Nicollet County Arrest Records

Law enforcement agencies in Nicollet County are legally empowered to carry out arrests when they observe a crime, have probable cause for an arrest, or have a valid warrant. An arrest can be executed due to the commission of a felony or misdemeanor or even when a person misses their court date. However, any formal arrest in Nicollet has a corresponding record, which the arresting police department produces and maintains.

The arrest record serves as the official description of the events that transpired during an arrest, making it a vital document for legal purposes. With the record, police agencies can track offender activity, prosecutors can bring appropriate charges against suspects, defendants can seek relief under Minnesota's expungement laws, members of society can determine an offender's whereabouts, and so on.

However, the record does not provide a comprehensive account of a person's criminal case in Nicollet or necessarily prove someone's guilt, for which the Nicollet County court records and Minnesota criminal history records are better resources.

Are Arrest Records Public in Nicollet County?

Yes. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) adjudges various categories of records preserved by public bodies as "public records," including the arrest records that police agencies generate from their enforcement activities. For this reason, anybody can read a Nicollet County arrest record, provided the record is not classified as confidential by law or court rule/order.

According to the MGDPA's §13.82, arrest records belonging to minors, sealed/expunged arrest records, certain victim information, personally identifying information (like a Social Security number), and documents related to active police investigations are all exempt from public access.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records are simply those parts of an arrest record that anyone can read, regardless of their citizenship, residency, or usage intention. They include:

• The arrest date, time, and location
• The arresting agency or officer
• Identifying details about the subject of the arrest, including their full name, race, sex, and last known address
• The charge(s) that formed the legal basis for the arrest
• The circumstances of the arrest, including whether the arresting agency encountered resistance, engaged in any pursuit, employed eavesdropping techniques, or found a weapon on the suspect or used one themselves to execute the arrest
• The place where the suspect is being held in custody or incarcerated pending legal proceedings
• Any amount set for bail and other conditions of release

Nicollet County Arrest Statistics

The Minnesota Crime Data Explorer, a web application managed by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), offers comprehensive arrest statistics from all Minnesota counties, including Nicollet.

Data extracted from the system shows that 516 arrests occurred in Nicollet County in 2024. This figure is broken down as follows:

• Crimes against Persons (murder, assault, kidnapping, etc.): 107
• Crimes against Property (larceny, fraud, burglary): 60
• Crimes against Society (drug/narcotic offenses, disorderly conduct, liquor law violations): 291
• All other offenses: 58

In 2024, the topmost arrests in Nicollet County were made for offenses such as driving under the influence (144 arrests), assault (99 arrests), and liquor law violations (49 arrests).

Find Nicollet County Arrest Records

A request for Nicollet County arrest records can be made to local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies. At the county level, the Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments keep records of arrests made by their officers. These records may be requested in person or by contacting an agency's records officer/unit. However, fees apply to collect copies.

At the state and federal levels, arrest data can be sought from the BCA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of a person's criminal history record. A fee applies for such requests. However, statewide and nationwide arrest records are only ever disseminated to their owners or entities authorized by law. Moreover, the BCA and FBI only maintain arrest information that law enforcement agencies forward to them.

If it so happens that a person was confined after an arrest, there are a few ways to find their arrest information, including their whereabouts. Members of the public can access the local Sheriff's Office Jail Roster to look up detainees in the Nicollet County Jail. However, if the offender was sent to a state prison, the Minnesota Offender Locator can be searched with a name or offender ID, but the system only has incarceration data. Finally, the Federal Inmate Locator can be accessed to find the location and release details of those transferred to federal custody.

Free Arrest Record Search in Nicollet County

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.03, Subd. 3(c), any public records inquiry that results in the production or printing of copies by a government agency may carry associated charges, for which the requester is liable. As a result, a person who requests a record of arrest from a law enforcement agency in Nicollet County may not be charged a fee if they only wish to inspect (examine) the record. However, if copies are the only way to fulfill a request or are specifically demanded, the requester will bear all relevant costs.

Individuals seeking a free arrest record search in Nicollet can also explore online third-party aggregator databases, which may provide some public arrest information at no cost. However, there are often charges for searching multiple jurisdictions or obtaining detailed records from such sites.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Unless an individual receives an expungement, their arrest will likely remain on file forever. The Minnesota legislature does not permit the destruction or removal of these records unless the subject is legally eligible.

Expunge Nicollet County Arrest Records

The procedure for expunging Nicollet County arrest records depends on an arrest's outcome.

Defendants whose charges were dismissed before a determination of probable cause or never filed may request expungement under Minn. Stat. § 299C.11. A Section 299C.11 expungement is a written request to all law enforcement departments that have a particular arrest record, which may include the BCA, prosecutorial offices, and local police departments. It seeks to destroy all photographs, fingerprints and thumbprints, visible identifying mark data, and other identification data associated with the subject and seal the arrest record at the law enforcement agency.

However, applicants are ineligible if they received a gross misdemeanor or felony conviction in the 10 years preceding their arrest or participated in a diversion program due to the arrest.

Defendants who cannot file under Section 299C.11 may explore expungement under Chapter 609A. A Chapter 609A expungement is sought through a court petition and allows a record holder to seal all police and court records associated with their arrest or charge. The Minnesota Judiciary's Criminal Expungement website has more information about this type of expungement.

Nicollet County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a formal order for someone's arrest. In Nicollet County, judges issue these warrants upon receiving law enforcement complaints establishing probable cause (sufficient facts or evidence) for a stated individual's apprehension.

Many arrest warrants in Nicollet are criminal warrants issued to bring a perpetrator of a felony or misdemeanor to the justice system. However, arrest warrants can also be issued for contempt of the court, such as when a person violates their terms of probation or fails to complete community service.

The Nicollet County Sheriff's Office maintains a list of active arrest warrants online. Individuals can also look up court records to determine whether a court issued a warrant of arrest.

Per Minn. R. Crim. P. 3.02, Nicollet County arrest warrants have the following elements:

• The issuing judge's signature
• The defendant's name or, if unknown, any description that can aid their identification
• The offense charged in the complaint
• Bail amount

Do Nicollet County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Nicollet County arrest warrants stay active until their subjects are apprehended or voluntarily surrender to the authorities. A court can also cancel or void an arrest warrant upon finding new evidence or for any other legitimate reason.