Stearns County Arrest Records

Stearns County residents suspected of committing crimes may be apprehended by law enforcement officers and detained pending court arraignment. Before making an arrest, an officer is required by law to possess an arrest warrant, which serves as their legal authority to make an arrest. Notwithstanding, officers can arrest people who commit offenses in their presence. Law enforcement can also arrest suspects if they have probable cause to reasonably establish the likelihood of their involvement in a crime that has been committed.

When a person is arrested, they are taken to the county jail, where they are held in custody pending their criminal court hearing. Under Minnesota law, law enforcement agencies must document information about arrests and suspects arrested by their officers and held at any facility within the county. The creation of arrest records must be fulfilled immediately following an arrest and involves documenting an inmate's personal data, offense details, and booking information. Arrest records are typically created and maintained by law enforcement agencies and the court and, as such, may be found among Stearns County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Stearns County?

Yes. The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Code § 13.03) sets forth provisions governing the public dissemination of public records. Per this law, public records, which include Stearns County arrest records, may be viewed by county residents and non-residents. This act also affords the public the right to make copies of arrest records. However, this law is not absolute, as certain arrest records may be exempted from public disclosure by statute or temporary classification by the court. The public's right to records must not overshadow the need for personal privacy and confidentiality. Restricted records include:

• Records that contain identifying protected witness, abuse victim, or juvenile information
• Social security numbers
• Sealed, cleared, or expunged records
• Records that are part of an ongoing criminal investigation
• Records that may endanger any individual if made public.

Confidential arrest records are only available to their subjects, subject attorneys, court staff, law enforcement officers, and third parties authorized by court order. However, certain details pertaining to select confidential records may be visible to the public, such as the arrestee's personal data and the associated charges.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records contain the following information:

• Name, date of birth, address, and other identifying/personal data of the arrestee
• The committed offense and a description of the charges
• The arresting agency
• The name of the arresting officer
• The time, date, and location of the arrest
• Mugshots and fingerprints
• Release date (if applicable)
• Bail or bond information.

Stearns County Crime Rate

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension publishes crime data compiled by various law enforcement agencies in the state each year. This report does not include individual reports for some counties, including Stearn County. According to this report, the total crime index in the state was 114,366 in 2023. This figure included 15,011 violent crimes and 99,355 property crimes. There was a 12% drop in the total crime index compared to 2022. The total crime rate for 2023 was 1,991 in 2023 and 2,282 in 2022, indicating a 13% drop. The following were reported for some popular crimes in 2023:

• 181 homicides
• 2,053 rapes
• 2,791 robberies
• 9,986 aggravated assaults
• 10,416 burglary crimes
• 72,701 larcenies
• 15,612 motor vehicle thefts
• 626 arsons.

Stearns County Arrest Statistics

There is no publicly available statistical data for arrests in Stearns County. However, the BCA's annual crime report may be perused for statewide arrest statistics. Interested individuals should contact this office or that of the county sheriff for any related inquiries.

Find Stearns County Arrest Records

Several agencies maintain Stearns County arrest records, such as the county sheriff's office and police departments, as well as state agencies like the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). The Stearns County Sheriff's Office maintains a public database for online access to the county's arrest records. This website contains information for all present and past inmates held at the Stearns County Jail, excluding juvenile arrest records. Inquiries for juvenile records can be made by phone at (320) 259-3760. The website is searchable by an inmate's name.

Search results can be filtered by inputting the inmate's name in the appropriate box and specifying the booking date. This website displays an inmate's full name, charge information, arrest date and time, docket number, physical descriptors, and anticipated release date (where available). Note that records for past inmates only cover information for individuals arrested in the last seven years.

Free Arrest Record Search in Stearns County

Searches on the County Sheriff's and BCA's search websites are free. Many private websites also exist as an alternative. Information provided on these websites is mainly gathered from the offices and websites of county sheriffs, police departments, and court clerks. Third-party websites may feature basic arrest records for free but typically require fees for a complete report. They are convenient starting points when a researcher does not know the arresting agency since they are typically multi-jurisdictional. In addition, they are searchable by an inmate's first and last name.

Get Stearns County Criminal Records

Criminal records are official reports kept by agencies in the criminal justice system to document criminal activities in the county. They exist for individuals convicted of crimes in the county and cover their criminal past. A person's criminal record contains information about arrest incidents, court hearings and decisions, sentencing, parole, and probation. Criminal records are not expressly public in Minnesota. They are mostly visible to record subjects, their designees, law enforcement officers, and authorized agencies or individuals. Criminal records in Minnesota only become public 15 years after subjects complete their sentences.

Requests for Stearns County criminal records can be submitted to the County Sheriff's Office, the county's district court clerk's office, or the BCA. A requester's means of identification and a suspect's name are always required, irrespective of the queried agency. Criminal history records maintained by the BCA may be inspected online, by mail, or physically at the office.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
CHA Unit
1430 Maryland Avenue East
St. Paul, MN 55106.

Physical inspections at the BCA are required for access to full criminal history records. Requesting parties must appear at this office with a notarized Informed Consent Form signed by the record's subject. All requests must be written and must contain the address of the requesting party. Record subjects are charged $8.00, while third parties are charged $15.00 to use this method. Requesters typically get a response within two weeks.

A suspect's first name, last name, and date of birth are required to use the online tool provided by this office. Free online searches can be performed at a public terminal in the BCA office lobby between 8:15 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Mail requests go to

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
CHA Unit
1430 Maryland Avenue East
St. Paul, MN 55106.

Stearns County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records differ from criminal records in their contents, confidentiality, and uses. While arrest records only document arrest events, criminal records cover details about the resulting court proceedings and incarceration. Criminal records go into further details about a person's criminal past and may include information about multiple arrests, court trials, and sentences.

Arrest records are generally public and do not always indicate guilt since an arrestee may be found innocent at trial, or the charges that led to an arrest may be dropped or dismissed. On the other hand, criminal records are mostly confidential, and their subjects are always guilty of the named offenses. More so, arrest records do not include conviction information, whereas criminal records do.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

There are no established deadlines for the removal of arrests from a person's criminal records. In Stearns County, arrests stay on record indefinitely unless a court expunges them or the state of Minnesota grants the suspect a pardon. However, there are specific waiting periods that must elapse following an arrest before a suspect can be eligible for an expungement. Felonies require five years, while misdemeanors, depending on the class of the offense, require two to three years.

Expunge Stearns County Arrest Records

Records expungement is a legal procedure that destroys or restricts arrest and other kinds of public records from public access. Note that expunged arrest records may still exist but are not visible to parties that are not affiliated with the criminal justice system. Some crimes that may qualify for expungement include low-level felonies, 5th-degree drug crimes, lottery fraud, arson, and misdemeanors. In addition, individuals who wish to expunge their Stearns County arrest records must fulfill certain eligibility requirements as outlined in Sec. 299 C. 11 MN Statutes. They include the following:

• The prosecuting attorney did not file any charges following the arrest.
• An individual was arrested for mistaken identity.
• All charges that led to the arrest were dismissed due to a lack of probable cause.
• The arrestee was not convicted of any gross misdemeanor or felony within ten years before the arrest.

Where a suspect was released from custody without any charges pressed against them or criminal complaints filed against them, an expungement may not be necessary since court records typically do not exist for such cases. Arrestees in such cases are only required to request that the arresting agency erase personal identifying details from the records and have them sealed. Note that DNA samples may be retained.

To expunge records, their subjects must submit an expungement request, which must be in writing, to the law enforcement agency that made the arrest and other agencies that may possess the concerned records. Relevant agencies in this regard include the county attorney's office, the BCA, and the county sheriff. Expungements involve complex legal procedures and can be done alone, although guidance from experienced legal practitioners is advised. The expungement process typically involves the following:

• Complete all forms relevant to the expungement proceeding as applicable to the involved agency.
• Gather all applicable documentation, including proof of completion of sentences, character references, affidavits, and other supporting documents.
• File an expungement petition at a court of competent jurisdiction (in the locality where the arrest or conviction occurred) with the guidance of the court clerk. This typically involves filing or other applicable fees.
• The petitioner must attend an expungement hearing scheduled by the court, where it will examine the presented evidence as well as objections from the prosecution or other opposing parties.
• A notice of expungement is served on any involved agencies and parties, granting them the opportunity to object to the expungement if they have reason to do so. During the expungement hearing, the court also considers crucial factors, such as the nature of the offense, the arrestee's criminal history, and the interest of justice.
• Where the court denies the expungement for any reason, a petitioner may be able to appeal the court's decision at a superior court, depending on the circumstances.
• If the court grants the expungement, it will issue an order demanding the expungement of the affected records. This order is served to every agency with access to copies of the records.

Stearns County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a court order to apprehend individuals suspected of committing an offense. The Stearns County District Attorney's Office may issue arrest warrants. Arrest warrants do not indicate that a person is guilty of the named crime. Arrest warrants are issued for various reasons, such as when a person violates the terms of their probation, disobeys a court order, or is suspected of committing an offense.

The county sheriff's office and local police departments in the jurisdiction where a suspect resides are responsible for executing arrests ordered by warrants. Arrest warrants include the following information:

• The full name and other known physical descriptors to aid in the identification of suspects
• The name of the issuing authority and the date of issuance
• Information about the offense
• Arrest clause.

Stearns County Arrest Warrant Search

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office displays outstanding arrest warrants on its website. Details about wanted individuals considered dangerous are displayed on the Most Wanted database. The information displayed on both websites includes:

• A wanted person's basic details (full name, age, gender, and other known physical descriptors)
• Warrant number
• Offense type
• The description of the offense.
• The issuing date and authority.
• The bail amount (where applicable)

Search parameters are a suspect's first and last names.

For information not found on this website, requesting parties may query the office of the county sheriff or court clerk where the warrant was issued. In any case, they must possess the first and last name of the individual named on the warrant.

Do Stearns County Arrest Warrants Expire?

There are no specific time frames during which arrest warrants stay active. However, arrests must be executed at a reasonable time (excluding Sundays) and place. The Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure set forth that arrests must be made between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., except by direction of the issuing authority or where exigent circumstances exist (as stated on the warrant).