Criminal History in Monroe County
Monroe County criminal history records are available through the 1st Circuit Court and the county clerk's office in the city of Monroe. What makes Monroe County stand out is that it has its own online criminal case search system at monroe-clerk.com, separate from the statewide MiCOURT tool. You can also search through MiCOURT for free. This page covers both options, along with how to request copies from the clerk's office, submit FOIA requests for police records, and use statewide criminal history databases.
Monroe County Quick Facts
Monroe County Criminal Records at the Clerk's Office
Jeffrey C. Miller is the Monroe County Clerk. The office is at 106 E First Street in Monroe, MI 48161. Call 734-240-7020 for record requests. The clerk manages all court records for the 1st Circuit Court. Monroe County holds the distinction of having the 1st Circuit Court in Michigan's numbering system.
Certified copies cost $10 plus $1 to $2 per page. Standard copies are cheaper but do not carry the official court seal. If you need a copy of a Monroe County criminal record for legal use, go with a certified copy. The clerk's office handles requests in person during business hours. Bring the case number or the defendant's name. Mail requests are accepted with payment by check or money order.
The clerk also handles requests for other court documents tied to criminal cases, such as sentencing orders, plea transcripts, and registers of action. The register of action is a full timeline of a case. It shows every filing, hearing, and order from start to finish. This is often the most useful document when you are checking someone's criminal history in Monroe County.
Search Monroe County Criminal Cases Online
Monroe County has its own criminal case search system at monroe-clerk.com. This tool is separate from MiCOURT. You can search specifically for criminal case records by name or case number. The system filters by case type, so you can pull up criminal cases without wading through civil or family cases. It is one of the few county-specific search tools in Michigan.
The Monroe County Clerk criminal case search system lets you search directly for criminal records filed in the 1st Circuit Court.
Results on the Monroe County system show case numbers, filing dates, party names, charges, and case status. Some records include additional detail that you might not find on MiCOURT. The system covers both open and closed criminal cases. It is free to use and does not require an account.
The MiCOURT page for the 1st Circuit Court is another option. MiCOURT covers Monroe County alongside all other Michigan circuit courts. You can search by name or case number. MiCOURT may show slightly different information than the county's own system. It is worth checking both. MiCOURT is free and does not need an account.
Note: The Monroe County clerk search at monroe-clerk.com may have records not yet reflected on MiCOURT, and vice versa.
Monroe County Courts and Criminal Cases
The 1st Circuit Court handles all felony cases in Monroe County. It sits in the city of Monroe. Felony arraignments, preliminary exams, trials, plea hearings, and sentencing all take place at this court. The court keeps records of every criminal case going back decades. Recent cases are on the digital systems. Older records may be stored in physical archives at the courthouse.
Monroe County is in the southeast corner of Michigan, bordering Ohio. Its location near the Ohio state line means some criminal matters may cross state borders. If you are searching for criminal history and the person has ties to both Michigan and Ohio, you would need to check Ohio's court records separately. Michigan's tools only cover Michigan cases.
Under MCL § 780.621, certain Monroe County criminal records can be expunged. The automatic process clears qualifying misdemeanors after seven years and some felonies after ten years. Expunged records disappear from ICHAT, MiCOURT, and the Monroe County clerk search. To petition for expungement outside the automatic process, you file with the 1st Circuit Court.
Monroe County Criminal History and State Resources
Police records in Monroe County are available through FOIA requests under MCL § 15.231. Send your request to the Monroe Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff, or the local agency that handled the incident. Court records are not covered by FOIA. They come from the clerk's office.
ICHAT costs $10 per name and covers all of Michigan. OTIS tracks state prisoners and parolees, including those from Monroe County. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry covers registered offenders in the area. All of these tools supplement the county-level search options.
Fingerprint-based checks under MCL § 28.241a cost $30 by mail or $50 to $70 for LiveScan. This is the most reliable form of criminal history check. Juvenile records are sealed under MCL § 712A.28 and are not available through public searches.