Jo Daviess County Arrest Records

Jo Daviess County arrest records are official documentation of arrests made within the county. Local law enforcement agencies generate and maintain these records after their peace officers make arrests.

According to 725 Illinois Compiled Statutes (ILCS) 5/107, peace officers are allowed to arrest an individual when they possess an active arrest warrant for said individual's arrest. The statute also authorizes peace officers to make arrests if a person commits a crime in their presence or they have reasonable cause to have reasonable grounds to believe an individual has committed a criminal offense. The statute does not restrict the authority to make arrests solely to peace officers; it also extends this authority to private persons in certain situations. For instance, a private person may arrest another when they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offense aside from an ordinance violation is being committed.

Generally, Jo Daviess County arrest records provide pertinent information about an individual's run-in with local law enforcement agencies. These records may also be used to facilitate criminal justice processes, such as prosecuting a crime, and details of arrests may also be featured in Jo Daviess County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Jo Daviess County?

Yes. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/2.15), arrest reports generated and maintained by state and local criminal justice agencies become public 72 hours after the arrest. As a result, most Jo Daviess County arrest records are typically available to the public upon request.

However, certain arrest information may be exempt from public access pursuant to specific state or federal laws. Meanwhile, 5 ILCS 140/7 states that individuals committed to the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health, or a county jail are stripped of their right to access public arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Per 5 ILCS 140/2.15, a public Jo Daviess County arrest record must contain the arrestee's personally identifiable information, such as their name, age, address, and photograph as well as information about the charges related to the arrest.

Jo Daviess County Arrest Statistics

Arrest statistics from the FBI Crime Data Explorer website show that Jo Daviess County local law enforcement agencies made 123 arrests in 2023, a 17.77% decrease from the previous year, where 147 arrests were made. Of the 2023 arrest total, 94 (76.4%) arrestees were male and 29 (23.6%) were female. Additionally, offenses that had the highest number of arrests were driving under the influence (24), simple assault (23), drug/narcotic offenses (12), aggravated assault (4), and disorderly conduct (5).

The above arrest statistics only reflect arrests made by the Hanover Police Department, Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office, and Stockton Police Department.

Find Jo Daviess County Arrest Records

As previously mentioned, Jo Daviess County arrest records are generated by local law enforcement agencies after they conduct arrests within the county. These agencies include the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments that serve specific cities, towns, and villages. Therefore, individuals looking for arrest records can query these agencies to find them.

It is important to note that Jo Daviess County law enforcement agencies can only issue arrest records for arrests they directly carried out. In other words, a municipal police department can not provide an arrest record for an arrest conducted by the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office or another police department, and vice versa. Thus, individuals looking for a particular arrest record must ascertain the agency conducting the arrest to properly direct their request. If a record seeker is unsure which agency made the arrest, a good rule of thumb is to contact the local police department in the municipality where the arrest occurred. Subsequently, they can expand their search by contacting the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office. This is because local police departments are responsible for most arrests in their respective municipality. Meanwhile, the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over the entire county and can make arrests anywhere within the county.

The method and procedures for requesting arrest records from each Jo Daviess County law enforcement agency may differ. Nonetheless, most agencies accept in-person requests. Additionally, record seekers must provide sufficient information about the sought-after record, such as the arrestee's full name, date of birth (if known), and the arrest date and location, to appropriately identify it. In a case where the Jo Daviess County Sheriff's Office is the custodian of a sought-after arrest record, record seekers can visit or contact the agency to find the record at:

Public Safety Building
330 North Bench Street
Galena, IL 61036
Phone: (815) 777-2141
Fax: (815) 777-9284

Free Arrest Record Search in Jo Daviess County

In Jo Daviess County, interested persons may inspect arrest records in person for free at local law enforcement agencies. Most of these agencies do not charge a fee for in-person inspection of public records in their custody. However, individuals who request physical copies of a record are usually charged a minimal fee to cover the agency's reproducing costs.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Arrests may remain on an individual's criminal record indefinitely unless they are expunged. However, under Illinois laws, only certain arrest records are eligible for expungement. Furthermore, an individual must apply for expungement before their record may be expunged.

Expunge Jo Daviess County Arrest Records

Expungement is a court-ordered process that removes an entry, such as an arrest and its associated information, from an individual's criminal record. Other ways to accomplish this entry removal include sealing and executive clemency. Similarly to expunged records, sealed records are inaccessible to the general public.

In Jo Daviess County, an individual can apply for arrest record expungement with or without the help of a licensed attorney. It is advisable to hire an attorney, as they can provide much-needed assistance throughout the process. Regardless, an individual can use the following steps to apply for an arrest record expungement:

• Obtain your complete criminal history record: This record is preserved by the Illinois State Police (ISP) and contains an individual's full criminal history, including all their arrest and convictions. Applicants can contact the ISP to request and obtain their complete Criminal records.
• Review the complete criminal history record for eligible arrests: Under Illinois law, only certain types of offenses and their associated records, including arrest records, are expungable. Fortunately, an Illinois Judiciary publication lists these offenses and requirements to qualify for expungement. Prospective petitioners can review this publication and compare it with their complete criminal history record to ascertain if they have any arrest record(s) that are eligible for expungement.
• Complete and file an expungement request form: if an individual has an eligible arrest record, they can complete the request to expunge/seal criminal records form. The form contains detailed instructions on how to complete it. After completing the form, file it with the Jo Daviess County Circuit Clerk's office along with a $60 filing fee at:

9816 US Hwy 20 W
Galena, IL 61036
Phone: (815) 777-0037
Fax: (815) 776-9146

If the expungement request is granted, ISP will be charged an additional $60.00 fee. If a petitioner can not afford to pay the filing fee, they can get the filing fee waived or reduced by filing an Application for Waiver of Court Fees.

After filing an expungement request and paying the required fees, the presiding court may schedule a hearing to decide whether to approve or deny the request. If the request is approved, a court order will be issued and forwarded to the relevant agencies. These agencies have 60 days to effect the order. Meanwhile, applicants may file a notice to appeal within 30 days if the request is denied.

Jo Daviess County Arrest Warrants

According to 725 ILCS 5/107-1, an arrest warrant is a written court order that commands a peace officer or a specifically named person to arrest an individual. In Jo Daviess County, a court can issue a warrant pursuant to a complaint it receives under oath that accuses an individual of committing an offense. Per 725 ILCS 5/107-9, an arrest warrant must contain the following information:

• The name, sex, and birth date of the prospective arrestee or any name or description that can be used to identify the prospective arrestee with reasonable certainty.
• The nature of the offense
• The issuance date and the municipality or county where it was issued
• 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 Jo Daviess County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Jo Daviess County arrest warrants do not have a predetermined expiration date and typically remain active until they are executed or recalled by the issuing court.