Medina County Arrest Records

An arrest becomes necessary in Medina County when a person has violated state laws or local ordinances. Following an arrest in Medina, a peace officer is responsible for transporting the arrestee to the Medina County Jail for the booking process. All information collected from the arrested person during booking is logged into the jail system to create a Medina county arrest record. The Medina County Sheriff's Office is responsible for generating this record. Typically, arrest records like Medina County court records are considered public. Consequently, anyone can request to view or copy these records at the Sheriff's Office during regular business hours.

Are Arrest Records Public in Medina County?

Yes. The Ohio Public Records Act permits public dissemination of arrest records. This makes it possible for individuals to inspect or copy arrest records maintained by law enforcement agencies in Medina County. The Act restricts the release of certain arrest records. Per OH Rev Code §149.43, the following arrest records are not available for public perusal:

• Juvenile arrest records
• An arrested person's medical records
• Trial preparation records associated with an arrest
• Confidential law enforcement investigatory records
• Arrest records pertaining to probation and parole proceedings
• Arrest records whose disclosure will:
• Reveal the identity of an information source or witness.
• Reveal the identity of a suspect who has not been charged with the crime to which the arrest record pertains.
• Endanger the life or physical safety of a police officer, a witness, a crime victim, or a confidential source.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records are public information that can be accessed online or in person at law enforcement agencies in Medina County. Below is the information contained in a public arrest record in Medina County:

• Arrested person's information (mugshot, name, date of birth, number, gender, race, arrest and admission date, institution, and status)
• Offense information (offense, count, sentence date, judge's name, and docket number)
• Sentence information (aggregate sentence and expected release date or parole eligibility date)

Medina County Crime Rate

The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) disseminates crime statistics to the public through its State Incident-Based Reporting System (OIBRS). The law enforcement agencies in Medina County reported 1,177 crimes in 2023. Violent crimes totaled 107, while property crimes totaled 1,070. The top three crimes reported that year were larceny-theft (922), burglary/B&E (94), and aggravated assault (76). In 2022, Medina County law enforcement agencies reported approximately 1,322, an increase in those reported in 2023. About 148 violent crimes and 1,174 property crimes were reported.

In 2023, the Medina County Sheriff's Office reported 281 crimes by residents, of which 25 were violent and 256 were property-related, with larceny-theft being the most frequent. The 2022 report, however, revealed a notable 72-fold increase in crimes, with 30 violent and 323 property crimes.

Medina County Arrest Statistics

The Medina Police Department reported 584 arrests in its 2023 Annual Report, a decrease from the 668 arrests made the previous year. The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) recorded 34 felony arrests in Medina County during 2023 and 39 in the first six months of 2024. About 345 arrested persons from Medina County are currently incarcerated in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC)

Find Medina County Arrest Records

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction (ODRC) houses adult offenders convicted of felonies for which the statutory minimum sentence is at least six months. Arrest records of these offenders can be viewed or copied online or in person at the DRC's local facilities. The Offender Search tool is the portal for online searches. The search criteria are name, county of commitment, residential county and/or zip, next parole board hearing date, or offender number.

Arrest records of Medina County offenders housed in federal prisons are available online or in person at the appropriate federal law enforcement agency's office. For example,

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides access to arrest records online and in person at BOP facilities. The search criteria are number or name. The United States Capitol Police (USCP) provides access to arrest summary reports online and by mail. Online requesters can conduct a search using CFN number, crime date, crime summary, or crime type, while mail requesters fill out a Request Form and send it to:

United States Capitol Police
Reports Processing Section
119 D Street, Ne
Washington, DC 20510

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) criminal records include arrest information and can be retrieved online, by mail, or through approved channelers. The FBI charges $18 for this service, payable by credit card using the Credit Card Payment Form, money order, or certified check. Mail applicants must submit a completed Applicant Information Form to:

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

Individuals can also find arrest records at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office. Requests can be made online or in person at any local field office and detention facility. Online requests must be made through the Online Detainee Locator System using an A-Number or biographical information.

Free Arrest Record Search in Medina County

Most law enforcement agencies in Medina County have ways of providing arrest records to residents for free. For example, the Medina Police Department publishes arrest information online on its websites without cost. The Medina County Sheriff's Office has an Inmate Information portal where individuals can find arrest information of incarcerated individuals for free. The search parameters are name, race, sex, release date, arrest date, held for agency, or in custody date. Record seekers can also call the Medina County Sheriff's Automated Inmate Information System at (330) 764-3628 to request the arrest information of an inmate.

Arrest records may also be searched on third-party websites. Users must enter a name in the appropriate search field to initiate the search. Most third-party sites provide basic arrest information for free, but extensive searches attract a small fee.

Get Medina County Criminal Records

In Medina County, criminal records are also called criminal history background checks. The Medina County Sheriff's Office provides criminal records to the public. Requesters must appear in person at the office during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and bring a completed WebCheck Form and photo ID. Going with an Ohio driver's license carrying a date of birth is preferable. Customers may request a BCI check ($27), an FBI check ($30), or a BCI/FBI check ($57). Payment can be made by check or money order.

A statewide criminal records search is possible at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investiga­tion (BCI). Applicants can visit any BCI-authorized agent office to complete an application form and a fingerprint impression sheet. Requesters who do not reside in Ohio can mail a completed Fingerprint Card, Request for Exemption from Electronic Fingerprint Submission Requirement, and a fee of $22 to the office. The fees must be in the form of a money order, certified check, business check, or personal check. Individuals who want a copy of a previously completed background check should follow the background check copy procedure and mail a completed Background Check Copy Request Form and an $8 fee to:

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investiga­tion (BCI)
P.O. Box 365
London, OH 43140

Medina County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

An Arrest record is a limited document that only contains the booking information of an arrested person. However, criminal records are comprehensive documents containing everything in an arrest record and other legal activities that occurred after the arrest. Per Ohio Revised Code § 109.571, criminal records are information on individuals collected by criminal justice agencies that contain identifiable descriptions and arrests, detentions, indictments, charges, acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, and release details.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In Medina County, arrest records remain on a person's record indefinitely unless expunged. For example, the criminal case files of someone with a death penalty conviction are permanent. However, some arrest records have specific waiting periods before they can be expunged. For example, the waiting period for a minor misdemeanor is six months, while it is one year for a serious misdemeanor. The Ohio History Connection, formerly the Ohio Historical Society, has the following Records Retention Schedules for arrest records in Medina County:

• The criminal case file of an arrested person is kept for 50 years.
• Court and law enforcement compliance files are retained for two years.
• Daily jail activity logs of arrested persons are destroyed after three years if there is no pending action.
• Arrest records that are later expunged are destroyed upon receipt of an Expungement Order from a Court.
• Expungement and sealed records of dismissals and convictions are retained for 110 years or seven years after death.
• RapBack program, rap sheets & transcripts are retained for 60 days for electronic copies and two years for paper copies after notification.
• Criminal incidents, case and crash reports, arrests, supplemental reports, and warrants are retained for six years, provided no pending legal action.
• Criminal case transcripts and exhibit dispositions, including hearing and trial transcripts, are retained for a year after the case is closed.
• Weekly court disposition reports on arrested persons are retained for six months for electronic copies and 110 years or seven years after death for paper copies.
• DNA samples of arrested persons are retained for 125 years from the collection date. However, if the sample is rejected, it will be retained for one (1) year and destroyed after confirmation if it is duplicated to existing samples within the past five years.

Expunge Medina County Arrest Records

The OH Rev Code §2151.355 defines expungement as the destruction, deletion, and erasal of an arrest record so that it is permanently irretrievable. Individuals who want their arrest records expunged must meet the following eligibility criteria as stated in the Ohio Revised Code § 2953:

• The person has no current pending criminal charges.
• The conviction's statutory waiting period has passed.
• The crime the person is convicted of is not one of the crimes precluded by law.
• A person who was charged with a crime, but the case was dismissed, or the person was found not guilty.
• The person was not subjected to a mandatory prison term for the conviction. Individuals who did prison time would qualify if they were eligible for community control/probation.
• The person had any of the following convictions or a combination of convictions: one misdemeanor, one felony, and two misdemeanor convictions, or one misdemeanor and one felony conviction. The expungement statute considers a series of two or three convictions out of the same case as one conviction, but minor misdemeanors, like traffic offenses, do not count as a conviction.

Here is how to expunge arrest records in Medina County:

• STEP 1: Interested individuals must contact the clerk of the court where their case was heard online, by phone, or in person to inquire about the following:
  • The case numbers of every conviction and non-conviction on record
  • The name and degree of each of their offenses
  • The date they were convicted
  • The date they completed their entire sentence
• STEP 2: Ask the clerk for the expungement (sealing of records) forms. Some courts publish this form on their websites, while others do not. For example, Medina Municipal Court has its Expungement Form on its website. Requesters must complete the expungement application forms and make the necessary photocopies for the court, along with an extra copy for themselves.
• STEP 3: File the completed application form at the clerk's office and pay the $50 filing fee. There is no filing fee for an application to seal a record of acquittal or dismissal.
• STEP 4: The applicant may get a hearing date after the form is filed or later in the mail. The judge will also notify the prosecutor regarding the hearing date. The prosecutor can accept or reject the expungement. If the prosecutor wants to object to the application, they will file an objection that includes specific reasons before the hearing. Most courts will ask their probation department to verify that the requester is eligible.

Failure to attend the hearing may result in the applicant's expungement application being denied. At the hearing, the judge will listen to the applicant's reasons for requesting expungement and the prosecutor's expungement. Afterward, the judge will decide whether to reject or grant the request. The judge's decision will be sent to the applicant by mail.

After an expungement request is granted, it takes about six weeks for law enforcement agencies like the police and court to seal all the records pertaining to the applicant's case. Afterward, the person's arrest records will not appear when a potential landlord, employer, or any member of the public runs a check of the person's criminal history. However, the expunged arrest records will be open to law enforcement officers like prosecutors, police, judges, and jurors.

Medina County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is an official document issued by a judge directing a peace officer to make an arrest. Per OH Rev Code §2935.08, a judicial officer can only issue an arrest warrant when there is probable cause to believe that a person has committed a crime from the affidavit or complaint filed by a peace officer. An arrest warrant issued in Medina County can be executed in any county in Ohio (OH Rev Code § 2935.02), and it typically contains (OH Rev Code § 2935.18):

• The issuing date
• The name of the county where it was issued
• The defendant's name, but if unknown, a description of the defendant must be stated.
• A description of the offense
• A command to make an arrest, and
• The judge's office and signature

After executing an arrest warrant, the executing officer must return it to the issuing court. An unexecuted arrest warrant should also be returned to the issuing court and can be canceled by a judge of that court at the prosecuting attorney's request.

Medina County Arrest Warrant Search

Individuals can find arrest warrants in person at the Medina County Sheriff's Office. Requests should be made during business hours. The inquirer must be able to provide a name or warrant number that would help facilitate the search. The office is located at:

Medina County Sheriff's Office
555 Independence Drive
Medina, OH 44256
Phone: (330) 725-0028

The Medina County Clerks of Court Criminal Division has a Docket Search tool where individuals can search for a free arrest warrant. Users must enter a warrant number in the appropriate search field to access the desired record. An arrest warrant search can also be conducted at local police departments. For example, the Medina Municipal Court publishes a monthly Most Wanted List where members of the public can view arrest warrant information of fugitives.

Do Medina County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants do not expire in Medina County. Unlike search warrants, they do not have expiry dates. Therefore, arrest warrants only cease to be active when the person named in them has been arrested by an officer or canceled by the judge.