Eaton County Arrest Records

An arrest involves a police officer taking a person into custody to prevent or investigate a crime. For an arrest to occur, the police must either have a warrant, witness a crime, or have probable cause to believe a crime has been or will be committed. When an arrest occurs, the police officer detains the suspect, places them in handcuffs, and tells them the Miranda warning. After this, the suspect is taken to the police station, where the booking process begins.

The booking process is where the information contained in an arrest record is taken down. In a way, it is the first step in preparing an arrest record. The arrest record is filled in with the suspect's personal information, including their name, age, address and photo, DNA sample, and handwriting sample. Once the arrest record has been prepared it is then published as public information.

Inmates in Eaton County are typically held at the Eaton County Jail. The Eaton County Jail is a Medium security level County Jail. The Eaton County Jail has a 374-bed capacity. It is used to hold inmates, including pre-trial detainees, people serving time for misdemeanors and felonies and those waiting to be moved to the Michigan Department of Corrections prisons.

The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of law enforcement within the county and manages the county jail. It is also responsible for processing criminal and non-criminal reports, including arrest records.

For more information about Eaton County Arrest Records, reach out to the County Sheriff’s Office at:

1025 Independence Boulevard
Charlotte, MI 48813
Phone: (517) 543-3512
Website

To access Eaton County Court Records, visit the County Clerk’s Office and use the following address:

1045 Independence Boulevard,
Suite 200, Charlotte, MI, 48813

Are Arrest Records Public in Eaton County?

According to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), arrest records are considered public information and can be freely accessed by the general public. This means Eaton County residents have free access to arrest records that are relevant to the county. This is done in order to enable transparency regarding arrested individuals in the county. Making arrest records in Eaton County public information has the effect of empowering residents to hold the Sheriff’s Office accountable for arrests made within the county.

That said, there are situations that may necessitate the restriction of certain arrest records. Such situations include:

• A situation where access to an arrest record is restricted in order to protect a witness
• A situation where the information in an arrest record may interfere with an ongoing investigative process or the prosecution of a case
• A situation where public access to an arrest record may put a juvenile person at risk
• A situation where the information about a suspect may reveal medical or mental health information that may put them at risk
• A situation where access to the arrest record may be used for discriminatory purposes

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records are considered public information in Eaton County. They contain information about the arrested individual and provide a basic explanation of the arrest.

The information that can typically be found in an arrest record includes:

• The suspect’s name and age
• The suspect’s address and contact information
• The date, time, and location of the arrest
• The charges filed against the suspect
• Information about the arresting agency
• Dates for the suspect’s court appearances
• Information concerning bail
• The correctional facility where the suspect is being held

Eaton County Crime Rate

Eaton County has a low crime rate compared to the national average. According to FBI statistics, the violent crime rate in Eaton County is 11.6, which is roughly half the US average of 22.7. In terms of violent crimes such as robbery, assault, murder, and nonnegligent manslaughter, Eaton is a relatively safe County for residents and visitors.

Property crime is also low, though it occurs at a much higher rate than violent crime. The property crime rate in Eaton is 22.4, though it is still lower than the national average of 35.4. These factors contribute to crimes such as theft, burglary, arson, and motor vehicle theft.

Eaton County Arrest Statistics

Eaton County Law Enforcement arrests around 8,200 individuals annually. Around 440 of these arrests are for violent crimes, while the bulk are for property crimes. 2-3 arrests are made annually for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, 40-50 rape-related arrests occur annually, and 150-250 robbery-related arrests are made, 240-300 aggravated assault arrests are made. The annual rate for property crime arrests is 3,200 per 100,000 residents. 500-600 of these arrests are made for burglary, 5,500-6,500 of these are for theft, and 200-300 are for motor vehicle theft.

Find Eaton County Arrest Records

The most effective way to get information on inmates currently housed in the Eaton County Jail is to contact the County jail. You can visit the jail at:

1045 Independence Boulevard,
Charlotte, MI, 48813, United States
Phone: (517) 543-3512

You can also visit the Courthouse and use the public case search terminals.

Eaton Courthouse Address:
1045 Independence Boulevard, Suite 200, Charlotte, MI 48813

The Eaton County Sheriff’s Office website also provides an online inmate locator tool that allows you to search for inmates who are currently held in the county jail. This tool will provide information about the inmate, including the inmate’s:

• full name
• date of birth
• booking date and time
• charges
• location within the jail
• release date

You can also call the Eaton County jail at:

Phone: (517) 543-3512

Though you should note that you will have to provide the inmate's name and date of birth to the staff who answers the phone.

Free Arrest Record Search in Eaton County

• Michigan Public Offices Records Search Tool
• Michigan State Police Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT)
• Michigan Sheriff’s Nationwide Inmate Records Online Check tool

Get Eaton County Criminal Records

A criminal record is an official document that contains the history of an individual’s contact with law enforcement agencies. It contains a person’s entire criminal history, including a history of arrests, convictions, post-conviction sentencing, parole violations, dismissals, and acquittals. It also includes information about a person’s physical description, identity, and means of identification.

To get access to an Eaton County criminal record, visit the County Sheriff’s Office at:

1025 Independence Boulevard
Charlotte, MI 48813
Phone: (517) 543-3512

You can also access criminal records by using the Michigan Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT), to conduct a criminal records search.

Eaton County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records are documents that contain information about a person’s history with arrests. All arrests, even those that don’t result in convictions, appear on a person’s arrest record.

Criminal records contain information about a person’s history with the law, including arrests, crimes the person has been charged with, dispositions and sentences. Information about fines, cautions and penalties also appear on a criminal record.

Unlike criminal records, arrest records don’t indicate whether a person was guilty of a crime, rather they simply show that a person was at a point arrested on suspicion for a crime. This is why arrest records do not always show up in background checks.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Michigan law states that an arrest will stay on a person’s record indefinitely unless it is expunged or sealed. If an arrest record is sealed, it will be made inaccessible to the public but can still be accessed by courts and law enforcement agencies. If the arrest record is expunged, it will be eliminated from all public records.

Expunge Eaton County Arrest Records

Arrest records can have a negative effect on a person's life. They sometimes show up in background checks and can make it difficult for a person to find employment or good housing. This happens because an arrest seems to suggest that the arrested person is a criminal, even if the arrest doesn't lead to a conviction.

Fortunately, it is possible to get rid of an arrest record. This is called expungement. In Michigan, an expunged record is restricted from public access and is only accessible to law enforcement and courts. In some other states, an expunged record is completely removed from the system, making it inaccessible to even the court. In such a case, the person with the expunged record is not legally required to disclose the record to anyone. However, this is not the case in Michigan.

The 2021 Clean Slate Act makes expungement in Michigan fairly easy. In fact, arrest records that are eligible for expungement in Michigan have been automatically expunged since 2023. That said, if your arrest record has not been automatically expunged, you can still apply for expungement by emailing the Michigan State Police. However, it is worth noting that some records can only be automatically expunged. Visit the ICHAT website to check if your record has been automatically expunged.

Eaton County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official document issued by a judge to authorize a police officer to take a specific person into custody. An arrest warrant is issued once the judge believes there is probable cause for the arrest. In the absence of probable cause, an arrest warrant cannot be issued. This is done to protect people from unlawful arrests under the Fourth Amendment.

Arrest warrants give an actual notice to the person being arrested that contains information about the charges pressed against them. They may also contain details about the type of bail that must be posted for the arrested person to be released. It is worth noting that a warrant isn’t required to make a lawful arrest.

To obtain an arrest warrant, the police officer is required to submit a written affidavit to a judge or magistrate. The information contained within this affidavit must contain information that shows reasonable cause to believe that an offense was committed by the person named in the warrant. Once the judge is convinced of the necessity of the warrant, it is then issued.

Eaton County Arrest Warrant Search

To find out if you have an active arrest warrant in Eaton County, call the Sheriff’s Office at:

(517) 543-7500

The Sheriff’s Office can be called during normal business hours from Monday to Friday.

You can also visit the Eaton County Sheriff’s Office website and use the active warrant search tool to find the relevant arrest warrant. You will be required to enter the first name, last name, and date of birth of the relevant person. After this, you can click the search button, which will display results that reveal any outstanding warrants for the relevant person.

Do Eaton County Arrest Warrants Expire?

An arrest warrant will remain active until the suspect is taken into custody by the police. This means the police have the authority to arrest the suspect at any point in time.

Though the statute of limitations sets deadlines for initiating legal proceedings for offenses, arrest warrants are not bound by these time constraints. A person with an active warrant for their arrest should take steps to take care of the warrant as soon as they can. The longer a warrant remains active, the more likely it is that the judge will deliver a harsh sentence. Courts in Michigan tend to be strict with those they believe are trying to evade the law.