Do I need an attorney, or can I represent myself on an arrest warrant?
As with most legal actions in which you are a party to the case, you may act as your counsel when defending yourself against either an active or outstanding arrest warrant. However, criminal defense attorneys and even many judges would advise against this decision. Criminal law is complicated, with many legal technicalities associated with the criminal code. Because every action in defense of a criminal case can impact heavily on the result, it is better to hire an experienced attorney to represent your interests.
Resources for searching arrest records in Tuolumne County, CA
In Tuolumne County, the Clerk of the Superior Court’s Criminal Court maintains all of the records regarding criminal cases heard before the court. Located at 60 N. Washington Street, Sonora, CA 95370 (Telephone: 209-533-5563). The Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. You may do an online search for criminal case information, but you must know the case number. If you want to perform arrest records search by name, you will need to go to the clerk’s office in person.
The Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office maintains a database (Crime Graphics) of crimes reported in the county that may be searched online. You can view the locations where crimes happened and what types of crimes are most prevalent in your neighborhood. You can also view a list of missing persons and a list of recent arrests on the Sheriff’s website.
How do you get information on Tuolumne County warrants and arrests over the phone? (2021-update)
- For information on arrests and inmates, call the Custody Division/Dambacher Detention Center at 209-533-7270.
- For scheduling inmate visits, call at 1-877-578-3658 and for general jail-related information, dial- 1-800-844-6591.
- For general inquiries, use the non-emergency phone number of the Sheriff’s Office- 209-533-5815.
- For details pertaining to a criminal matter under investigation, call the Investigations Division at 209-694-2900.
- For information on arrest warrants, arrest records, incident reports and other crime reports, reach the Records Unit through the Administrative Section of the agency at 209-533-5855.
- For victims assistance, call the DA’s Office at 209-588-5440
Tuolumne County, California arrest records
In 2019, the crime rate of Tuolumne County increased by nearly 15% to scale to 840 incidents. In the previous year, the annual average stood at approximately 725 incidents. The annual crime total of 2019 included around 670 property crimes and nearly 170 violent crimes.
In the property crimes category, instances of burglary and larceny-theft brought in more than 300 complaints each. In the violent crimes category, aggravated assaults had an annual average of nearly 100 cases while rape cases had a yearly total of more than 60 complaints.
Tuolumne County, CA, had a low crime rate from 2001 through 2008 compared to other similar counties. Only 671 of the over 8,000 crimes committed during that period were violent in nature. However, because the crime rates were so low during the first years of that period, it skews the numbers when you view how rapidly the crime rate has grown in the area. During the eight years, crimes increased by almost 70%, with violent crimes rising by an additional 10% by 2008.