Washtenaw County Criminal History

Washtenaw County criminal history records are held by the 22nd Circuit Court in Ann Arbor and by local law enforcement across the county. You can search these records online through the county clerk's name search tool or through the state's MiCOURT system at no cost. The clerk's office on North Main Street also takes walk-in requests for record copies. Whether you need to look up a past case, check on a pending charge, or get a certified copy of a court filing, Washtenaw County has several ways to pull criminal history records. This page covers all of them.

Washtenaw County Criminal History at the Clerk's Office

The Washtenaw County Clerk's office is the main place for court records in the county. Lawrence Kestenbaum serves as county clerk. The office sits at 200 N Main Street in Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Call them at 734-222-6730 for help with record requests.

Walk-in requests are common here. The clerk's office can print up to 30 pages of records while you wait. That makes it one of the more helpful offices in the state for quick criminal history lookups. Standard copies cost $2 per page. Certified copies run $10 for the first page plus $1 for each page after that. If you need a certified copy of a Washtenaw County criminal case for legal use, plan on spending at least $10 to $12 depending on the size of the file. Bring the case number or the full name of the person involved to speed things up.

The clerk's office also handles records requests by mail. You can use the Washtenaw County records request form to submit your request. Include the name, case number if you have it, and what type of document you need. Mail requests take longer than walking in, usually five to ten business days. Payment by check or money order is accepted for mail requests.

The Washtenaw County records request form is available on the county website and covers both civil and criminal filings from the 22nd Circuit Court.

Under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, MCL § 15.231, you can also submit a FOIA request for police and law enforcement records in Washtenaw County. Court records themselves fall under court rules, not FOIA. But police reports, incident logs, and arrest records from local departments can be obtained through a FOIA request to the relevant agency.

Search Washtenaw County Criminal Records Online

Washtenaw County offers its own name search tool for court records. This free tool lets you search the 22nd Circuit Court docket by name. It pulls up case numbers, filing dates, case types, and party names. It covers both criminal and civil cases. The tool is simple to use. Type in a last name and hit search.

Here is the Washtenaw County Clerk name search page where you can look up criminal cases filed in the 22nd Circuit Court.

The results show basic case info. You can see if a case is open or closed, what the charges were, and the disposition. For full documents like sentencing orders or plea agreements, you still need to contact the clerk's office or visit in person.

You can also use the statewide MiCOURT system for the 22nd Circuit Court. MiCOURT is free and does not need an account. It shows case details, hearing dates, and dispositions for criminal cases filed in Washtenaw County. MiCOURT covers both the circuit court and some district courts in the area.

The MiCOURT page for Washtenaw County's 22nd Circuit Court is shown here. It lets you search by name or case number across all case types.

For a broader search, ICHAT from the Michigan State Police costs $10 per name. It covers all 83 counties and shows felony convictions and serious misdemeanor convictions statewide. ICHAT is a good backup when the county-level tools don't turn up what you need.

Washtenaw County Courts and Criminal Cases

The 22nd Circuit Court handles all felony cases in Washtenaw County. It sits at the Washtenaw County Trial Court, 101 E Huron Street in Ann Arbor, MI 48104. The main number is 734-222-3001. This court also handles civil cases over $25,000 and family matters. All felony criminal cases in the county pass through this court, from arraignment through sentencing.

The Washtenaw County docket calendar is posted online. You can check hearing dates and case schedules for criminal matters. This is useful if you want to track the progress of a specific case or find out when a sentencing hearing is set.

The county docket calendar shows upcoming hearings and trial dates for all cases in the 22nd Circuit Court, including criminal matters in Washtenaw County.

District courts handle misdemeanors and arraignments in Washtenaw County. The 14A District Court has four divisions spread across the county. The 14B District Court and the 15th Judicial District Court also serve parts of Washtenaw County. Misdemeanor criminal records from these courts are available on MiCOURT or by contacting the individual court clerk. District court criminal records matter because many lower-level offenses, like simple assault or retail fraud, get resolved at this level and never reach circuit court.

Michigan law under MCL § 780.621 allows certain criminal records to be expunged. In Washtenaw County, you file an expungement petition with the 22nd Circuit Court. If the court grants it, the record is removed from public databases including ICHAT and MiCOURT. The Michigan State Police then update their files. This means some older Washtenaw County criminal history records may no longer show up in search results.

Statewide Criminal History Tools for Washtenaw County

Several state-run databases cover Washtenaw County criminal records. OTIS, the Offender Tracking Information System, is free and tracks current and recent state prisoners from Washtenaw County. The Michigan Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered offenders living in the county by name or zip code. Both tools are run by state agencies and cost nothing to use.

Washtenaw County is one of the counties covered by the CLEMIS system. CLEMIS handles crash reports and some police records for Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Genesee counties. Crash reports cost $10 to $19. While CLEMIS is not a criminal history database, reports from it can tie into criminal incidents in Washtenaw County.

For fingerprint-based checks, Michigan State Police accept requests under MCL § 28.241a. The fee is $30 for a paper card submission or $50 to $70 for LiveScan. This is the most accurate way to pull a criminal history tied to a specific person. Many jobs in Washtenaw County require this type of check, especially in healthcare, education, and child care.

Juvenile records in Washtenaw County are sealed under MCL § 712A.28. You cannot access them through any public search tool. Only the court or authorized parties can view juvenile case files.

Washtenaw County Criminal History by City

Ann Arbor is the largest city in Washtenaw County and the county seat. Criminal cases from Ann Arbor go through the 22nd Circuit Court and the 14A District Court.

Nearby Counties