheriff’s office at 434.985.2222. For any questions about this list, citizens can contact the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) by calling (804)-674-3000 or mailing them at the following address.
Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC)
Post Office Box 26963
Richmond, Virginia 23261
Requestors can also make a FOIA Request to the VDOC for records by mail, fax, email, phone, and in person. However, this service is not free and has associated costs related to the production of copies.
An Overview of Warrant Types
There are several types of warrants in Virginia and Greene County; however, the most common forms are arrest and bench orders. A warrant is a written document ordering (writ) and authorizing law enforcement to make an arrest, search a property and sometimes seize items.11
Judges will only issue warrants upon receiving probable cause as mandated by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Warrants are active and outstanding if not executed; this happens when a search order is completed, or someone is taken into custody. Warrants will also cease to be active if the subject of the writ pays the fines or reschedules a court date.
Arrest warrants are the most common form of writ in Greene County and direct and authorize the police to arrest individuals due to probable cause. Several kinds of arrest warrants include bench, alias, traffic and capias writs.
Judges issue bench warrants to defendants who have failed in their obligation to appear for their court date. Judges will order alias warrants if individuals don’t appear for a court date before a plea is entered or do not acknowledge a citation.
Capias warrants are a form of apprehension order issued to citizens who have pleaded or been found guilty after court appearances and who do not honor fines resulting from the conviction. When defendants repeatedly do not obey court orders in civil cases, the courts will issue Civil Capias warrants.
When offenders have committed crimes out of state and must be extradited to those states, they will have Governor’s warrants issued against them. If a suspect is in Greene County, a fugitive warrant may be sent out of state.
Parolees and probationers need to abide by court-imposed conditions. If they fail to honor these orders, particularly not reporting to their supervisory officers, probation or parole warrants will be issued against them.
Drivers who have not paid fines for their traffic violations will receive traffic warrants. Judges may order child support warrants for parents who have yet to keep up with their child maintenance payments.
Lastly, search warrants in Greene County are orders from the courts granting law enforcement agencies the right to search premises for evidence.12 Judges only issue these warrants when there is a justification in the form of probable cause.
How To Handle Outstanding Warrants in Greene County
Resolving a warrant is important as it prevents the inconvenience of being taken into custody—apprehension orders are quashed in several ways including paying fines due and rescheduling court dates. If someone has confirmation that a family member or friend has a warrant, it is advisable to inform them to allow them to resolve it rather than get arrested.
Sometimes, citizens may be alerted to fugitives living in their midst or at their workplace. They must not approach or confront these individuals; rather, they should contact law enforcement agencies.
In Greene County, vigilantes can submit an anonymous tip to the Sheriff’s Office by calling 434.985.2222. Citizens can also contact the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) by calling +1.877.896.5764.13
To resolve a personal warrant, defendants should enlist a legal representative’s services if they can afford one, particularly, if the apprehension order is for a serious crime. Lawyers can provide credible advice and will be present during the interrogation process. Their services can aid in defending a person, resulting in a dismissal or reduction of charges.
Alternatively, individuals can contact the Greene County Clerk for instructions on paying fines and overdue payments or rescheduling court dates that prompted the warrant.14
In extreme cases, jail time cannot be avoided, and the only way to resolve a warrant is by turning oneself in. Make sure to hire a lawyer, inform family members and enlist the services of a bond agent should a bail amount be set. It is important to remain silent and not communicate about your case to other cell mates or over the phone.
Citizens can perform a Greene County warrant search to determine if they are wanted or help safeguard the community by locating and reporting fugitives; this resource places helpful information in the hands of requesters to help them find the information they need.
References
1Virginia Law Library. (n.d). Code of Virginia. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodepopularnames/virginia-freedom-of-information-act/>
2Greene County Circuit Clerk of Court. (n.d). Staff. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.greenecountyva.gov/government/local/clerk-court/staff>
3Greene County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d). About Us. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <http://www.greenecountysheriffva.com/about-us/>
416th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. (n.d). Greene Circuit Court. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/greene/home.html>
5Virginia Judiciary. (n.d). Online Case Information System 2.0. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://eapps.courts.state.va.us/ocis/landing>
6Virginia’s Judicial System. (2023, July 01). Requesting Public Records from Clerks of Court. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.courts.state.va.us/courtadmin/aoc/lpr/reqpubrec/requesting_public_records_from_clerks_of_court.pdf>
7Greene County Sheriff’s Office. (n.d). Sex Offender Registry and Most Wanted. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <http://www.greenecountysheriffva.com/services/most-wanted/>
8Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d). Most Wanted. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.fbi.gov/wanted>
9Virginia’s Judicial System. (n.d). Case Status and Information. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.vacourts.gov/caseinfo/home.html>
10Virginia Department of Corrections. (n.d). Most Wanted. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://vadoc.virginia.gov/general-public/most-wanted/>
11Cornell Law School. (n.d). Warrant. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/warrant>
12Office of the Executive Secretary, Department of Magistrate Services. (2023, July). Magistrate Manual – Chapter 5: Search Warrant Procedures. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.vacourts.gov/courtadmin/aoc/mag/resources/magman/chapter05.pdf>
13Virginia Department of Corrections. (n.d). Contact Us. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://vadoc.virginia.gov/contact-us/>
14Greene County Clerk of the Circuit Court. (n.d). Clerk of the Court. Retrieved January 18, 2024, from <https://www.greenecountyva.gov/government/local/clerk-court>