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  1. Grand Traverse County Court
  2. Grand Traverse County Arrest Records

Grand Traverse County, Michigan Arrest Records

Arrest records from Grand Traverse County are official law enforcement records generated by local agencies documenting arrests and case information. These records usually contain details about the arrested person and the event, such as the person's name, date of birth, physical description, booking details, mugshots, fingerprints, formal charges, and case dispositions. In Grand Traverse County, these records are typically generated and maintained by law enforcement, such as the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office, and municipal agencies, including the Traverse City Police Department.

Arrest records generated in Michigan are typically considered public information. Under the \Michigan Freedom of Information Act (MCL 15.231 et seq), government records, including arrest-related records generated by law enforcement, may be accessed by the public unless exempted by statute. Criminal Offender record information maintained by Michigan law enforcement is governed by Act 289 of 1925, MCL 28.241-28.249. This act defines criminal history record information and establishes rules for collecting, storing, and disseminating that information.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Grand Traverse, Michigan?

Grand Traverse arrest records are typically considered public information under Michigan's Freedom of Information Actand the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Records Act. Access to these records is subject to the act, criminal history laws, and statutory or law enforcement exemptions. These laws establish rules for the collection of these records during arrests and how the general public may access them. They also allow law enforcement to withhold or redact records covered by statutory exemptions or when release would violate other state or federal laws.

Obtaining arrest records for Grand Transverse does not require the requester to be a resident of the county or state. Photo IDs such as passports or driver's licenses are also not typically required for public arrest records. When ordering by mail or online, requesters may be required to provide contact details, including a name, phone number, email, and an address to return the records or any copies.

What Do Public Grand Traverse County Arrest Records Contain?

Public Grand Traverse County arrest records typically contain basic identifying and case information regarding an arrested individual. The specific records may differ according to the agency that collected them and which information can be released to the public under Michigan law.

A public arrest record usually includes the following information.

  • The name of the arrested individual
  • A physical description
  • Fingerprints and mugshots
  • The date, time, and location of the arrest
  • The arresting agency/officer and housing location
  • Booking information, including number, date, and time
  • The alleged charges and statutes they violated
  • Bail/bond information
  • Basic case or court information
  • Case disposition

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act permits law enforcement and other government agencies to restrict information from public access. Information that could jeopardize an ongoing case or violate personal privacy may be restricted from otherwise public records.

The following information may be restricted from public arrest records.

  • Juvenile arrest records or records concerning minors
  • Information protected by Michigan privacy laws
  • Information containing confidential investigation details or techniques
  • Information that would identify victims or witnesses to a crime
  • Information that would identify undercover agents or confidential informants
  • Information protected by state or federal privacy laws
  • Records that have been sealed or set aside by law or court order

Grand Traverse County, Michigan Arrest Search

Individuals searching for Grand Traverse arrest and inmate information may start with resources provided by state and federal agencies rather than county-level sources.

Statewide criminal histories can be obtained from the Michigan State Police, which serves as the state repository. Interested parties can use the Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) to look up criminal history information maintained by the state police online. A fingerprint-based background check is also available for searching, modifying, updating, or expunging criminal history records.

Federal sources such as the FBI Identity History Summary Checks Review Portal can also be used to provide limited access to federal arrest information. Record seekers may use the portal to request a copy of their own rap sheet online. The form on the portal may also be printed and filled out to request the rap sheet by mail. The complete form and a filled-out fingerprint card may be mailed to the FBI Criminal Justice Information Service at:

FBI CJIS Division - Record Request

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

When searching for arrest information concerning federal cases, the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database provides access that may contain these details. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides an Inmate Locator where users can look up arrest records for inmates serving their sentence in federal prisons.

Grand Traverse County Inmate Locator

The Grand Traverse County Records Division answers requests for records for the local sheriff's office and municipal police department. Interested parties may use the Find Someone in Jail link on the sheriff's office webpage or the Criminal Records Search tool in the records division page. To contact the sheriff's office directly, record seekers may use the following details.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office

851 Woodmere Avenue

Traverse City, MI 49686

Phone: (231)995-5000

Corrections Division: (231)922-4532

Jail: (231)922-4532

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Grand Traverse County

Record seekers may be able to obtain free arrest information from online resources provided by Grand Traverse County agencies. The sheriff's office offers an online jail roster to search for individuals in the local jail, while the county records office maintains an online criminal records search with access to criminal case files that may include arrest information.

Although viewing these records online is free, information may be limited to basic case details; sensitive information is rarely published online, and older, more confidential information will require a formal request to the sheriff's office. Accessing these arrest records online does not require a government-issued ID. However, the online search tools usually require information to aid the search, such as a name, case number, or filing date. Any physical or digital copies required after a successful search may incur statutory copy fees.

Grand Traverse County Arrest Report

While arrest records are a custodial database summary of an arrest including basic details, arrest reports are detailed narratives of the arrest prepared by an arresting officer.

Arrest records are formal data entries compiled of arrest information and typically contain the arrestee's identifiers, booking numbers, case numbers, charges filed, mugshots, fingerprints, and final case disposition. Access to these records is typically open to the public and may be accessed from local law enforcement or state police repositories.

An arrest report is the official written narrative or field note prepared by the arresting officer after an incident. This is a timeline of the events leading to the arrest and may include witness statements, investigative details, the officer's observations, evidence notes, and action reports. Arrest reports are less likely to be fully open to the public as they usually contain sensitive information, such as witness identification and investigative techniques restricted by law.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County permits the expungement, legally termed as setting aside, of an arrest record or conviction under Michigan law (MCL 780.621 et seq). The county's courts handle the process and may be contacted for information about application-based and automatic set-asides.

A petitioner in Grand Traverse County should first determine the particulars of their case such as:

  • If the arrest did not end with a conviction
  • If their conviction is eligible for automatic clean slate set-aside
  • If the conviction qualifies for an application-based set-aside
  • If the case ended with a juvenile adjudication

Under Michigan Law (MCL 28.243 ), arrest records and biometric data collected from individuals whose arrests did not end in a conviction, such as when the case is dismissed or the defendant is found not guilty/acquitted, are generally automatically expunged and removed from law enforcement and public databases without the need for any formal petition or application. This is typically done within 60 days unless a judge or local prosecutor objects to the removal.

Michigan's Clean Slate law automatically sets aside eligible low-level misdemeanors and non-violent felonies through the state's criminal database without a formal application. Michigan Courts and the state police use their digital records and databases to clear eligible offenses once behavioral conditions and compulsory waiting periods are met. To qualify for this automatic setting aside, the offender must have completed all aspects of their conviction, including any jail time, supervision, and restitution payments. They must also have no pending criminal charges or new convictions at the time the system evaluates the records.

Eligible offenses are automatically set aside under the clean slate law after the following waiting periods.

  • Up to 2 felony convictions can be automatically set aside after 10 years from the date of sentencing or completion of any term of imprisonment, whichever is later.
  • Up to 4 convictions for major misdemeanors (punishable by more than 93 days) can be set aside after 7 years from the date of sentencing.
  • An unlimited number of minor misdemeanor (punishable by 93 days or less) convictions can be set aside after 7 years from the date of sentencing.

For convictions that require applications to be set aside, the waiting period also depends on the offense. Typically, the waiting periods under MCL 780.621d are as follows.

  • 3 years for eligible minor misdemeanors
  • 5 years for a single felony and certain serious misdemeanors
  • 7 years when applying to set aside multiple felony convictions

The following steps may be used to apply to have convictions set aside under Michigan Law.

  • Run a personal check through ICHAT or request a fingerprint-based criminal history check from the Michigan State Police.
  • Obtain certified copies for the case, including the judgement/sentence, list of charges, or dismissal orders from the court where the case was heard.
  • Fill out the application to set aside convictions (Form MC 227), sign it before a notary, and file it with the Grand Traverse Court Clerk of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court or the 86th District Court, depending on where the case was heard.
  • Serve copies of the application to all agencies involved, including the Michigan Attorney General, the Michigan State Police, and the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor.
  • Attend the court-scheduled hearing, where a judge reviews the application and related matters, including the applicant's rehabilitation and the public welfare impact, before issuing the order.

If the order is granted, the record is set aside, meaning it is removed from public databases and sealed from public access. However, the state police maintain a non-public record only accessible to law enforcement and the courts.

How Do You Remove Grand Traverse County Arrest Records From the Internet?

To remove Grand Traverse County arrest records from the internet, first, clear the official record legally through Michigan's set-aside laws. Once the state updates its official databases and seals online records, official online databases will stop displaying the data on public sources. With proof of this removal, the requester can request deindexing and removal from secondary hosts and third-party record websites.

For third-party aggregator websites that are still displaying the records, contact them through their privacy policy, provide the official court documentation, and request removal. For news outlets, request updates or edits to the original articles showing that the records have been set aside and are no longer public information. It may also be possible to contact search engines and use the expungement documentation to request de-listing or de-indexing of the record to reduce its visibility in the engine's search results.