Clinton County Arrest Records

Clinton County arrest records are documents that provide official accounts of arrests that occurred in Clinton County. Law enforcement agencies typically generate these records following arrests they conduct or facilitate within the county. Per 725 Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) 5/107, peace officers and private persons can make arrests under certain circumstances. Peace officers can arrest a person when they have an arrest warrant or reasonable grounds to believe a warrant for their arrest has been issued. Peace officers can also make an arrest when they have reasonable grounds to believe the arrestee is committing or has committed an offense. Similarly, a private person can arrest another when they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offense, besides an ordinance violation, is being committed.

Clinton County arrest records are generally important due to the information they contain. For instance, they reveal information about an individual's criminal past in Clinton County. Courts may also use arrest records to facilitate criminal justice processes. As a result, it is not unusual to find arrest information in Clinton County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Clinton County?

Yes. Per the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/2.15), state and local criminal justice agencies must make arrest reports they maintain available to the public no later than 72 hours after the arrest. Hence, arrest records in Clinton County are usually accessible to the general public upon request.

However, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act does not supersede the confidential provisions of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 for arrest records. Thus, juvenile arrest records are not public under the act. Furthermore, individuals committed to the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or county jail are restricted from requesting arrest records of other persons under 5 ILCS 140/7.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

According to 5 ILCS 140/2.15, public arrest reports must contain:

• The arrestee's personally identifiable information: name, age, address, and mugshot.
• Details about any charges relating to the arrest
• The location and time of the arrest
• The name of the arresting or investigating law enforcement agency
• The time and date the arrestee was received, discharged, or transferred from the arresting agency's custody (if the arrestee is incarcerated)

Clinton County Arrest Statistics

According to arrest statistics reported by the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), 100 arrests were made in Clinton County in 2023, 30% of whom were female and 70% male arrestees. Meanwhile, 134 people were arrested in the county in 2022. Of those arrested, 70.9% (95) were male, and 29.1% (39) were female.

Find Clinton County Arrest Records

Record seekers can find Clinton County arrest records by contacting the local law enforcement agencies operating within the county. These include the Clinton County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments, like the Carlyle Police Department. These agencies are responsible for most arrests within the county, and they typically generate and maintain arrest records to document each arrest.

Depending on how a local law enforcement agency operates, record seekers can request arrest records in person or by mail. Most agencies accept in-person requests. In some cases, interested persons may need to schedule an appointment before visiting an agency to make an in-person request. Nonetheless, record seekers must provide sufficient information about the desired arrest record(s) to assist in its identification, such as:

• The arrestee's full name and date of birth (if known)
• The arrest date and location.

In cases where the desired arrest record is confidential, record seekers may also need to present proper means of identification, such as a valid government-issued ID or a court order to access the record.

It is worth noting that local law enforcement agencies only maintain records of arrests they conducted or oversaw. Hence, record seekers must ascertain the specific agency responsible for an arrest to direct their request adequately. The local police department of a municipality is usually responsible for most arrests within the municipality. For instance, if the arrest occurred within the City of Carlyle, record seekers may be able to access the arrest record by contacting the Carlyle Police Department at:

2111 West Lake Drive,
Carlyle, IL
Phone: (618) 594-2488

Notwithstanding, the Clinton County Sheriff's Office can make arrests anywhere within the entire county. In such cases, record seekers can contact the County Sheriff's Office to inquire about the arrest at:

810 Franklin Street
Carlyle, IL 62231
Phone: (618) 594-4555

Meanwhile, if an individual was arrested and booked into the Clinton County jail, interested persons can contact the county jail administrator at (618) 594-4556 to inquire about recent bookings.

Free Arrest Record Search in Clinton County

Local law enforcement agencies in Clinton County may allow interested persons to inspect arrest records for free on-site at their physical address during regular office hours. However, record seekers are usually charged a fee for physical copies of arrest records they request. Another way to access information about arrests conducted in Clinton County for free is through local news publications.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Generally, arrests can stay on an individual's record until they file to expunge or seal the arrest with a court of appropriate jurisdiction. However, only certain arrests are eligible for expungement or sealing. These include but are not limited to arrests that did not result in a conviction or charges being filed by the prosecution.

Expunge Clinton County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process that erases an arrest or other entries in an individual's criminal record. It is one of several ways an individual can clear their criminal record. Other ways include sealing and executive clemency. Sealing hides a criminal record from most of the public. However, law enforcement agencies and employers that are required by law to conduct a background check may still have access to sealed records. Meanwhile, executive clemency is a pardon from the Governor for a criminal conviction that can authorize expungement.

In Clinton County, interested persons can apply for expungement or sealing pro se or with the assistance of a licensed attorney. The latter is generally advised. Nonetheless, interested persons can apply for expungement of an arrest through the following steps:

• Obtain a copy of your complete criminal record: This record contains an individual criminal history, including arrests and convictions. The Illinois State Police (ISP) is the state's central repository for criminal history records. Hence, prospective petitioners can contact the ISP to request and obtain their complete Criminal records.
• Review the criminal records for arrests eligible for expungement. Under Illinois laws, only certain arrest records are expungeable. Fortunately, the Illinois Judiciary provides a publication that contains a list of expungeable offenses and the requirements petitioners must meet to qualify for expungement.
• Complete and file an expungement request form: After reviewing their criminal records, if an individual discovers they have an eligible arrest record and meets the requirement for expungement, they can complete the request to expunge/seal criminal records form. Instructions on completing the form are provided on the left-hand side of the form. After completing the form, petitioners can file it with the Clinton County Circuit Clerk's office at;

850 Fairfax Street
Room 220
Carlyle, IL 62231
Phone: (618) 594-6615

According to the Clinton County Circuit Court fee schedule, petitioners may be required to pay a $120 filing fee for an expungement petition. However, if a petitioner can not afford the filing fee, they can file an Application for Waiver of Court Fees to ask for a fee waiver or cost reduction.

After completing the aforementioned steps, the court may schedule a hearing to decide whether or not to approve the expungement request. If the request gets approved, the court will issue an expungement order and forward it to relevant law enforcement agencies listed as custodians of the arrest record. Subsequently, these agencies are allowed 60 days to process the expungement. On the other hand, if the petition gets denied, the petitioner can file a notice to appeal within 30 days.

Clinton County Arrest Warrants

Per 725 ILCS 5/107-1, an arrest warrant is a court-issued written order that directs a peace officer or a specifically named person to arrest a person. In Clinton County, a court can issue an arrest warrant when a complaint under oath is filed with the court that states an individual has committed an offense. According to 725 ILCS 5/107-9, an arrest warrant must be in writing and contain the following information:

• The name, sex, and birth date of the prospective arrestee. If the aforementioned information is not known, any name or description that can be used to identify the prospective arrestee with reasonable certainty may suffice
• The nature of the offense
• The date and the municipality or county of issuance
• The signature of the judge of the issuing court and the title of the judge's office
• A command that the subject of the warrant's complaint be arrested and brought to the issuing court or the nearest court in the county or appear before the court at a certain time and place
• Conditions of pretrial release (if any)
• Any geographical limitation placed on the execution of the warrant (if any)

Do Clinton County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. A Clinton County arrest warrant generally remains active until it is executed or canceled by the issuing court.