Morrison County Arrest Records

There are several distinct locations within Morrison County where law enforcement agents may execute an arrest, including inside a person's residence, at a routine traffic stop, during a police raid, at a crime scene, at a worship center, and so on. Many arrests happen by way of a warrant, and just as many are performed without one. However, the primary reason for arrest is usually someone being suspected of breaking the law.

After each arrest, the arresting law enforcement agency is charged with creating records about the incident and suspect, including a formal document titled an arrest record/report. The arrest record identifies who was arrested, states the charges, and highlights any applicable bail amount, among other relevant information.

Although Morrison County arrest records are maintained by their respective arresting police departments, certain parts of these records may still appear in other public criminal justice documents, such as the Morrison County court records and statewide criminal history records.

Notwithstanding, an arrest record does not equate to a guilty disposition, as it is entirely feasible that a suspect may be acquitted or have the charges dropped during the legal process.

Are Arrest Records Public in Morrison County?

Yes, arrest records are open to members of the public in Morrison County. However, the extent of this accessibility is governed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA).

The MGDPA permits the dissemination of arrest records, but not all information within a record may be released to the public. As well, entire records may be withheld if a law or court directive prohibits general (unrestricted) access.

Examples of confidential records include:

• Expunged/sealed arrest and criminal files
• Child abuse and vulnerable adult identity data
• Records whose disclosure would endanger a person's physical safety or cause a perpetrator to flee, evade detection, or destroy evidence
• Sensitive personal information like financial account or transaction numbers and Social Security numbers
• Records deemed exempt by another state law or a federal statute/regulation

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records that any member of the public can see in Morrison County, Minnesota, usually consist of the following information:

• A suspect's complete name (first, middle, and last), sex, and booking photograph (mugshot)
• The date and time a suspect was booked or processed into jail, as well as the booking number
• The charges upon which a suspect was apprehended, including the applicable code of law
• Any bail/bond information, including the amount, type, and payment date

Morrison County Arrest Statistics

Each year, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) releases consolidated crime statistics gathered from law enforcement agencies across the state. As the BCA reports, Morrison County recorded 446 arrests in 2024. Of that number, 215 (the highest figure noted) were society crimes, 87 were property crimes, 69 were person crimes, and 75 were all other offenses.

Driving under the influence, assault offenses (specifically simple assault), and larceny/theft offenses (especially shoplifting) were more frequently the reason for arrest in Morrison that year, leading to 88, 67, and 57 incidents, respectively.

Find Morrison County Arrest Records

Members of the public can obtain information about people who were arrested in Morrison County by speaking to the records custodian of the police agency that made the arrest. They can contact or visit the respective arresting agency during office hours and may be expected to provide at least the arrestee's name and date of birth to facilitate a search. A fee may also apply if the requester desires a copy of a record.

It is necessary to mention that arrest records generated in Morrison County are broadly referred to as the Morrison County arrest records, but, in reality, each police agency only maintains records of its departmental arrests. There is no local central repository for all arrests made in the county. However, interested persons can look up the arrest information of those taken to the Morrison County Jail by accessing the local sheriff's In-Custody List.

Should the arrestee have been transferred to a state or federal prison, one can search the Offender Locator provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections or the Federal Inmate Locator provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, respectively. These systems can be accessed with an inmate's name or number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Morrison County

Some third-party websites offer free arrest record searches. These sites collate public records from public agencies, including arrest and criminal records, and offer them to interested parties online. A search on a third-party website often requires a person's first and last name, and users may search multiple jurisdictions simultaneously for records of a person's arrest or other public information. However, charges may apply to obtain extensive information.

Free arrest record searches may also be performed through local arresting agencies in Morrison by requesting record inspection under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. For example, the local sheriff's In-Custody List is accessible to anyone seeking information about a recent detainee in the county jail. However, the MGDPA allows public agencies to collect nominal fees to produce record copies in line with a request.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Permanently. Minnesota law bestows the right to expunge arrest records on specific defendants, and some documents are ordinarily confidential by operation of the law to secure the justice process and prevent sensitive information from entering the public domain. However, where no statute or expungement order affects an arrest record, the record may stay on file throughout the owner's lifetime.

Expunge Morrison County Arrest Records

Minnesota's expungement laws are codified in Section 299C.11 and Chapter 609A of the state legislature. Both statutes direct the legal procedure for removing arrest and criminal records from public view. However, they each address a specific type of expungement that is only available to persons deemed eligible by law.

Under Section 299C.11, individuals whose charges were dismissed or never filed can request expungement from the law enforcement agencies that have their records. Applicants can complete the relevant forms on the state judiciary's website and send them to the respective law enforcement agencies by Certified Mail - Return Receipt Requested. Each applicant should ensure that the following requirements are met:

• Their charges were dismissed before a probable cause determination, or the prosecutor declined to file charges and a grand jury did not indict.
• They were not participants in a diversion program resulting from the arrest.

They must also not have received a felony or gross misdemeanor within 10 years before the arrest. A Section 299C.11 expungement destroys the suspect's identification data and seals the arrest record at the police department.

A Chapter 609A expungement may be sought where a person is ineligible to file under Minn. Stat. § 299C.11 and whose case went further into the judicial system. Such parties can review the Minnesota Judiciary's Criminal Expungement page for detailed instructions.

Morrison County Arrest Warrants

A Morrison County arrest warrant is a command from the local district court to law enforcement agents. It approves a person's arrest for an offense and orders their appearance before a judge without needless delay.

A district court judge must find probable cause to issue an arrest warrant in Morrison County, which is a prerequisite under the U.S. Fourth Amendment and Minnesota statutes. The requesting law enforcement officer is responsible for establishing probable cause. Without it, the warrant is presumed to be invalid.

Morrison County arrest warrants typically carry the committing judge's signature, name (or describe) the person to be arrested, identify the offense necessitating the arrest, and list the amount of bail set for the offense (Minn. R. Crim. P. 3.02).

Do Morrison County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Any arrest warrant released in Morrison County is executed by a defendant's arrest. As a result, law enforcement can pursue an arrest at any time, regardless of the lapsed period. Notwithstanding, courts retain the authority to recall or quash active warrants.