Mahoning County Arrest Records

Law enforcement agencies operating in Mahoning County, Ohio, are authorized by law to arrest individuals who have committed or are suspected of committing a crime. These agencies are granted this authority by Chapter 2935 of Title 29 of the Ohio Revised Code. Offenses and crimes in Ohio are usually classified case by case as felonies and misdemeanors, each with a set of conditions and punishments.

The standard procedure for an arrest involves a suspect being picked up by law enforcement and taken to a police department to be processed. This means that the officers present will record the suspect’s information, including their details, mugshot photograph, biometrics, physical description, and all items in their possession at the time of arrest. The next part of the process is the suspect's arraignment, which is usually determined by the severity of the offense for which the suspect was arrested. After arraignment, the suspect could be detained in a jail facility or released on bail to appear in court later.

Arrest records in Ohio are generally generated and maintained by the law enforcement agency that made the arrest. However, it is normal for other local and state agencies to be provided access to such records as they are considered part of criminal records. The public is also granted access to such records under public record laws. In Mahoning County, arrest records will be regarded as part of Mahoning County Court Records and maintained by law enforcement agencies and local courts.

Are Arrest Records Public in Mahoning County?

Yes. Ohio’s Public Records Laws, or Sunshine Laws, classify arrest records as public information that the general public can access. Usually, these records are in the custody of law enforcement agencies in Mahoning County. According to the public record law, the general public may contact the county's custodian to access such records.

Even when an arrest record is public information the public can request and access, not all the information it contains may be public. Under the Sunshine Laws, some information in an arrest record may be exempted from public access. Below are examples of such restricted information.

• Any personal information on the record, including social security, medical records, financial information, and other sensitive information
• Information identifying victims of a crime that could endanger them
• Any information concerning minors or juveniles under the age of 18 years
• Any information that will affect trial preparation or prevent the suspect from having a fair trial
• Specific types of law enforcement information, including anything that would endanger the life of law enforcement personnel
• Arrest records that have been sealed or expunged are also exempt from public access

When an arrested record is exempted from public access, some parties can still use it on request. Such eligible parties include law enforcement, other government agencies, the suspect, and their legal representatives.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

In Ohio, an arrest record generally contains the following information: detailed information about the suspect arrested and details of the crimes that led to the arrests. The style may vary from agency to agency.

• Personal information about the arrested suspect, such as their name, age, sex, ethnicity, and address
• The suspect’s physical descriptions, such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, plus any scars/tattoos
• Details of the arrest, such as the arresting agency, date and time of the arrest, the location, and details of the arresting officers(name and badge number)
• Booking information, including date and time of the booking, booking number, and biometrics such as mugshot photographs and fingerprints
• Details of the charges against the suspect, such as the specific offense and laws broken plus the level of the offense(whether a misdemeanor or felony charge)
• A short explanation of the incidents that led to the arrest
• Court case information, including the suspect's legal representation, bail information, court dates, case numbers, and the outcome of the court case.
• Sentencing details if the suspect was convicted

Although arrest records are considered public records, they may sometimes contain information exempt from public access. Also, arrest records concerning minors or juveniles are not considered public information.

Find Mahoning County Arrest Records

Interested parties can request arrest records from any of the local or municipal police departments of Mahoning County. The Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office provides access to countywide arrest records as the county’s primary law enforcement agency. For more information, record seekers can call the sheriff’s office records division at (330) 480-5030.

The Sheriff’s Office website also maintains an Inmate Search page where users can search for and obtain information about inmates in the county facility. For a record search, users must provide an individual's name, age, race, gender, and custody status. The search tool also provides options to look up records for recent inmate bookings and releases.

Arrest records that led to a court case in Mahoning County can be obtained by contacting the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts during office hours at:

Mahoning County Clerk of Courts
120 Market Street, 2nd Floor
Youngstown, OH 44503
Phone: (330) 740-2104
Fax: (330) 740-2105

Requesters can also search for records using online resources from the clerk of court website. When searching for records on the state level, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections maintains an online Offender Search Database where users can search for all individuals arrested and incarcerated in facilities statewide.

Free Arrest Record Search in Mahoning County

Arrest records and inmate information for Mahoning County can be found by contacting the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office. While just viewing records may be free, physical or paper copies will incur a fee as directed by public records policies. Free record searches are available online using the Inmate Search and Offender Search tools maintained by the Mahoning County Sheriff and the State Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, respectively.

Third-party records websites may also offer free arrest records lookups. While some of these sites offer record search services for free, most charge a periodic fee.

Get Mahoning County Criminal Records

Criminal records refer to documentation detailing all of an individual’s criminal acts; it is also known as an individual’s criminal history. These records usually contain a lot of information, including arrest details, court case information, case results, and any prison incarceration records. It should be noted that in Ohio, individuals cannot obtain the criminal records history of another person without their permission.

In Mahoning County, these criminal history records can be obtained by contacting the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff's office usually provides criminal records and background checks for crimes within the county jurisdiction. Criminal history checks from the sheriff's office cost $40 per check.

State-level record seekers can obtain these records from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation(BCI). To obtain a criminal history from the BCI, an applicant must submit the following:

• The full name and current address of the subject of the criminal history check
• Identifying characteristics of the subject of the record
• A complete set of fingerprints from the subject of the record check
• The signed consent of the subject of the record
• A government-issued photo identification
• Payment in the form of a business check or money order for $22 made payable to the “Treasurer of Ohio”. Card payments and other electronic payments are also acceptable.

Fingerprinting services are available from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office or at any of the appropriate BCI Locations. An alternative option is to search for Web Check Locations in Mahoning, whose staff will assist in submitting a criminal history check at the facility. For any inquiries about criminal histories and background checks, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page or call the BCI at (877) 224-0043.

Criminal records can also be obtained from the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts. Record seekers can make their requests by visiting the office in person or submitting a record request by mail. Mailed requests should contain enough information for an effective search for the record. Public criminal records can be looked up online using the Mahoning County court’s eAccess search tool.

Mahoning County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest and criminal records are records concerning an individual's criminal activity. Arrest records are records detailing a particular arrest. It details the general events surrounding the arrest, including the following.

• The name and description of the arrested suspect
• The date and location of the arrest
• Details of the charges that led to the arrest
• The arresting agency and booking details

Arrest records generally focus on only the arrest and are not as comprehensive as a criminal record.

Criminal records or criminal background checks, sometimes known in Ohio, are a more thorough record of a person’s criminal history. As a more detailed record, its purpose is a complete record of all a person’s criminal activity and interactions with law enforcement. Unlike arrest records focusing primarily on an individual’s arrests, a criminal background check will contain everything in an arrest record plus the following information.

• Detail of every arrest the subject has had, including arresting agencies and booking details
• All charges filed against the subject and their corresponding offenses
• Details court cases originating from those charges, including case numbers, dates, pleas, and verdicts
• Details of all convictions, including dates of conviction and sentencing
• If available, incarceration information, including time served, release dates, and any probation terms

Sometimes, criminal records may also mention whether any parts of the records have been sealed or expunged. Although both arrest and criminal records detail criminal activity, the main difference is that criminal records are much more detailed.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Ohio, an arrest will remain on a person’s record forever. Arrests will continue to show on an individual’s record indefinitely unless they go through the process to have the records sealed. In Ohio, individuals may follow a court process to seal or expunge arrest records that meet specific criteria.

Expunge Mahoning County Arrest Records

Under Ohio law, arrest and other criminal records can be sealed or expunged. The Clean Slate Act is a legal process under Section 2953 of the Ohio Revised Code that allows records that meet certain criteria to be sealed. Below is a simplified method for expunging or sealing records using several simple steps.

There are generally two types of records that can be deleted/sealed in Ohio: conviction and non-conviction. Put simply, these records led to a conviction and punishment and records where there was no conviction, or the suspect was acquitted. Conviction records are misdemeanor or felony records where the applicant was convicted and served some form of punishment. Depending on the crime, applicants must wait a period before applying for sealing the record. This can be up to 2 years for non-conviction records and over ten years for conviction records.

To be eligible to seal a non-conviction record, the applicant must not have been charged after the arrest, the charges dismissed, the case dropped, or the applicant found not guilty(O.R.C 2953.33). For a conviction record to be eligible, the applicant must have completed their sentence, including any probation time, and remained crime-free for some time (O.R.C 2953.31 to 2953.36).

It should be noted that under O.R.C Section 2953.31, some conviction records are not eligible for expunging or sealing. These include crimes against minors, first or second-degree felonies, and violent sexual offenses.

The actual sealing or expungement process begins only if the eligibility criteria are passed. Applicants can pick up an expungement packet containing all the required forms and information from the Mahoning County Clerk of Court or their local Court of Common Pleas. The applicant must fill out the expungement/sealing application forms to the best of their ability and then submit them to the Clerk of Courts Office at the Court of Common Pleas and pay the non-refundable fees if it is a conviction record to be deleted/sealed. Although expunging a non-conviction record is free in Ohio, it costs $50 to expunge/seal conviction records. The state also makes provisions in the form of poverty affidavits available at the clerk of courts for applicants who cannot afford the fees.

After applying, a hearing will be scheduled, and the clerk will inform all involved parties about the date. Between when the application is filed and the hearing, it will be determined whether the applicant’s records are eligible to be sealed/expunged. The County Prosecutor may file an objection to sealing the records, explaining the specific reasons why, and that will be reviewed by the judge. It can take up to 6 weeks after filing the application for the hearing to be scheduled. During this time, the court will try to determine the following.

• If the record in question is eligible to be sealed/expunged
• If the applicant has any current pending criminal proceedings against them
• Consider any objections from the prosecutions
• Consider any feedback from any victims of the crime (if it applies)
• If the applicant has been rehabilitated from the crime to the court's satisfaction

Applicants are advised to attend the hearing, where the judge will review the application and any objections to determine whether the application is successful. Sometimes, the decision may be given at the hearing; if not, the applicant will be notified of the results by mail. If successful, notices will be sent to the local police and all other involved agencies to seal all records about the case.

Mahoning County Arrest Warrants

A Mahoning County arrest warrant is a piece of legal documentation issued and signed by a county judge, magistrate, or clerk of courts that permits county law enforcement to arrest a suspect. Arrest warrants in Ohio are covered under O.R.C Section 2935.08. Generally, the above officials will issue the warrant when law enforcement officers believe an offense has been committed and show probable cause that the subject of the warrant committed the crime.

Law enforcement can show probable cause in several ways, including

• Hearsay, if there is a substantial basis for believing the source of the hearsay to be credible
• The issuing authority may invite a complainant or witness of the crime to appear personally and be examined under oath
• Law enforcement officers and prosecutors providing sworn testimony or affidavits presenting evidence of the offense to the warrant-issuing authority

If the issuer believes there is sufficient probable cause, the warrant for the suspect's arrest will be issued and signed. The warrant must be issued and signed by a judge, magistrate, or clerk of courts from the local Mahoning County court. The court judge can also designate an officer to sign arrest warrants in their absence.

Although the styles of arrest warrants may differ, they usually contain the same information. This information describes the suspect and their offense and may include the following.

• The suspect's full name and physical description(it may include any recent name changes and known aliases)
• When the arrest warrant was issued
• The description of the offenses or crimes that led to the issuing of the arrest warrant
• The court and location where it was issued and the signature of the court official that issued it
• Bail information (if the suspect can post bail and for how much)

An arrest warrant issued in Mahoning can be executed in any part of the state of Ohio, and the arresting officers do not have to physically have the warrant when they make the arrest. The suspect, however, should be informed of the warrant’s existence and the crime for which it was issued and given a copy of the warrant as soon as possible.

Mahoning County Arrest Warrant Search

Interested parties have a few options for finding active warrants for Mahoning County. For an effective search, they will be required to provide some information about the suspect, such as a full name and date of birth. Some options for searching for arrest warrants for Mahoning County include the following.

• Contact the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office or the local law enforcement office where the warrant was issued. Interested parties can visit the office or call the Warrants Division at (330) 480-5034. The Sheriff’s Office website also maintains a Most Wanted page showing individuals in the county with active arrest warrants
• Contact the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts or the court location where the warrant was issued. Arrest warrants can be searched in person using resources at the Clerk of Courts office, by addressing a record’s request to the Clerk of Courts, or by using the online CourtView search tool.

Do Mahoning County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, arrest records for Mahoning County do not expire. In Ohio, arrest warrants remain active until they are served to the subject or the subject passes away. The warrant can also be canceled or recalled by a court order from the issuing court.