Washtenaw County Arrest Records

In Washtenaw County, law enforcement officers are primarily authorized to arrest individuals caught committing a crime. However, they may also legally arrest someone if they have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed or may commit a crime.

Under state law, arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Consequently, their legal right to bail typically arises after a reasonable time in detention. Fortunately, the County Prosecutor’s Office operates a “no cash bail” policy, allowing arrestees to secure bail at no charge.

While suspects of low-level or non-violent crimes may go home the same day, those suspected of a more serious offense may be kept in custody for a longer period. In such cases, they are usually charged with the crime and held at the Washtenaw County jail at Ann Arbor until they are presented at court for trial.

That said, the Sheriff’s office and the municipal police departments are the primary law enforcement agencies in Washtenaw. This means they make most of the arrests in the County and maintain records.

It is important to note that arrest records are generally limited; they typically document only events related to an arrest and do not give a current update about the arrestee's status as they progress through the justice system. Thus, the recorded information on an arrest constitutes only an aspect of a criminal case. For this reason, record seekers in Washtenaw County must look beyond arrest records to obtain comprehensive public information on a criminal case. Other helpful sources for public information about a criminal case include Washtenaw County court records and incarceration records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Washtenaw County?

In Washtenaw County, anyone can approach the relevant law enforcement agency to inspect and obtain copies of an arrest record. The 1976 Freedom Of Information Act guarantees their right to do so. However, specific records may legally be exempt from public access, usually to protect private information or to maintain the integrity of an ongoing investigation. Consequently, an inquirer may need to show proof of legal authorization, such as a court order, to access them. Other than these circumstances, Washtenaw County arrest records are generally accessible.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

While the content of an arrest record may vary, most records typically provide the following information:

• The arrestee’s full name, usually their first and last name
• Physical descriptors such as race, eye color, hair color, age, and other relevant information
• Arresting agency
• Alleged offense
• Circumstance of arrest
• Location of arrest
• Bail information
• Booking number
• Mug shots

Washtenaw County Arrest Statistics

According to the Sheriff's data and information 2023 dashboard, property theft, assault, damage & destruction, and fraud were the most commonly committed offenses in Washtenaw County. About 1161 individuals were arrested for larceny/theft, 668 for assault or battery, 548 for damage & destruction, and 512 were arrested for fraud offenses. Other common offenses for which arrests were made were weapons and drugs-related, as well as threats and sex offenses.

Find Washtenaw Arrest County Records

In Washtenaw County, local, state, and federal authorities typically work hand in hand to maintain public peace and safety. As such, it is not uncommon for Washtenaw County residents to find themselves incarcerated in a state or federal prison or transferred to one.

Consequently, the Federal Bureau Of Prison inmate locator tool provides electronic access to inmates incarcerated in federal facilities across the country. You can find out where the facility is located, custody status, and projected release date using this tool. The tool maintains information on inmates incarcerated in federal custody from 1982 to date.

You can also obtain federal inmate information by making an FOIA request. This can be done online, through email, or by sending a mail to this address:

FOIA/PA Section
Office of General Counsel, Room 924
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20534

For state or local records, use the Michigan Department Of Corrections MDOC Offender Tracking Information System. Through this portal, you obtain information about the prison location, offense information, sentence length, and projected release date. You can also sign up for weekly email updates to stay informed about what goes on in the county jails and get notified when an inmate's status changes. To use this tool, visit the site and search for an inmate either by full name or MODC number if known.

At the local level, inmates are typically held in the Washtenaw County Jail. You can visit the County Sheriff's Office And Jail Inmate website to access inmate records through the online inmate locator tool. You typically need to provide the inmate’s full legal name, date of birth, or inmate ID number to narrow down search results.

Free Arrest Records Search In Washtenaw County

You can make use of these resources to access arrest records in Washtenaw County:

• The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office website
• MDOC Offender Tracking Information System
• Washtenaw County Justice Center
• Public access terminals at Washtenaw County Courthouse
• Michigan Courts online case searches
• Michigan state police criminal history records
• Third-party websites

Washtenaw County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An arrest record typically documents an instance in which a law enforcement agency suspected an individual of committing an offense and subsequently took them into custody. The range of offenses an individual may be suspected of vary widely, including traffic violations, homicide, theft, assault, battery, and other related offenses. However, a simple arrest based on suspicion does not imply guilt.

Consequently, a criminal record typically confirms or invalidates a criminal suspicion. It confirms a criminal suspicion when the arrestee after being charged with the offense is pronounced guilty at trial. Conversely, it invalidates it when the arrestee is pronounced innocent by a jury. Thus, a criminal record documents instances where a person has been pronounced guilty of an offense or pronounced innocent. It does this by providing information such as a court sentencing, the detention facility location, and sentence duration.

How Long Do Arrests Stay On Your Record?

According to State Law, an arrest typically remains on record indefinitely unless expunged or sealed. An expungement refers to the erasure or complete sealing of a record. In this case, the arrest record is withdrawn from public view. The clean slate law permits the expungement of arrests and conviction-related records for certain types of offenses after a period of time. For instance, information related to an arrest that did not result in a conviction can be expunged 3 years later. Recorded misdemeanors typically become expungeable 3 years after the offender has completed their sentence.

Expunge Washtenaw County Arrest Records

Under State law, there are only two ways to have your arrest records expunged in Washtenaw County. You can apply for an expungement, or your records may automatically expire. While these two methods have their separate rules and procedures, individuals must first meet the legal requirements for eligibility under state law to have their records expunged.

The eligibility criteria for expungement include:

• Completion of all sentencing requirements
• No additional convictions or pending charges
• Non-violent offenses
• No current criminal proceedings

The application process for having an arrest record expunged includes the following steps:

1. Obtain your criminal record
2. Collect and fill out the expungement forms
3. File the petition by submitting it to the appropriate court
4. Notify relevant parties, i.e, the prosecuting attorney or other parties
5. Await court decision

Keep in mind that not all offenses are expungeable per Michigan law.

Washtenaw County Arrest Warrants

Not all criminals are caught in the act. Sometimes, an offender can only be identified after diligent investigation by law enforcement. In such cases, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office or the relevant local police department typically petition the 14A District Court for an arrest warrant.

An arrest warrant is a court-issued document authorizing law enforcement officials to take a suspect into custody. To obtain this warrant, law enforcement officials must present compelling evidence to a judge showing a high likelihood of guilt regarding the suspect.

Information typically contained in an arrest warrant includes:

• Name of the suspect
• Details of the offense
• Issuing authority
• Conditions of the warrant

Do Washtenaw County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Washentaw arrest warrants do not expire. They typically remain active until the accused individual is arrested, the fine associated with the warrant is paid, or the case is resolved some other way in court. This includes when the person turns themselves in. Nevertheless, certain factors may affect the relevance of an arrest warrant:

• If the crime has a limited period for trial and that period has elapsed
• The death of the person named by the warrant