Calhoun County Criminal History Records

Searching criminal history in Calhoun County starts with the Clerk of Court in St. Matthews and the online Public Index maintained by the SC Judicial Branch. Calhoun County is one of South Carolina's smaller counties, with a population of around 14,000 people. Records here cover General Sessions criminal cases, civil matters, and family court filings. This guide explains how to find Calhoun County criminal records through the right official channels.

Calhoun County Clerk of Court

The Calhoun County Clerk of Court is Hon. Robert Brockington, who also serves as the Register of Deeds. The physical address is 902 South F.R. Huff Drive, St. Matthews, SC 29135. Mailing address is PO Box 709, St. Matthews, SC 29135-0709. The office phone number is (803) 874-3524 and the fax is (803) 874-1942. Email contact is rbrockington@calhouncounty.sc.gov. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Clerk maintains all General Sessions criminal records for Calhoun County. These include warrants, tickets, bonds, indictments, criminal case files, and sentence sheets. The office also holds Common Pleas civil records and Family Court filings. Copy fees typically run $0.25 to $1.00 per page, with additional certification fees for certified copies.

When files are stored in the courthouse, the office typically has a 24-hour turnaround for copy requests. If records have been archived off-site, additional time may be needed.

Note: Confirming whether records are on-site before visiting can save time, particularly for older case files.

Calhoun County Public Index Case Search

Calhoun County court records are searchable online through the Calhoun County Public Index. This free system is maintained by the SC Judicial Branch and includes criminal, civil, and family court cases. You can search by party name or case number.

The Public Index shows case status, charges filed, court dates, and docket entries. It does not provide downloadable documents. For certified copies, you must contact the Clerk of Court in St. Matthews directly.

The system is available online at all hours. New filings may take a short time to appear after processing. Juvenile cases are not included in public searches.

Note: Searching a full name without a date of birth may return multiple results, so use additional identifiers when possible to confirm the right person.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Records

The Calhoun County Sheriff's Office is located at 289 N. Main Street, St. Matthews, SC 29135. The main phone number is (803) 874-2741. The Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement throughout Calhoun County's unincorporated areas and maintains records of arrests, incidents, bookings, and warrants.

Arrest records at the Sheriff's Office are separate from the official court case history maintained by the Clerk. A local arrest record shows that someone was taken into custody. The court record from the Clerk shows what happened next. Both can be relevant when researching criminal history in Calhoun County.

Requests for Sheriff's Office records are governed by the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act at Title 30, Chapter 4. Agencies must acknowledge requests promptly and respond within 10 to 20 business days depending on how old the records are.

Note: Sheriff's Office records do not always reflect the final court outcome, so checking the Clerk's Public Index for case resolution is recommended.

SLED Statewide Criminal History Search

SLED, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, maintains the statewide criminal history database. A search through SLED covers all of South Carolina, including Calhoun County records that have been reported to the state system. This is often the most complete single-source check available.

The SLED CATCH system allows online name-based criminal history searches for $25. You can also submit a mail request to SLED Records at PO Box 21398, Columbia SC 29221, or call 803.896.1443. Fingerprint-based requests are available for more thorough and accurate results.

The SLED website has additional information on how the criminal history system works and what records are included. Some categories of records, such as arrests without convictions, may or may not appear depending on how they were submitted by local agencies.

Note: A SLED name-based check does not catch records in other states or federal courts, so it reflects only South Carolina history.

Calhoun County Magistrate Court

Calhoun County's magistrate court handles traffic citations, misdemeanor offenses, bond hearings, preliminary hearings, and civil claims up to $7,500. These are lower-level courts that handle a large portion of everyday criminal matters before they move to General Sessions or are resolved at the magistrate level.

Magistrate court records may not always be fully reflected in the online Public Index. Contact the Calhoun County Clerk of Court at (803) 874-3524 for help locating magistrate-level records for specific dates or case types. The clerk can direct you to the right magistrate judge's office if needed.

Note: Some misdemeanor cases are resolved entirely at the magistrate level and never reach General Sessions, so magistrate records can be important to a complete criminal history search.

State Corrections and Probation Records

Calhoun County residents sentenced to state prison are tracked through the SC Department of Corrections. The free inmate search at public.doc.state.sc.us shows current and past incarceration records, sentences, and release dates. Search by name or SC DOC identification number.

People on active supervision in Calhoun County may be under the SC Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Their website at dppps.sc.gov provides information about supervision programs and pardon applications. A pardon restores civil rights but does not erase the record.

Expungement under South Carolina law can remove eligible records from public access. Section 17-1-40 covers the process and eligibility rules.

Note: Not all convictions qualify for expungement. An attorney familiar with South Carolina law can advise on whether a particular record is eligible.

Calhoun County FOIA and Public Records

The Calhoun County FOIA Coordinator is Ms. Shayla Jenkins, Clerk to Council, located at 102 Courthouse Drive, Suite 108, St. Matthews, SC 29135. Her phone number is (803) 874-2435 and email is sjenkins@calhouncounty.sc.gov. FOIA requests to county agencies must receive a written response within the time limits set by state law.

Standard FOIA requests cover non-exempt public records such as incident reports, meeting minutes, and agency correspondence. Requests should describe the records as precisely as possible. Copy fees and staff time charges may apply for large requests.

Note: Records that are part of an active criminal investigation, or those protected by court seal, may be withheld from FOIA responses under current South Carolina law.

Calhoun County SLED Resources and Sex Offender Registry

The South Carolina Sex Offender Registry at scor.sled.sc.gov is searchable by county and allows residents to look up registered sex offenders in Calhoun County by address or name. The registry is free to use and is maintained by SLED under state statute.

The SC Judicial Branch maintains a courthouse directory that lists contact information for every county in the state. For Calhoun County, it includes the courthouse address and clerk contact information. This directory is a reliable way to verify current contact details before submitting records requests.

Note: Registry information reflects registrations on file at the time of your search and may not reflect very recent changes in residence or registration status.

Nearby Counties in the 11th Circuit

Calhoun County is part of the 11th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina. It borders Orangeburg, Lexington, Richland, Clarendon, and Sumter counties. Cases that began in a bordering county or involve people with connections to multiple counties may have records in more than one court system.

The SC Judicial Branch case records search page links to all county Public Index systems and provides guidance on how to conduct searches statewide. Each county must be searched separately.

• Clarendon County Criminal History
• Dorchester County Criminal History
• Colleton County Criminal History

Note: Statewide criminal history through SLED is often more efficient than checking each county separately when doing a broad search.