Alpena County Arrest Records

In Alpena County, Michigan, law enforcement officers are authorized to take an individual into custody when they have probable cause to believe that they have committed a crime so that the law may take its course. Upon arrest, the individual is usually booked at the nearest law enforcement facility, creating an arrest record. The record is subsequently included in the Alpena County court records.

Arrest records typically contain:

• The name of the suspect and definite descriptions, such as ethnicity
• The offense they are accused of committing
• The defendant's last known address, or prescribed arrest location
• The signature of the judge

Are Arrest Records Public in Alpena County?

Yes, Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, records collected or created by government agencies in the discharge of their duties are public records. The act stipulates citizens' rights to have access to government records, thereby encouraging transparency. Exceptions to this rule are made for privacy, confidentiality, and public interest.

Alpena County Arrest Statistics

In Alpena County, Michigan, law enforcement responsibilities are shared between the Alpena County Sheriff's Office and the Alpena Police Department. According to the Michigan State Police 2022 Uniform Crime Report, 51 violent crimes, 28 aggravated assaults, and 21 sexual assaults were reported in the County. The crime rate is 50 per 10,000 residents, exceeding Michigan's rate of 39.5.

Find Alpena County Arrest Records

In Alpena County, interested parties seeking arrest records should visit the law enforcement agency closest to the arrest location. This could be the nearest police department within the county or the county sheriff's office. They could also use the County sheriff's web portal. They may search for records using the name, arrest date, and offence.

Requesters may call or visit:

Alpena County Sheriff's Office
4900 M32 W, Alpena, MI 49707
Phone: (989) 354-9830

Interested parties may obtain information about individuals sentenced for crimes against the state through county courts or by accessing the inmate files maintained by the Michigan Department of Corrections. Through the department's Offender Information Tracking System (OTIS), interested parties may access information about individuals sentenced for grievous state criminal offences, active inmates, parolees, and recently discharged individuals. The records in the system are limited to the last three years.

Alpena County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are often mixed up. An arrest record is created when an individual is accused of committing a crime and detained by law enforcement officers, even if they are not necessarily charged with or convicted.

On the other hand, a criminal record is a history of an individual's arrests, convictions, and incarcerations. Potential employers, landlords, or licensing bodies may access criminal records through the courts and other sources. Sometimes a criminal record also contains details about the crime and information about previous arrests. Once an individual has ever been arrested, they have a criminal record, regardless of whether they were found guilty or not.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Alpena County, arrests stay on record indefinitely. The public may not readily see records of arrests without convictions, but such records show up after querying the ICHAT system. Also, the state of Michigan has provisions under the Michigan Clean Slate whereby certain eligible records may be set aside, automatically removing public access to such records. Other offences require the subjects to apply to the courts to set aside their arrest records. However, law enforcement agencies and other authorised individuals may still access arrest records set aside or sealed.

Alpena County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a written legal order commanding law enforcement to take a suspect into custody and make them appear before a court. Under the law, specifically MCL Section 764.1, judges and magistrates may issue arrest warrants when law enforcement agents have met specific requirements. This includes filing a complaint against the suspect, with an affidavit that contains probable cause demonstrating or proving that the individual is guilty of committing a crime.

Moreover, judges may issue arrest warrants for individuals without complaints filed when they have disobeyed court orders. When individuals violate legal directives such as summons, parole, or probation, the charges against them continue to increase. Typically, arrest warrants contain the name of the individual to be arrested, the offence, a directive to law enforcement to arrest them, their last known address, and a prescribed arrest location.

Do Alpena County Arrest Warrants Expire?

If an individual has an active warrant for their arrest, the matter will not simply go away or expire with time. If not, hardened criminals would continue to escape justice due to the loophole within the criminal justice system. A warrant will remain on record until it is addressed or resolved.

Expunge Alpena County Arrest Records

In Alpena County, expungement allows an individual's arrest records to be set aside or sealed from the public. When an individual is arrested without a conviction, such a record may appear in the Michigan State Police's ICHAT platform. To change this, affected individuals may contact the arresting agency. Most law enforcement agencies, including the Alpena County Sheriff's Office, have a dedicated records unit to address such issues.

Convicted individuals may have their records set aside automatically if they qualify under the Michigan Clean Slate law. If the offence they were charged with is listed on the Michigan State Police's automatic set-aside checklist webpage.

Individuals who qualify may also petition a court to set aside their arrest records if they meet the rules in MCL Section 780.621. They may check their criminal records using Michigan State's ICHAT platform to determine if their conviction qualifies under the Clean Slate law.

Setting aside a conviction requires the subject of the record to complete the Application to Set Aside Adult Conviction form. The form is available on the Michigan courts website. After filling it out, they must submit it to the court that issued the conviction. Additionally, they need to send their fingerprints, a copy of the official conviction record, the set-aside application, and a $50 payment to the Michigan State Police. They also have to send copies of the certified conviction record and the set-aside application to both the prosecutor in charge of the case and the Michigan Attorney General.