Find Bent County Busted Mugshots

Bent County busted mugshots and arrest records are handled by the Bent County Sheriff's Office in Las Animas, Colorado. The sheriff runs law enforcement across this southeastern Colorado county and manages the local jail. All bookings and arrest records for Bent County go through the sheriff's office. This page explains the search tools and processes for finding Bent County mugshots, how to request records, and what Colorado law says about public access to arrest data in this part of the state.

Bent County Mugshot Records

The Bent County Sheriff's Office in Las Animas is where all arrest processing takes place for the county. When deputies make an arrest in Bent County, the person is brought to the jail for booking. The booking process creates the official arrest record. Staff take a mugshot, record the charges, and log the person's information. This record stays with the Bent County Sheriff even after the person leaves custody.

Bent County has a small population. The jail reflects that. It does not hold a large number of inmates at any given time. The county may use agreements with nearby counties to house inmates when space runs short or when special circumstances arise. The Arkansas River runs through Bent County, and Las Animas sits along Highway 50. Despite the small size, the sheriff's office follows the same booking procedures as any other county in Colorado. Every arrest in Bent County produces a record that includes a mugshot, charges, and personal details about the person who was arrested.

Note: Bent County's small jail may transfer inmates to larger facilities in neighboring counties when needed.

Search Bent County Arrest Records

Bent County does not run a public online inmate search tool. To find Bent County busted mugshots, you need to use state-level tools or contact the sheriff directly. The CBI online records check at cbirecordscheck.com is the best starting point. It costs $6.85 per name search. The CBI database pulls arrest records from across Colorado. If a Bent County arrest was reported to CBI, you will find it in the results. The search is quick. Most results come back the same day.

The CBI records check tool at cbirecordscheck.com gives you access to statewide criminal history data, including Bent County arrests.

Run a name search here to check for arrest records across all Colorado counties.

If you want records that are not in the CBI system, call the Bent County Sheriff's Office in Las Animas. Tell them who you are looking for. Give them the full name and any other info you have. They will search their local files. Under Colorado law, arrest records are public. The sheriff must share records of official action when asked.

Records Laws for Bent County

Two Colorado laws control how Bent County shares arrest records with the public. The first is the CCJRA. This stands for the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. It requires agencies like the Bent County Sheriff to release records of official action. Arrests are official actions. So are charges, indictments, and sentences. The second law is CORA, the Colorado Open Records Act. CORA sets the rules for how you make a request and how fast the agency has to respond. For Bent County, the sheriff's office has three business days to get back to you after receiving a written request.

Fees for Bent County records are set by state law. The first hour of staff time is free. After that, you pay up to $41.37 per hour for research time. Paper copies cost $0.25 per page. Most simple requests for a single Bent County arrest record will not cost anything because they take less than an hour to process. Bigger requests may add up. If you think your request will be large, ask the sheriff's office for an estimate of the cost before they start the search. That way you know what to expect before committing to the full request for Bent County records.

Bent County Court Records

Bent County sits in the 16th Judicial District. Criminal cases from Bent County go to the district court in Las Animas. Court records tell a different story than booking records. The court file shows what happened after the arrest. It covers charges from the DA, plea deals, trial outcomes, and sentencing. You can search Bent County court cases through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The court system lets you look up cases by name or case number.

Court records and mugshots are kept in different places. The court does not hold booking photos. The Bent County Sheriff has those. If you want the complete criminal history for someone in Bent County, check both sources. The court file tells you the legal outcome. The sheriff's records tell you about the arrest itself, including the mugshot. Both sets of records are public for most adult cases in Bent County.

Note: The 16th Judicial District Court in Las Animas handles all felony and misdemeanor cases from Bent County.

Sealing Bent County Records

If you have a Bent County arrest on your record, Colorado law may let you seal it. Under C.R.S. 24-72-703, you can file a petition with the 16th Judicial District Court to seal your criminal record. The filing fee is $224, but you can ask for a waiver if money is tight. Cases that ended without a conviction, like dismissals or acquittals, are often eligible. Some convictions qualify too, depending on the offense and how much time has passed. Once the court grants the petition, the Bent County arrest record and mugshot are sealed from public view.

Automatic sealing is also part of Colorado law now. C.R.S. 24-72-704 covers situations where CBI seals records on its own. If you were arrested in Bent County after January 1, 2022, and the district attorney did not file charges within one year, those records may get sealed automatically. Drug convictions can also qualify for automatic sealing under certain rules. On top of that, HB 14-1047 says mugshot websites have to remove booking photos for free if the person was not convicted. Sealed records still exist for law enforcement to see, but the public cannot access them through normal search channels.

Bent County Inmate Tracking

The VINE system works for Bent County inmates. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. Register at vinelink.com to get alerts about custody changes. If someone who was arrested in Bent County gets released, transferred, or escapes, you will get a notification. The service is free and confidential. It was built for victims of crime, but there is no restriction on who can sign up to track an inmate.

For people who went from a Bent County conviction to state prison, use the Colorado DOC offender search at doc.state.co.us/oss. This database shows people serving state sentences. It lists their current facility, sentence length, and parole eligibility date. It does not cover people in the Bent County jail or those who have already been released. Between the sheriff's office, VINE, and the DOC search, you can track a Bent County case from arrest through release.

Bent County Background Checks

CBI handles all state-level background checks in Colorado, including those that cover Bent County arrests. The CBI records and background checks page explains the types of checks and their costs. Name-based checks cost $6.85 and provide fast results. Fingerprint checks are more complete but take about 10 business days and cost more. For a quick look at whether someone has a Bent County arrest on file, the name check is usually enough.

The CBI homepage is the central hub for criminal records services in Colorado.

This is where you start for background checks and records requests that include Bent County data.

Small counties like Bent can have a slight delay in getting data to CBI. The arrest still gets reported. It just takes a little longer sometimes. If you need the most current Bent County busted mugshots and booking info, a direct call to the sheriff in Las Animas gives you the freshest data. CBI is better for historical checks and statewide searches that go beyond just Bent County.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with Bent County. If an arrest happened near a county line, the booking may be in one of these jurisdictions instead.