Natrona County Arrest Records

Natrona County arrest records are official documents that contain information about incidents in which individuals were arrested and taken into custody by a law enforcement agency. Per WY Stat §7-2-102, a peace officer can arrest an individual if they have a warrant commanding the person's arrest or reasonable ground to believe a warrant has been issued. However, warrants are not the only preconditions for arrest. Pursuant to WY Stat §7-2-102, a peace officer can arrest an individual without a warrant when:

• The individual committee's criminal offense in the officer's presence
• The officer has probable cause to believe the individual has committed a felony or misdemeanor offense.

Local law enforcement agencies usually generate and preserve arrest records following an arrest made by peace officers they employ. They also make these records available to public agencies, such as the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the local judiciary system. In turn, these agencies include arrest records in other relevant records they maintain, like Natrona County Court Records, criminal history records, and statistical records on arrests.

Are Arrest Records Public in Natrona County?

Yes. Under Wyoming Public Record Act (WY Stat §16-4-201 through 205), records generated, accepted, or obtained by governmental entities in furtherance of their official function and transaction of public business, like arrests, are considered public records. As a result, most arrest records are accessible to the general public in Natrona County.

Notwithstanding, the Wyoming Public Record Act has several exceptions. For instance,

records made privileged or confidential by law, like juvenile arrest records and other similar records, are not subject to disclosure under the act. Other exempt records include arrestee medical records, records whose release may endanger an individual's life or physical safety, and investigatory records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Common information people can expect public arrest records to contain includes but are not limited to the following:

• The arrestee's age, race, gender, height, weight, hair and eye color
• The arrestee's full name, date of birth, and address
• Alleged offense and accompanying charges
• Arrest time, date, and location
• Arresting agency's details
• The arrestee's mugshot
• Court details
• Release information, such as bond amount (if available)

Natrona County Arrest Statistics

According to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation's 2023 Crime in Wyoming report, Natrona County recorded 1,295.6 arrests per 100,000 population in 2023. In total, 180 arrests were made in the county in 2023, including 160 adult arrests and 20 juvenile arrests. Furthermore, the report categorized arrests made that year into two (2) groups, namely Group A and Group B offenses. Group B offenses had a total of 142 arrests, while arrests for Group A offenses were significantly lower, with a total of 38 arrests. Some of the most recorded offenses categorized under Group B offenses were liquor law violations (69) and driving under the influence (37). Meanwhile, simple assaults (17), drug/narcotics violations (12), and larceny (4) were the most recurring offenses categorized under Group A offenses.

Generally, Natrona County experienced a 33% increase in arrests in 2023 compared to the previous year (2022), when 252 arrests were recorded.

Find Natrona County Arrest Records

Interested persons can find Natrona County arrest records by querying local law enforcement agencies, such as the Natrona County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments. To facilitate their queries, records seekers must be able to provide certain details about the arrest to help in the record's identification. These details include, but are not limited to, the arrestee's name, the arrest date, or location.

Most local law enforcement agencies in Natrona County accept in-person queries for arrest records at their physical address during regular office hours (Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm). Some agencies like Natrona County Sheriff's Office and Casper Police Department also provide dedicated online forms record seekers can complete and submit to request records. The Natrona County Sheriff's Office Records Request Form can be found on the county's form center page. Meanwhile, the Casper Police Department Public Online Records Request Form is accessible through the agency's website. On the other hand, those who are interested in obtaining the public arrest records of the Evansville Police Department can do so by contacting their Record Office at (307) 234-1270 or by email at epdrecords@evansville-wy.gov.

In cases where an individual was arrested and booked in the Natrona County Detention Center, interested persons can contact the center's automated phone system at (307) 235-9521 to inquire about the arrestee's whereabouts.

Free Arrest Record Search in Natrona County

Record seekers may be able to search and inspect arrest records for free in Natrona County at local law enforcement agencies. Most agencies do not charge requesters a fee for making an arrest record request or inspecting records. However, requesters are charged for copies of records an agency provides them.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

According to the Local Government Records Retention Schedules that the Wyoming State Archives provides, local law enforcement agencies can retain arrests and detainment records for 5 years after completion. Meanwhile, mugshots are retained for 20 years after their creation date.

Expunge Natrona County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process that restricts public access to a criminal history record, such as an arrest record. The process entails filing a petition for an order of expungement with a court of appropriate jurisdiction.

Generally, only individuals who meet the requirements outlined by relevant Wyoming Statutes are eligible to have their records expunged. The provisions of these statutes are as follows:

• WY Stat § 7-13-1401: an arrest record may be eligible for expungement provided the arrestee was not convicted of the offense, 180 days have passed since the arrest date or the date the charges were dropped, and the arrestee has no pending charges
• WY Stat § 7-13-1501: a single misdemeanor conviction may be eligible for expungement if the conviction did not involve the use of a firearm or sexual assault by a healthcare provider against a patient. Additionally, there is a 5-year wait period after the completion of sentence for any non-status offenses and a year wait period after completion of sentence for any status offenses.
• WY Stat § 7-13-1501: a single felony conviction may be eligible for expungement if 10 years have passed since the offender completed the sentence and they have paid all court-ordered restitution. Nevertheless, some felony convictions cannot be expunged. These include but are not limited to felony convictions related to sexual exploitation of children, incest, endangering children, and escape from detention.

Provided an individual meets the eligibility requirements outlined by any of the aforementioned statutes, they can apply to have qualifying record(s) expunged via the following steps:

• Step 1 (prepare an expungement petition): Unfortunately, no dedicated expungement petition form exists. Hence, prospective petitioners must draft their petition themselves. Note that the law under which the petitioner's record qualifies for expungement should outlined in the petition along with other required information. Prospective petitioners are advised to employ the services of a licensed attorney to assist in preparing an expungement petition;
• Step 2 (prepare the required fee): There are no filing fees for petitions to expunge a non-conviction arrest record. However, there is a $100 and $300 filing fee to file a petition to expunge a misdemeanor and felony offense, respectively.
• Step 3 (file the petition and fee): The expungement petition and required fee should be filed with the court where the petitioner's case was heard or the conviction was received.
• Step 4 (file a copy of the petition with the appropriate offices or agencies): A petition to expunge a non-conviction arrest record must be filed with the prosecuting attorney. Meanwhile, a petition to expunge a misdemeanor or felony conviction must be filed with the prosecuting attorney and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations.

Once the required documents have been submitted to the appropriate court and other relevant places, the court will set a hearing date if there are any objections to the expungement petition. Otherwise, the court would grant the petition and issue an order of expungement for the petitioned record.

Natrona County Arrest Warrants

A Natrona County arrest warrant is a court order issued by a judicial officer that commands the arrest of a specific defendant for an alleged crime they committed. An arrest warrant may be issued at the request of a state attorney when they submit verified information or an affidavit(s) that contain probable cause to believe that a defendant committed an offense. Per Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 4, an arrest warrant must contain the following information:

• The issuing judicial officer's signature
• The defendant's name or a description of the defendant that identifies them with reasonable certainty
• Description of the alleged offense.

Once issued, an arrest warrant is usually delivered to law enforcement officers for execution. Generally, arrest warrants can be executed anywhere permitted by law.

Do Natrona County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Once issued, a Natrona County arrest warrant remains active indefinitely pending the defendant's apprehension or death. However, the issuing judicial officer can recall or quash an arrest warrant in certain cases.