Upon the affidavits and complaints received by officers and individuals, the judges in Magistrate Court sign arrest warrants for Cherokee County. Once a judge signs a warrant, it is transferred to law enforcement agencies for execution as an active warrant. While an officer should have an active warrant before making an arrest, officers in South Carolina can arrest a suspect without a warrant if the officer is a witness to the crime. The exception is if the offense is a felony. If the officer has probable cause to believe a suspect committed a felony, he may arrest the suspect without a warrant and without witnessing the crime.
Cherokee County courts and records
To look for criminal records and active cases in Cherokee County, use the Seventh Circuit’s Index. Information about court cases for both Magistrate Court and Circuit Court can be found by searching records through the public index. Narrow your search by selecting a particular action type or case types such as “warrants” or “criminal cases.”Once you find an open criminal case, you can request more information by calling the Magistrate that issued the warrant. For cases that have been transferred to the Circuit Court, you should contact the Clerk’s office for more information.
Warrant searches and outstanding warrants
To request details regarding outstanding warrants or to ask for a criminal background check, you must contact the Sheriff’s Office for Cherokee County. You can also get a list of the county’s Most Wanted fugitives and information on cold cases from the Sheriff’s website. There is also an inmate search for those wanting to get information on current inmates.
Can you get any data on arrests and warrants from Cherokee County over the phone (2021-specific)?
- From the Office of the Sheriff: You can call them on 864-489-4722 to know more about the process for initiating an arrest records search or criminal background check.
- From the Detention Center: You can call on 864-487-2529 to find out about currently incarcerated inmates and detainees who have been recently arrested.
- From the Office of the Clerk of Court: This agency can help you with information on criminal cases handled by the Magistrate’s Court as well as the Circuit Court. You can call them on 864- 487-2571.
- From the Office of the Magistrate: You can call this agency on 864-902-2385 for information pertaining to matters being heard by the criminal division of the court. Get in touch with them on (864) 902-2386 for traffic violation cases. For details on preliminary hearings and DV Court matters, call on (864) 902-2384.
Cherokee County, SC crime statistics
Crime stats for 2019 looked promising, though a few bumps appeared. Arson and aggravated assault cases grew. Property crimes fell significantly from over 2200 to a little more than 1900. Still, the total average of violent crimes showed a small increase. This uptick came mainly from aggravated assault cases, which reached 233, climbing roughly 5% compared to the year before. Stirring up suspense, these figures hold deeper stories waiting to unfold.
Between 2000 and 2008, approximately 18,400 crimes were committed in Cherokee county, with almost one-half of the crimes occurring less than one mile from the victim’s home. Most of the crimes that occurred during this time were theft or burglary-related. Overall, crime rates rose by about eighty-five percent during this time.