Sheriff

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The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office provides 24-hour services for the protection of life and property and the preservation of the public peace in Stephens County. The Sheriff is responsible for a wide variety of duties relating to both civil and criminal matters.

The Sheriff’s Office enforces federal, state and local laws and ordinances, investigates all crimes in the county and arrests violators. Deputies also serve criminal warrants, civil papers and subpoenas, execute evictions, transport prisoners to court, provide security for State, Superior, Magistrate and Juvenile Courts and  juries and the Stephens County Courthouse. Deputies also patrol the county’s roads and highways, enforcing traffic laws and investigating traffic accidents.

The Sheriff is also responsible for the administration of the jail, the physical health and welfare of all inmates in the jail and the management of their property and money.

The Sheriff’s Office also serves as a source of crime prevention and safety information, providing lectures and programs to community groups, civic associations, and schoolchildren of all ages. Deputies also assist victims of crime, accidents, injury and misfortune whenever possible.

Sheriff Rusty Fulbright was elected to office in 2024. In 1990, he began his law enforcement career with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. Fulbright spent the majority of his career as an investigator. He served as a Drug Task Force Agent with the narcotics division between 1992 and 1999 and as a Crime Scene Technician with the Criminal Investigations Division between 2007 and 2017. Fulbright also served with the Lavonia Police Department from 1999 to 2003.

Sheriff Fulbright is a 1988 graduate of Stephens County High School. He is an Honor Graduate of the State of Georgia Crime Scene Technician Program and Criminal Investigations Program. In 2014, he was recognized as the Tri-State Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. He also received commendation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2001 for exceptional service to the public.

His continued in-service training has focused on Georgia law, budgeting and personnel, and narcotic and gang activity to help combat the issues Stephens County citizens face.