Lenawee County Arrest Records

In Lenawee County, Michigan, law enforcement officers are permitted by law to arrest anyone who has committed or is suspected of committing a crime. Chapter IV of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Michigan Compiled Law covers various aspects of arrests, including who can make an arrest and when an arrest can be made.

Criminal offenses in Michigan are usually divided into felonies and misdemeanors and offenders will usually be taken to the county jail after arrest. At the county jail operated by the local sheriff’s office, the offender will be booked, processed, and arraigned to stand before a judge. The judge at the arraignment will determine if the suspect will be remanded to jail or released on bail based on the offense they committed.

Local law enforcement generates and maintains arrest records that in turn become part of an individual's criminal history. The public and other government agencies are granted access to arrest records under public record laws. Lenawee County arrest records are part of an individual's criminal records and may be considered part of Lenawee County Court records maintained by the local judiciary.

Are Arrest Records Public in Lenawee County?

Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, the public may inspect, copy, or receive public records, including arrest records. This means unless specified by the law, members of the public may request arrest records from the custodian of such records.

It should be noted that sometimes arrest records may contain information that is restricted from public disclosure. Under the Freedom of Information Act, the following are examples of some types of information exempted from public access.

• Information of a personal nature, if disclosure would be a clear, unwarranted invasion of privacy
• Information or records under attorney-client privilege
• Information that would prevent a fair or impartial trial
• Information that would endanger the lives or physical safety of law enforcement personnel
• Information that would disclose the identity of confidential sources of law enforcement
• Information or records specifically described and exempted by state or federal statute

Sometimes, such records may still be released, but the confidential parts may be removed. Although the general public may not be able to access such restricted records, government agencies such as prosecutors and law enforcement agents may be able to access the complete records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Michigan and Lenawee County, arrest records will typically include details about the offender and a summary of the arrest events. It may also include details from the suspect’s booking court case information if they went to trial. An arrest record usually contains a combination of the following information, although the exact format may differ by jurisdiction.

• The suspect's personal information, including full name, any alias, gender, date of birth, race, physical description(weight, height, hair color, eye color)
• Biometrics such as mugshot photographs and fingerprints
• Details of the arrest, including date and time of the arrest, location, the arresting agency and officer’s name, the charges that led to the arrest, and the particular law violated by the charges
• Description or details of the crime and events of the arrest
• Court proceedings and outcomes, including case or docket number, the court where the case was heard, court dates, status or final disposition of the case if available(in progress, dismissed, convicted, or acquitted)

An arrest record may also contain additional information collected during the booking and processing, plus details on any warrants issued before the arrest.

Lenawee County Crime Rate

Crime data for Lenawee County is submitted to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program by local law enforcement, such as the Lenawee County Sheriff. According to statistics submitted to the program for 2018 and 2019, vehicle theft decreased by 9.1%, burglaries decreased by 10%, property crime reduced by 20.3%, and larceny decreased by 25.7%. Contrarily, there was a 57.1% rise in aggravated assaults and a 90% increase in rapes. There were also notable increases in cases of murder, robbery, arson, and overall violent crime. Property crimes were the most reported offenses, with 212 cases in 2018 and 169 cases in 2019.

Lenawee County Arrest Statistics

Arrest data submitted to the FBI by the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office can be looked up via the FBI Crime Data Explorer. According to the data, there were around 311 arrests reported by the sheriff’s office in 2022, not including traffic offenses. Included in the total are 66 arrests for simple assault, 54 arrests for driving under intoxication, 12 arrests for aggravated assault, five arrests for drug abuse violations, 11 arrests for larceny, three arrests for fraud, two arrests for rape, and one arrest each for burglary and vandalism.

Find Lenawee County Arrest Records

Inmate and arrest records for Lenawee County may be obtained by contacting either the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office or the Lenawee County Jail. Interested parties may request inmate information from the Corrections Division of the sheriff’s office or by contacting the county jail directly.

To request information about an inmate, the requester must be able to provide information about the inmate such as their full name and date of birth. Records seekers may call the sheriff’s office to make inquiries at (517) 263-0524. They may also call the Lenawee County Jail and make their inquiries directly at (517) 256-4400.

On the state level, inmate information can be looked up online using the Offender Information Tracking System (OTIS). This system will only give details on inmates housed in state-operated facilities.

Free Arrest Record Search in Lenawee County

Record seekers may be able to obtain arrest records for free in Lenawee County by reaching out to the Records Division of the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office. Records seekers may make inquiries by calling the records unit ahead at (517) 263-0524 ext.2052 or by emailing sheriffrecords@lenawee.mi.us. Although it may be possible to arrange to view records for free most physical copies of records will require a copy or search fee.

Some third-party record websites may also offer arrest record searches for free. These third-party websites may be unaffiliated with government agencies and collect records from several different sources.

Get Lenawee County Criminal Records

Criminal records for Lenawee County refer to the documentation detailing an individual's criminal history in the county. It will contain a variety of records including arrest records, court records, and records of any prison sentences served.

Criminal histories or background checks for Lenawee County can be obtained from the Records Division of the Sheriff's Office of Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office. Record seekers may request records from the division via any of the following methods.

• Visit the sheriff’s office in person to make the request
• Call the records division at (517) 263-0524 ext.2031 during office hours from Mondays to Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Mail a written request containing details of the record required to the records division at

Lenawee Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Records Division
405 N. Winter St.,
Adrian, MI 49221

• Fax the written request to (517) 265-2284

It is highly encouraged that record seekers contact the records division of the sheriff’s office in advance of their request to ensure they have everything required for a successful request. For any inquiries about requesting background checks and any fees required, record seekers may contact the records division by calling (517) 263-0524 ext.2052 or by emailing sheriffrecords@lenawee.mi.us.

On the state level, record seekers may obtain a state-wide criminal history check from the Michigan State Police (MSP). Record seekers may register on the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) and search public criminal histories maintained by the MSP. They may also submit a set of fingerprints for a fingerprint-based search of the database.

Lenawee County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records and criminal records are both collections of records generated by law enforcement agencies that document an individual's interaction with the law. The main difference between these records is how comprehensive they are. While criminal records generally deal with the subject’s entire criminal history, arrest records only deal with arrests.

Criminal records contain all aspects of an individual’s criminal history including all their arrests, bookings, docket and court case information, case verdicts, and prison time. It is more extensive than arrest records and consists of multiple documents.

Arrest records, on the other hand, are typically generated by law enforcement when the suspect is arrested and processed. An arrest record will usually detail a single arrest, including the suspect’s personal information, physical description, and details of the crime committed and the event that led to the arrest.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Michigan, an arrest record will generally remain on a criminal record forever unless steps are taken to expunge or remove it. It takes different lengths of time before different crimes are eligible to be removed from a record. For example, some felonies can only be expunged ten years after sentencing. Until the subject of the record takes the steps to remove the arrest from the record, the arrest will continue to appear during criminal history checks.

Expunge Lenawee County Arrest Records

An expungement is a process to remove previous criminal offenses such as arrests from a person's public record. In 2021 Michigan’s Clean Slate law came into effect which expanded the types and amount of conviction that could be expunged and provided automatic expungement for certain types of offenses without the need for a petition or application. The expungement or setting aside of criminal records such as arrest records in Michigan is governed by Sections 780.621 to 780.624 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

Under the law, an applicant is eligible for expungement if they have no more than two misdemeanor convictions or no more than three felony convictions on the record to be expunged.

To begin the process, applicants may download the forms and check their eligibility using resources such as the applications and checklists on the Michigan State expungement website. The application process for misdemeanor and felony adult offenses can be made via the following steps.

• Check your public criminal history with the Michigan State Police's (MSP) Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) to determine if you qualify.
• Fill out an application to set aside/expunge the conviction
• Obtain a certified copy of your conviction(s) from the court where it occurred
• Obtain an official set of your fingerprints from your local law enforcement agency
• Send the application packet(forms, conviction, fingerprints) to the MSP, the convicting court, the prosecuting agency, and the Michigan Attorney General and pay the required fees of $50 in a check or money order payable to the State of Michigan
• Wait for a response from MSP, the prosecuting agency, and the Michigan Attorney General
• Obtain a hearing date from the court
• Appear at the court hearing, where the judge will either grant or deny your application.
• If granted by the judge, obtain a copy of the order and confirm that the court clerk is sending copies to all parties involved.

It should be noted that the entire expungement process may take up to six months to complete. Under the law, records involving the following offenses do not qualify to be set aside or expunged.

• All offenses punishable by life imprisonment
• Assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct
• Child sexually abusive material or activity offenses
• Felony domestic violence if the applicant has a previous misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence
• Second-degree, third-degree, and Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct
• Human-trafficking related offenses
• Second-degree child abuse
• Some traffic offenses, including convictions for driving while intoxicated, traffic offenses that cause injury or death, and commercial driver’s license violations
• Terrorism-related offenses, including convictions for attempts to commit such offenses
• Using a computer to commit sex crimes offenses

Lenawee County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are documentation that act as written orders giving law enforcement officers the right to apprehend the subject of the arrest warrant. MCL Section 764 authorizes a judge or magistrate of the district court to issue an arrest warrant when a person is charged with a felony, misdemeanor, or ordinance violation.

For a judge or magistrate to issue a warrant, they must receive written authority, which has been signed by the prosecuting attorney and filed with the judge. The written criminal complaint filed by the prosecuting attorney must show enough probable cause that the subject of the warrant has committed a crime.

After the warrant has been issued law enforcement officers may actively search for the subject of the warrant to arrest him and bring him before a judge. Complaints and warrants may also be issued and signed via electronic or electromagnetic means. The receiving department must also request proof that the warrant is valid before executing it.

An arrest record issued in Michigan, including Lenawee County, typically contains the following information:

• The name of the subject to be arrested, including aliases and a reliable physical description
• Details of the charges for which they are to be arrested
• Instructions authorizing law enforcement to arrest and bring the subject before a court in the pertinent jurisdiction
• The law enforcement agency and jurisdiction authorized to make the arrest
• The signature of the complainant and the judicial officers who issued the warrant

Lenawee County Arrest Warrant Search

Arrest warrants for Lenawee County can be obtained by contacting the Sheriff’s Office of Lenawee County. Anyone with inquiries about active arrest warrants can direct their questions to the sheriff's office by calling (517) 263-0524 or emailing sheriffrecords@lenawee.mi.us. The Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office website also has a Lenawee’s Most Wanted page that is usually updated with the individuals with current active warrants in the county.

Do Lenawee County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants in Michigan never expire, meaning the warrant will continue to be active until it is executed or the subject surrenders or dies. Sometimes, a judge may decide to cancel the warrant after a petition from the subject shows the warrant was unfair or unnecessary.