Fairfield County Arrest Records

Law enforcement officers may apprehend someone if they have reasonable grounds to believe that they are guilty of committing an alleged offense. Typically, this occurs when the offender is caught in the act, reported by a credible eyewitness or informant, or has an outstanding warrant within the county or state.

On arrest, the defendant is officially booked into the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office Jail Bureau. Booking is an official process of documenting the suspect’s bimetric information, alleged offense, date and time of arrest, and other pertinent details in the law enforcement agency’s database.

This process creates a so-called arrest record which is usually demanded as a premise for subsequent legal proceedings, where necessary. If so, criminal justice agencies, such as the court may document a defendant’s arrest information inside the Fairfield County court records, and other corresponding public records.

Statutorily, each arresting agency serves as the keeper of any arrest records generated within their jurisdiction. As the arrestee progresses through the criminal justice system, their arrest record may feature in the state and national criminal history records. Members of the public can learn more about the judiciary by simply studying the beginning and outcome of a person’s arrest.

Are Arrest Records Public in Fairfield County?

Yes. ORC 149.43 (Ohio Public Records Act)guarantees public access to non-confidential arrest records. Per the Ohio R. Superi. Ct. 45, certain non-disclosure records are only available to record owners, victims, and criminal justice agencies. Such restricted information includes juvenile arrest information, medical records, mental health information, sensitive investigative materials, identifying information of victims and witnesses involved in an ongoing case, and sealed or expunged records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The arresting agency may divulge pertinent public information to requesters in person, by mail, or by phone. This includes the following arrest information:

• The offender’s name, date of birth, physical traits, last known address, and age at the time of arrest
• Alleged offense and charges
• Outstanding warrant details
• Bail and bond information, such as amount and type
• Arresting agency, and officer
• Case information, such as case/docket number and scheduled hearing date
• Scheduled release date
• Presiding judicial officer

Fairfield County Crime Rate

The Ohio Department of Criminal Justice Services documents all crime reports and statistics submitted by the county law enforcement agencies to the OIBRS (Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System). According to the 2022 report, Fairfield documented 7,341 crimes within the jurisdiction in the same year. The participating agencies reported an offense rate of 4,943 per 100,000 population.

Crimes against Property were the highest record offense, with 2,228 reported incidents. Crimes against Persons accounted for 1,242 reported offenses, while Crimes against Society constituted 979 offenses.

Here is a breakdown of the reported crimes:

• Crimes against persons are crimes involving a person’s life or property. It includes assaults, robberies, sex offenses, human trafficking/kidnappings, and homicides)
• Crimes against property include larcenies, thefts, property damage, burglaries, and frauds
• Crimes against society include alcohol/drug offenses, conduct offenses, weapon offenses, and prostitution/pornography offenses
• Other crimes include bribery, extortion/blackmail, gambling offenses, and all other offenses

Fairfield County Arrest Statistics

There are no reported arrest statistics for Fairfield County on the Ohio Incident-Based Reporting System from the Department of Criminal Justice Services. Nonetheless, people can query the county sheriff’s office or police department within the jurisdiction for such data.

Find Fairfield County Arrest Records

The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and police departments provide useful resources for requesting records of arrests within the region. Requesting parties can submit public records requests to the arresting agency to obtain copies of relevant information. Also, the Ohio Public Records Law permits requesting parties to query the corresponding agencies without providing a reason for the request.

The Civil and Fiscal Unit of the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office accepts public records requests for arrest information in person at the following address:

345 Lincoln Avenue
Lancaster, OH 43130
Phone: (740) 652-7317

Notably, the sheriff's office provides an online sex offender database to look up incarcerated and registered sexual predators or sexually-oriented offenders per the Adam Walsh Act.

Similarly, people can submit public arrest records requests to the Fairfield City Police Department in person, via mail, or online. Mail requests must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:

Fairfield Police Department
C/O Records Section
5230 Pleasant Avenue
Fairfield, OH 45014

Requests can also be sent via fax to the Records Section at (513) 867-6011. Online record requests are processed electronically and sent to the applicant. Most importantly, one must provide the report number issued by the reporting officer, the name of the offender or victim listed on the report, the date the report was filed, and the location of the incident.

In addition, the Fairfield County Clerk of Courts processes numerous public records provided the person provides the necessary information to clarify and expedite the release of information. Public records requests can be made in person, online, or by phone. However, the records may be subject to legal review before release.

Duplicating copies of records may cost 5 cents per page. The Clerk’s office may demand prepayment before processing a record request. One can make payments by mail, by phone at (740) 652-7358, or online payable to Fairfield County Clerk of Courts and sent to 224 East Main Street, Lancaster, Ohio 43130, or in person at the Clerk of Courts Records Division on the 4th Floor.

Furthermore, to find records of a person arrested in Fairfield County but transferred to a state, one may contact the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC). The DRC maintains a public Offender Search tool for members of the public to access inmate records. The database is typically searchable by name, inmate number, and status (Incarcerated, APA Supervision, Violators at Large). Users can expect to retrieve pertinent information about the inmate, such as the inmate's name, date of birth, gender, race, admission date, offense details, and institution status.

Finally, federal law enforcement officers may arrest residents of Fairfield County for violating the federal moral code. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

The FBI maintains the BOP's Inmate Locator for anyone to look up arrest information of federal prisoners using the inmate’s name, BOP Registration Number, DCDC Number, FBI number, or INS number. Also, record owners can request copies of their arrest records in person. On the other hand, members of the public may retrieve arrest information on other persons by submitting a FOIA request to the agency.

The ATF FOIA portal serves as an ideal online resource for requesting arrest records on individuals apprehended for federal crimes related to firearms, tobacco, and alcohol. Inquirers looking to find information on inmates in the custody of the DEA may explore the Public Access Link (PAL). Additionally, the agency receives FOIA mail at the following address:

Drug Enforcement Administration
Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Unit
Attn: Intake Sub-Unit
8701 Morrissette Drive
Springfield, Virginia 22152
Email: DEA.FOIA@dea.gov

Free Arrest Record Search in Fairfield County

Public members can perform a free arrest record search through the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, police departments, and courts. Each criminal justice agency maintains arrest information on individuals and typically processes these requests for free. However, reproducing copies of any public record may attract an applicable fee.

Alternatively, one may explore third-party aggregator platforms. Such websites provided record request services to interested persons. However, the inquirers may be charged an accompanying fee if they wish to view or obtain the arrest information.

Get Fairfield County Criminal Records

Fairfield County criminal records, (also called RAP Sheets or Criminal History Information) IS a comprehensive account of a person's criminal involvement with the criminal justice structure, starting from their arrest to arraignment, sentencing, and incarceration. These records can be obtained through the following avenues:

The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office Civil and Fiscal Unit

The records section of the civil and fiscal unit is responsible for maintaining and disseminating civilian background check information, arrest records, and fingerprinting.

Subjects visiting the office for fingerprinting must be specific about what type of fingerprint they require. For example, manual prints on cards, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), BCI and FBI (State and Federal), or FBI (Federal) alone. Inquirers may call (740) 652-7320 to schedule an appointment and also make inquiries regarding the procedure.

Each electronic and manual fingerprinting process may attract the following application fees:

• $35 - BCI (State)
• $55 - BCI and FBI (State and Federal)
• $35 - FBI (Federal)
• $5 – Manual fingerprinting per card

The office may request the following at the time of fingerprinting:

• A valid state ID or driver’s license
• An original social security card
• A BCI web check form (for electronic prints)
• Required payment in different forms, such as cash, check, or money order
• The recipient’s name, physical address, phone number, and fax number (if available)

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI)

Parties of interest may query the Ohio Attorney General's BCI for copies of criminal history information on anyone previously arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated in the county jail or state prison. However, these statewide criminal history records are only available to the subjects of the records, or persons authorized by the record owner. In that case, the record seeker must obtain the subject’s fingerprints and signed consent. A BCI-only background check costs $22.

Fairfield County Courts

The Fairfield County Clerk of Courts is the official keeper of criminal court records heard and adjudicated locally. The office also maintains a Case Inquiry Search portal for the Common Pleas and Municipal Court respectively.

Online users may explore the Fairfield County Common Pleas Court Public Access Portal to retrieve felony criminal cases by name or case number. Similarly, the Municipal Court’s Case and Docket search provides information on misdemeanor criminal charges and traffic cases. The portal is searchable by name or case number.

Fairfield County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

In Fairfield County, arrest and criminal records are interchangeably used in daily interactions., However, they bear distinct information on a person’s journey through the criminal justice system.

A person’s arrest information highlights alleged offenses for which a person was arrested. However, Fairfield County criminal records document a broader perspective of one’s run-ins with law enforcement agencies from the county to state and even federal entities.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Fairfield County, arrests remain permanently on an individual’s record unless they petition the court for expungement. Expungement is a legal process recommended by statute for people to gain relief from their convictions. The person may state that the record or charges never occurred if approved.

Expunge Fairfield County Arrest Records

According to ORC. 2953.31, eligible offenders may petition the court to have their arrest records expunged. Sealing means that public members may not access such records on any government database. However, criminal justice agencies may maintain the corresponding records. On the other hand, an expungement permanently eradicates the existence of a record.

Eligibility for record expungement or sealing is determined according to the following conditions:

• How severe is the offense to be expunged or sealed
• The statutory waiting period (typically between 1-5 years) is over
• The defendant's conviction does not bear an obligatory prison sentence
• The subject does not have any pending criminal cases
• The case was charged but did not result in a conviction
• The defendant received a pardon
• The conviction is for a lower-level offense, such as possession of a low-level controlled substance offense (ORC 2954.39) or a violation of qualified firearm possession
• The offender has not been convicted of an offense in any jurisdiction and does not have more than one felony conviction, or two misdemeanor convictions if the convictions are not of the same offense.
• The subject does not have more than one felony conviction and one misdemeanor conviction if two or more convictions result from the same offenses committed at the same time. If so, they shall be counted as one conviction.
• The offender has two or three convictions resulting from the same charges, guilty plea, or official proceeding and related criminal acts that were committed within three months but not resulting from offenses committed at the same time

Be that as it may, the statute does not make any provisions for automatic expungement compared to other U.S. states. Hence, eligible record owners must complete and submit an application for Criminal Sealing/Expungement to the presiding court where the case was filed and adjudicated. The filing fee for expungement is $75 and is non-refundable.

For more information, applicants may review the Fairfield Municipal Court’s Expungement and/or Sealing Records Application and Sealing/Expungement Form/Instructions.

Whether one is eligible or not, the final decision power is with the presiding judge based on reasonable facts presented during the application process. Subjects are advised to hire an expungement attorney to aid the petitioning process.

Fairfield County Arrest Warrants

In Fairfield County, an arrest warrant is a court paper issued for a person’s apprehension and custody until a later scheduled hearing date. According to ORC. 2941.36 arrest warrants are generally issued upon a prosecuting attorney’s motion or a court order.

This occurs when someone disobeys their probation/parole conditions, is a suspect in a criminal investigation, or fails to pay a court fine. When requesting the warrant, the affiant (a prosecutor or law enforcement officer) must file an indictment and affidavit. The corresponding documents must state the alleged offense committed by the suspect, including pieces of evidence to validate this claim.

If the presiding judicial offer determines that the affidavits and evidence are admissible, they may issue an arrest warrant. The warrant must contain the offender’s name, last known address, alleged charges, order for arrest, and bail amount (if applicable).

Fairfield County Arrest Warrant Search

The Fairfield County Sheriff's Office Communications Bureau is responsible for maintaining all felony warrants issued by the Common Pleas Court, non-support warrants issued by the Domestic Relations Court, and Juvenile Court warrants. Individuals may also query the Civil and Fiscal Unit during business hours.

Additionally, the county clerk’s criminal department maintains pending and active warrants issued by the jurisdiction.

Do Fairfield County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Never. Arrest warrants are permanently admissible until the law enforcement officer executes them or the accused person turns themselves in.