Many people believe that the only way for the police to apprehend a person is through the use of a Smyth County, Virginia arrest warrant. While this assumption is partly correct, it does not hold when it comes to felonies. In case of serious criminal offenses like homicide, assault, and rape, the offender can be arrested without a judicial order.
However, if the matter involves a misdemeanor, the police will have to get an active warrant from the local criminal tribunal before taking the accused into custody. It will also help to know here that when an investigation has to be conducted into the matter, and the role of a person is not immediately apparent, the police will usually get a warrant against this individual.
When a judicial order is required to bring in the accused, and if the arrest occurs without an arrest directive, a person can only be committed to custody based on probable cause. In case of active warrants from Smyth County, it is the magistrate’s responsibility to establish that there is enough evidence to accuse a person of a criminal act.
However, in cases where arrest warrants have not been sought, any lapse on this clause can mean that the matter may not go to trial as the detention itself will be deemed inappropriate. When looking for information on criminal history, a warrant search will be adequate in establishing the subject’s involvement in any nefarious incidents.
Because Smyth County outstanding warrants and arrest records and both reflected in the results of such an inquiry, this is the simplest and the fastest way to learn about a person’s background. For a warrant search, you can head to:
- Law enforcement: 111 West Court Street, Marion, Virginia 24354
- Judiciary: 109 W Main St, Marion, VA 24354
- County clerk: PO Box 1025, Marion, Virginia 24354
How do you get information on Smyth County arrests and warrants over the phone? (2021-update)
- The Sheriff’s Department can be reached at 276-782-4056 for general information, to file a request for arrest records or a warrant search, and even to provide a tip about someone with an outstanding warrant against him/her.
- The Abingdon Regional Jail can be contacted at 276-739-3520 for inmate-related information as well as details pertaining to recent arrests from Smyth County.
- The Clerk of Circuit Court can be contacted at 276-782-4044. This branch of the judiciary handles felony matters.
- For inquiries pertaining to court dockets of the District Court, connect with the GD Court Clerk at 276-782-4047 (Criminal and Traffic) and 276-782-4052 (JDR).
Crime statistics for Smyth County, Virginia
In 2019, the annual crime rate of Smyth County was almost at the same level as that of the previous year, with the local police receiving around 220 complaints. Of the reports filed, approximately 180 were against property crimes. Larceny thefts dominated this crime category with nearly 140 reports received against such incidents. The annual violent crime average stood at approximately 25 cases.
Almost 550 criminal incidents transpire in Smyth County, VA, annually. While only about 50 of these are of a violent nature, the remaining criminal occurrences have to do with vandalism, theft, robbery, and other property-related crimes. Since 2005 there has been an increase of almost 90% in both crime categories.