Montezuma County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Montezuma County chronicle every instance in which a peace officer—whether a sheriff’s deputy, municipal police officer, or other authorized agent—takes a person into custody. Colorado law allows an arrest when an officer:

• has probable cause to believe the individual committed a crime
• witnesses the offense
• executes a valid warrant, or
• detains someone who poses an immediate threat or violates a court order.

Public access to these records is governed by the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA), C.R.S. §§ 24-72-302 through 24-72-309, which requires disclosure of most arrest and booking information unless a specific exemption, such as juvenile protection or active-investigation privilege—applies.

The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office creates, maintains, and releases arrest files. Those taken into custody are booked into the Montezuma County Detention Center, where fingerprints, photographs, and booking sheets become part of the permanent record. Arrest records are also cross-referenced with Montezuma County court records, which track all subsequent hearings and case outcomes.

Are Arrest Records Public in Montezuma County?

According to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (C.R.S. § 24-72-301 et seq.), arrest records are generally available to the public in Montezuma County. However, C.R.S. § 24-72-305(5) gives custodians the option not to disclose records if doing so would be against the public interest. The arrestee's name, charges, booking information, and date of arrest are examples of public arrest information.

The following information is typically exempt from public disclosure:

• Records about minors.
• Erased or sealed records.
• Documents of ongoing inquiries.
• PII (personally identifiable information) that could be dangerous.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Montezuma County, a public arrest record typically comprises:

• The complete name of the arrestee.
• The birthdate.
• The gender.
• The booking picture.
• The Date and time of arrest.
• Where the arrest was made.
• The arresting authority.
• The accusations that are leveled against the arrestee.
• The details of the bond or bail.

The provisions for disclosure of public arrest information is outlined in Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA), specifically C.R.S. § 24-72-302 to § 24-72-305.

Montezuma County Arrest Statistics

Reports from the FBI UCR, the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office (June 2024), and other sources indicate that arrests for felony warrants, protection order violations, and drug-related offenses (such as illegal possession of controlled substances) are common. Although the overall number of arrests per year is not specified, the facility processed 2,243 prisoners in 2020 (28,815 total days of custody) and 2,100 prisoners by November 2021 (25,311 days). Domestic violence, weapon offenses, and probation violations accounted for the majority of arrests in 2024–2025, with specific cases such as second-degree assault and motor vehicle theft showing up on court dockets. While exact percentages by category are not available, felonies predominate in recent arrest logs, with a notable focus on probation violations and repeat offenders. The 104-bed jail frequently operates close to capacity, with an average of 60–70 inmates per day according to 2021–2022 reports.

Montezuma County Arrest Statistics

Recent summaries from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and the Montezuma County Sheriff’s monthly jail reports show that the most frequent custodial entries originate from:

• Felony arrest warrants and probation-violation pick-ups
• Protection-order violations
• Drug offenses (primarily possession of Schedule I–II controlled substances)

Although the Sheriff’s Office does not publish a single, year-end arrest total, workload snapshots illustrate the volume handled by the 104-bed detention facility:

*Average calculated from monthly jail-population tallies.
†Full-year 2021 total projected from January-November report.

Court dockets from 2024-2025 confirm that domestic violence assault (2nd degree), motor vehicle theft, weapons violations, and repeat probation offenses make up a large share of the felony caseload. An exact percentage breakdown by offense category is not yet available, but felonies clearly outnumber misdemeanors in the most recent arrest logs.

Find Montezuma County Arrest Records

Record seekers are typically required to provide the following information to have their requests processed:

• Full name of the arrestee (legal spelling and any aliases)
• Date and approximate time of arrest
• Arresting agency or case/booking number (if known)
• The requestee’s information and a copy of a valid photo ID

The county Sheriff’s office charges a nominal copy/administrative fee per page; same-day retrieval for walk-in requests if staff workload allows. To use the CBI ICHC, record seekers can expect to pay $6 per online view; $13 for notarized mail-in response.

It is worth noting that under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (C.R.S. § 24-72-305), the Sheriff may redact or withhold records that would:

• Identify a juvenile arrestee
• Compromise an active investigation or undercover tactic
• Reveal sealed or expunged information

All other arrest data—including adult bookings, charges, and bond amounts—are presumptively public.

Free Arrest Record Search in Montezuma County

Some of the resources mentioned in the preceding section, such as the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office, which serves as the primary custodian of arrest records, can be contacted to perform free searches for arrest records in Montezuma County. For those in state or federal custody, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Colorado Department of Corrections also provide free internet inmate lookup resources. Although third-party websites may require registration and have varying degrees of accuracy, they may also be used to check arrest records for free, even if they usually provide limited information to free users while comprehensive access is restricted to paying customers.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Colorado, unless they are sealed or purged following certain legislative restrictions, arrest records are permanently included on a person's criminal history. The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (C.R.S. § 24-72-305) states that arrest records are public and remain so unless they are deleted. Under C.R.S. § 24-72-701, inquirers may request that arrest records be sealed in specific situations, such as when no charges are brought, dropped, or found not guilty. Although successful sealing limits public access, records may still be viewed by law enforcement and specific entities. As a result, arrests are forever recorded if they are not sealed.

Expunge Montezuma County Arrest Records

In Montezuma County, Colorado, an arrest record can be sealed but not purged. Sealing and expungement are different under Colorado law; expungement usually only applies to acts committed by minors. The Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) §§ 24-72-701 to 24-72-708 include the pertinent laws.

Adult arrest records may be sealed per C.R.S. § 24-72-705 if:

• Following the arrest, no charges were brought.
• Charges were brought but subsequently dropped.
• The person was found not guilty.
• The person finished a deferred judgment and sentencing program or a diversion program.

When records are sealed, they remain hidden from the general public but are still available to law enforcement and specific authorities. The record is not destroyed.

Eligible persons may submit a petition to seal in the district court where the arrest occurred to start the procedure. The petition should include personal information, the date of the arrest, the name of the law enforcement agency, and the results of the case. Although fee waivers are occasionally offered, petitioners are typically charged a filing fee.

If the petition is granted, the court issues an order to seal, which needs to be forwarded to the district attorney, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and law enforcement.

Expungement is governed by C.R.S. § 19-1-306 and § 24-72-710 for marijuana offenses committed by minors. These permit records to be permanently erased under certain age and offense-related circumstances.

The Montezuma County District Court Clerk or the Colorado Judicial Branch website has additional information, including forms and eligibility guidelines. Although sealing provides a great deal of relief, unlike expungement in other jurisdictions, it does not completely remove all records.

Montezuma County Arrest Warrant Search

An arrest warrant is a formal order from a judge or magistrate allowing law enforcement to arrest an individual. C.R.S. Section 16-3-102 and § 16-3-108 govern arrest warrants in Montezuma County. If a crime is committed in front of law enforcement or if probable cause is established, they may arrest without a warrant. However, officers usually provide a judge with an affidavit detailing the facts that establish probable cause if the suspect is not immediately taken into custody.

After reading the affidavit, the judge issues an arrest warrant if they are persuaded. Officers are authorized by the warrant to take the designated person into custody and appear in court. Until it is performed or revoked by a judge, it is still enforceable.

Under C.R.S. § 16-3-108, an arrest warrant in Colorado normally consists of:

• The complete name or adequate description of the defendant
• The alleged transgression
• The issuance date and location
• The issuing judge or magistrate's name and signature
• Instructions for arrest and custody
• Information about bail, if any

Since warrant details are typically not provided over the phone, people can check for active warrants by physically visiting the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office. The Montezuma County District Court, which keeps warrant records, is another place people can ask questions. Depending on system availability and privacy regulations, court case access systems may also permit restricted online searches using a case number or name.

Do Montezuma County Arrest Warrants Expire?

In Colorado's Montezuma County, arrest warrants are permanent. A warrant is valid until it is executed (the person is arrested), recalled by the court, or annulled for legal reasons once it has been issued by a judge under C.R.S. § 16-3-108. Years may pass before a warrant is lifted, particularly if the offender evades detection. However, whether a warrant is enforced may depend on several variables, including the case's outcome or a court decision.