Warren County, Ohio Arrest Records
Warren County arrest records are concise entries in courts and law enforcement databases pertaining to the apprehension and detention of a person in law enforcement custody. These entries commonly include details such as the full name of the arrestee, the charge description, the arresting agency, the court, and personally identifying details.
Generally, access to Warren County arrest records is governed by the Ohio Public Records Act. The law regulates the dissemination of these records in line with the state’s accountability and transparency policy.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office maintains a significant portion of the county arrest records, but city law enforcement agencies such as Lebanon Police Department and the Mason Police Department may also maintain records for arrests occurring within their respective jurisdictions.
Are Arrest Records Public Information in Warren, Ohio?
Arrest records are regarded as public information in Warren County, but not completely. Under the Ohio Public Records Act, some records are confidential and protected statutorily and therefore not available to the public. In many cases, individuals may only inspect or copy the segregable portion of an arrest record that is not restricted by law.
The records are open to everyone, and individuals are not required to identify themselves or be domiciled in the county to view or obtain copies. Ohio also relies on a separate statutory scheme to govern Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI). While basic arrest records are often disseminated under the Ohio Public Records Act, access to compiled computerized criminal histories is strictly regulated by specific statutes such as the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §§ 109.57 through 109.61 which governs collection, maintenance of criminal histories, and ORC § 109.572, which regulates the requirements for conducting criminal history record checks for specific types of employment and licensing.
What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?
Publicly accessible details in many Warren County arrest records commonly include:
- The arrested individual’s full name
- Identifying information; race, gender, date of birth, etc.
- Recent mugshot (photograph)
- Detention location
- Booking information; date and number
- Charge details; description, degree, etc.
- Detention status; in custody, released, etc.
The following records are subject to statutory exemptions and therefore not public:
- Information pertaining to the image or identity of a minor who is the subject of the record
- The personal information of a person who was not arrested, cited, charged, or issued a written warning by a peace officer
- DNA record stored in the DNA database
- Detailed investigative files, intelligence report, informant identities, and tactical plans relating to an arrest
Beyond statutory restriction of specific details, the courts may also order the sealing or expungement of an entire record. Without a court order authorizing release, records sealed or expunged are not available to the public.
Warren County, Ohio Arrest Search
Criminal case files connected to a wide range of county arrests are maintained by the Warren County clerk of court. Through the Common Pleas Public Access database, individuals can search for criminal cases, including indictments, court dates, dispositions, and filing associated with an arrest.
Notarized copies of these records can be obtained in person at:
Warren County Court
880 Memorial Drive
Lebanon, OH 45036
Ph: 513.695.1370
Judge Gary A. Loxley
Judge Robert S. Fischer
If the individual was arrested within Warren County by a federal law enforcement agency, it may be that the individual is being held in a federal facility. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator serves as the online resource for locating the whereabouts of a federal detainee, as well as those who were incarcerated, from recently to 1982.
Warren County Inmate Locator
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office provides arrest and inmate record information through the Inmate Search Option available on its website. To search for arrest and inmate information:
- The Warren County Sheriff's Office website
- Click on the “Jail Information” tab
- Locate the “inmate search” tab and click the link below: https://warren.miamivalleyjails.org/
- Enter the arrestee's last and first name in the appropriate fields; searches can be conducted with at least the individual's last name
- Type in the security check code to prove you’re human
- Click on “Search” to initiate a query
- Click on the name tab to open the individual’s custody information
Public record requests can be made over the phone, by mail, email, fax, or in-person, at the Sheriff’s Office:
Office Manager/Records Custodian
822 Memorial Drive
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
513-695-1280 (Phone)
513-695-1286 (Fax)
PSarver@warrencountyohio.gov
Online requests may also be made by completing and submitting this Public Records Request Form. Video footage requests may be subject to a fee, which must be paid in full prior to the release of the record.
Active Warrant Search in Warren County
An arrest warrant is a legal document issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes law enforcement to apprehend a suspect and charge them with an offense. Under Rule 4 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure, a judge, magistrate, or clerk of court, shall issue a warrant to a law enforcement officer for execution upon the filing of a complaint, if it appears from the complaint that there is probable cause to believe that an offense has been committed and that the defendant committed it.
Most Warren County arrest warrants typically contain:
- The name of the defendant;
- The name of the agency or peace officer to whom it is addressed;
- A description of the offense charged in the complaint;
- Details pertaining to whether the warrant is being issued before the defendant has appeared or was scheduled to appear;
- The numerical designation of the applicable statute or ordinance; and
- The signature of the judge
A copy of the complaint shall be attached to the warrant.
The offense and the associated circumstances must be one in which a warrant is required under state law in order to make an arrest. Examples of such] circumstances include:
- Where statute provides that such a suspect cannot be arrested except with a warrant
- Where the offense is serious; gross misdemeanor or a felony
- Where the person disobeys a summon—an order to appear before the court on a specified date
Once a warrant is issued, an officer can arrest the individual wherever they find him, regardless of whether they are in possession of the arrest warrant.
Per Ohio Public Records Act, most Warren County arrest warrants are public information. However, access can vary depending on the status of the investigation and the jurisdiction. Active arrest warrants are generally not open for public inspection, but if the warrant has been executed or quashed, they can typically be found in criminal case files maintained by the Warren County clerk of court. Through the Court of Common Pleas Public Access database, individuals can search for criminal case files, including those in which an arrest was made pursuant to a warrant, by the arrestee’s name, case number, and other relevant information.
Many of the county’s arrest warrants are also executed and maintained by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Inquiries for warrants, including active warrants, can be made either by using the Public Records Request Form, over the phone, or in person at the Sheriff’s Office:
Office Manager/Records Custodian
822 Memorial Drive
Lebanon, Ohio 45036
Telephone: 513-695-1280
|
Agency/Resources |
Purpose |
Search Methods |
Notes |
|
The Court of Common Pleas |
Issues and maintains records of arrest warrants |
Online and in person at the Clerk of Court's Office | |
|
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office |
Executes and maintains records of active and executed warrants |
Inquiries are typically made in person |
Office Manager/Records Custodian |
How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Warren County
Since law enforcement agencies are public agencies, they are not authorized by state law to charge individuals who ask to inspect arrest records or any other public documents. Public agencies, however, are permitted to charge requesters a fee for copies of specific public records, including the actual cost incurred in responding to the request. This may include the cost of a disc or thumb drive on which the records are produced, or the costs of packing, delivering, and sending the records. Because public agencies generally do not incur costs when records are sent electronically, they generally do not charge for access to electronic documents as well.
However, law enforcement can charge more than the actual cost for video footage; up to $75 per hour of video footage (not to exceed $750 total). This may cover the cost to review; to blur or otherwise obscure, redact, upload, or produce a video record, as well as any other relevant overhead necessary to comply with the request.
Warren County Arrest Report
An arrest report is not exactly the same as an arrest record; instead it is a written narrative of an arrest incident prepared by an arresting officer in the aftermath of an arrest regarding when, why, and how a suspect was arrested. In an arrest report, the arresting officer typically narrates:
- The circumstances of the arrest
- The reason for arrest
- The suspect's conduct prior to arrest
- The alleged offense
- The place and date of arrest, and
- Personal identifying information regarding the detainee
The content of an arrest report provides the basis for investigation, continued detention, assessment of qualification for administrative bail, and prosecution of an arrestee.
Arrest records are brief entries in law enforcement or judicial case management systems showing the fact that an individual was arrested, booked, detained, arraigned, and charged for an offense. They usually contain booking photos, fingerprints, formal charges, court dates, and final dispositions.
An arrest report is a static document. An arrest record is a dynamic file that updates as the case moves through the justice administration process. Unless a conviction information is entered in an arrest record, neither of these records may serve as evidence that the subject of the arrest was found guilty of the crime.
How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Warren County
Under section 2953 of the Ohio Revised Code, expungement is a legal process that allows a person to have all references to a prior criminal conviction cleared and their court file sealed. This means that, in the eyes of the law, the conviction never occurred.
Those seeking expungement in Warren County need to first meet all of the conditions described in section 2953 of the Ohio Revised Code. To get a record expunged under the statute:
- The conviction sought to be expunged is not one of those convictions exempted from expungement under the law (these include certain sexual felonies)
- The subject of the record was not sentenced to a mandatory prison term. This provision is underscored by the word “mandatory.” Individuals eligible for community control/probation at the time of sentencing (to prison) would still qualify for expungement.
- Multiple convictions may be expunged, but only one of them must be a felony. Two felony convictions cannot be expunged. If multiple convictions resulted from a case, they are treated as one conviction for the purposes of expungement under the law. Minor misdemeanors (e.g. most traffic offenses) do not count as a conviction.
- The applicable waiting period has passed before seeking expungement
- There are no pending criminal charges against the person
Charges that did not result in a conviction are generally much easier to expunge and seal.
How Do You Remove Warren County Arrest Records From the Internet?
The major removal requirement for records published on the internet is to obtain an expungement order. Once the court grants expungement, criminal justice agencies are generally required to seal all records and index references (whether online or on file) pertaining to the case.
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