Lenawee County Criminal History Search
Lenawee County criminal history records are managed by the county clerk and the 39th Circuit Court in Adrian. The clerk's office handles requests for criminal case files, and multiple online databases cover Lenawee County court records. Whether you are looking up a felony case from the circuit court or a misdemeanor from the district court, this page covers the steps and resources you need to search Lenawee County criminal history effectively.
Lenawee County Quick Facts
Lenawee County Criminal Records at the Clerk's Office
Roxann M. Holloway serves as the Lenawee County Clerk and Clerk of the 39th Circuit Court. The office is at 425 N Main Street, Adrian, MI 49221. You can reach the circuit court clerk at (517) 264-4597 or by email at CircuitCourtClerk@lenawee.mi.us. The clerk handles all record requests for criminal cases filed in the 39th Circuit Court.
Walk-in requests are the fastest way to get Lenawee County criminal records. Go to the clerk's office during business hours with the case number or the defendant's name and date of birth. The staff will search the system and pull the file. Copies cost about $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry a higher fee. You can get charging documents, plea records, sentencing orders, and other case materials from the clerk.
Mail requests work too. Send a letter to the clerk's office with the details of the case you need. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check or money order for the copy fees. Allow one to two weeks for processing. If you are not sure about the exact fees, call the office first at (517) 264-4597 and they can give you an estimate.
Under Michigan law, court records are generally public. MCL § 15.231 establishes the right of the public to inspect records. Court Rule 8.119 also governs access to court records and sets out the categories of documents that can be restricted or sealed. Standard Lenawee County criminal case files are open to anyone who asks.
Search Lenawee County Criminal History Online
The MiCOURT case search is the primary free tool for looking up Lenawee County criminal records online. MiCOURT covers the 39th Circuit Court and the 2A District Court. Search by name or case number. Results include charges, case type, hearing dates, and disposition details. No registration is needed.
MiCOURT pulls data from courts across Michigan and is updated regularly. For Lenawee County, it picks up both felony cases from the circuit court and misdemeanor cases from the district court. This makes it one of the most complete free tools for searching Lenawee County criminal history. The system shows pending cases as well as closed ones.
The Michigan State Police criminal history page links to ICHAT and other statewide search tools. Here is a screenshot of that page, which also covers Lenawee County records.
ICHAT costs $10 per search. It checks the statewide criminal history database run by the Michigan State Police. The search returns felony and serious misdemeanor convictions from all counties in Michigan, including Lenawee. ICHAT is name-based, so you need the full name and date of birth of the person you are searching. Results come back right away.
Statewide Resources Covering Lenawee County
The OTIS database tracks Michigan prison inmates and parolees. If someone from Lenawee County is in state prison, OTIS will show their location, sentence details, and earliest release date. The search is free and does not require an account. OTIS is run by the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The OTIS offender tracking system covers all state facilities. Below is the OTIS search page that includes Lenawee County offenders.
The Michigan Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered sex offenders in Lenawee County by name, address, or zip code. The registry shows photos, addresses, and conviction details. This is a free public safety tool from the Michigan State Police.
Fingerprint-based background checks go through the Michigan State Police under MCL § 28.241a. The fee is $30 by mail or $50 to $70 at a LiveScan vendor. Fingerprint checks give the most accurate results because they match to a single person. Adrian and nearby cities have LiveScan providers for Lenawee County residents.
Lenawee County Criminal Record Expungement
Michigan's Clean Slate law affects Lenawee County criminal records. Under MCL § 780.621, certain misdemeanors are automatically set aside after seven years, and some felonies after ten years. The automatic expungement process does not require the person to file anything. The state reviews eligible records and sets them aside on a rolling basis.
Learn more about the Clean Slate program on the Michigan State Police page shown below.
If your Lenawee County conviction does not qualify for automatic expungement, you can file a petition with the 39th Circuit Court. The process involves specific forms, a filing fee, and sometimes a hearing. The prosecutor may contest the petition. The judge weighs the nature of the offense, your conduct since the conviction, and the public interest. Serious violent crimes and certain sex offenses cannot be expunged under Michigan law.
Lenawee County Police and Arrest Records
Police records in Lenawee County are held by the agency that handled the case. The Lenawee County Sheriff's Office, Adrian Police Department, and other local agencies each maintain their own files. To get arrest reports or incident records, submit a FOIA request under MCL § 15.234.
FOIA requests must be in writing. Include the date, location, and names of the people involved. The agency has five business days to respond. Copy fees are typically $0.10 per page. For state police records from posts near Lenawee County, use the MSP FOIA portal.
Juvenile criminal records in Lenawee County are sealed under MCL § 712A.28. These records are not available through any public search tool. Only the court, the juvenile, or authorized parties can access them. They will not show up on ICHAT or MiCOURT.