Whiteside County Arrest Records

In Whiteside County, Illinois, arrest records originate from police efforts to bring criminal offenders to justice. These records are produced after an arrest by the arresting agency and serve to provide information on the arrest itself and its circumstances, as well as the alleged offender and their crime.

Within the Whiteside County justice system, arrest records are important for bringing charges against suspected perpetrators; when that happens, such documents are incorporated into the Whiteside County court records. Arrest records also serve public notification purposes, allowing people to learn why an arrest took place and where an alleged offender may be confined—often at the Whiteside County Jail for adult suspects. Additionally, an arrest record may be reviewed for expungement petitions to determine a person's eligibility for relief.

Are Arrest Records Public in Whiteside County?

Yes. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Whiteside County arrest records are releasable to the general public. This means anyone can query a local police agency for records of its arrests. However, the FOIA prohibits certain releases, usually where:

• A person's life or safety may be threatened.
• The security of a correctional facility may be compromised.
• An ongoing or active police investigation may be impaired.
• The suspect is a juvenile.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

According to 5 ILCS 140/2.15, the following information can be found in a public arrest record generated in Whiteside County:

• The legal name, age, last known address, and photograph (if available) of the subject of an arrest
• The offense and its description
• The time, location, and date of the arrest
• The name of the arresting or investigating police agency
• The time and date that the suspect was booked into a jail facility, released, or transferred from the arresting agency's custody

Whiteside County Arrest Statistics

Whiteside County's police agencies routinely report crime and arrest figures to the Illinois State Police (ISP) to create authentic and uniform crime data for law enforcement administration/use and public information purposes.

According to the latest Crime in Illinois publication released by the State Police, Whiteside County recorded 251 arrests in 2021. Of that number, 76 were classified as Group A arrests and 175 as Group B arrests. Among reported arrestee categories, adults (people 18 years and older) were the most frequently arrested, with 244 adult arrests reported by law enforcement. Meanwhile, juvenile arrests totaled 7.

Whiteside County's most recurring arrests in 2021 were for driving under the influence (DUI) offenses, comprising approximately 26% (65) of the total arrests. Other prevalent arrests included drug/narcotic violations, with 38 arrests reported, and then simple assault, with 24 arrests.

Find Whiteside County Arrest Records

One way to locate a Whiteside County arrest record is to contact the police agency responsible for the arrest. This may be the Albany Police Department, Morrison Police Department, the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office, or another local police division.

For those who do not know the agency that executed an arrest, the local sheriff's office can be the starting point for such queries, especially where the sought-after record belongs to an adult arrested and detained at the Whiteside County Jail. Below is the sheriff's office contact information:

400 North Cherry Street
Morrison, IL 61270
Phone: (Main): (815) 772-4044
Phone: (Records): (815) 772-5217
Phone: (Jail): (815) 772-5203
Fax: (815) 772-7944

Where the inquiry pertains to an individual who has already been transferred to an Illinois State prison to serve their sentence, the interested party can access the Individual in Custody Search system maintained by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). The platform is accessible with a state prisoner's last name, IDOC number, or birthdate. Other offender search tools are also available on the IDOC's website.

Those seeking information about a federal inmate can direct their inquiries to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which oversees the federal penitentiaries. The BOP provides an online application (called the Federal Inmate Locator) for looking up basic information about persons in federal custody. Requesters seeking additional information can submit FOIA requests to the BOP or query the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

It should be noted that the BOP only maintains inmate records from 1982 to date, while earlier records can be found at NARA.

Free Arrest Record Search in Whiteside County

People seeking a free arrest record search in Whiteside County can contact/visit the arresting police department to place an inspection request. Fees may not be charged to the requester if they simply wish to see—not copy—a public arrest record.

Another way to find free Whiteside arrest records is to utilize third-party websites that provide such services. Users can typically search such websites using a person's first and last name. However, while basic arrest information may be disseminated to an inquirer at no cost, most third-party vendors charge to access detailed information, including other public records related to the search subject.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

No Illinois statute imposes a deadline upon whose expiration an arrest will be removed from a person's criminal history. These records remain publicly accessible throughout a subject's lifetime, meaning anyone, including employers, landlords, and family, can potentially read them. However, subjects of records can seek an expungement or sealing order from the court (if they qualify) to block public access to their arrest information.

Expunge Whiteside County Arrest Records

An expungement in Whiteside County, Illinois, is a court process undertaken by defendants to erase records of arrests and court supervision. According to 20 ILCS 2630/5.2, the term "expunge" means to physically destroy or return records to a defendant (the petitioner) and to obliterate the defendant's name from any official index or public record, or both. The effect is that it will be like the record never existed, and the defendant can state as much.

The exact process for expungement differs depending on whether one wants to erase an adult, juvenile, or cannabis arrest record. However, the first requirement for expunging any arrest record in Whiteside County is that the petitioner satisfies the state's eligibility criteria.

Arrests that can be expunged are generally those for misdemeanors or felonies that did not result in a conviction. However, people can also expunge charges or sentences, such as:

• Misdemeanor or felony convictions that were reversed, vacated, or pardoned
• Eligible misdemeanor or class 4 cannabis convictions
• Completed sentences for supervision where the waiting period has elapsed

The following conditions generally preclude a person from obtaining an expungement in Whiteside County:

• Pending criminal charges
• Unfinished sentences, including parole, probation, or court supervision
• Eligible court supervisions or qualified probations where the waiting period for the crime has not yet lapsed
• Ineligible cases, such as minor traffic offenses, civil cases, court supervision for DUI offenses, and misdemeanor/felony convictions that were not reversed, vacated, or pardoned

Where an arrest does not qualify for expungement (erasure), parties can apply to the court for sealing if they are eligible. Sealing, contrary to expungement, only conceals (hides) the record from the public; the record will still exist but will only be accessible with a court order, subject to any retention-destruction schedules of the court.

The standard process for seeking an expungement or sealing involves petitioning the circuit court of one's sentencing county. In this case, the Whiteside County Circuit Court. Petitioners will need to obtain their criminal records from the Illinois State Police, a local police agency, or a licensed fingerprint vendor agency, as well as their court disposition from the circuit court in the applicable counties (if they were arrested, charged, or convicted in more than one county). Note that there are no court dispositions if the arrest or charge did not escalate to the judicial system.

After confirming eligibility, one will need to fill out the relevant expungement/sealing forms and pay the filing fees (unless the person is eligible for a fee waiver). These forms also contain how-to instructions for filing each type of expungement petition, whether adult, juvenile, or cannabis. The expungement/sealing forms and fees are filed in the Whiteside County Circuit Clerk's Office for all arrests that occurred in the county.

Once all expungement petition requirements are met, the petitioner may need to appear for a court hearing, where a judge will determine the petition's merits. Defendants are advised to gather all supporting evidence, including documents and photographs, that they wish to show the judge, such as a letter of recommendation or proof of education.

If the judge approves an expungement/sealing order, a copy of the petition will be transmitted to all police departments and prosecutorial offices listed on the Notice of Filing for Expungement and/or Sealing (one of the forms petitioners are required to file with the court). If the judge denies the petition, parties can request reconsideration—that the court examine the case again—or solicit the appellate court to review the circuit court's decision.

It is worth noting that certain records are automatically expunged or sealed under Illinois law. For example, certain cannabis offenses may qualify for automatic expungement, and the public cannot ordinarily view juvenile arrest and court records without a court order.

Some juvenile arrest and court records are also automatically expunged. A case in point is where an arrest did not result in charges. In such instances, the record will be expunged a year after the arrest date, provided six months have passed since any subsequent arrest was made or charges filed.

There is no need to petition a court for expungement where an automatic expungement or sealing holds. Still, certain employers and government departments will retain access to a confidential juvenile record. Should the record holder obtain a juvenile expungement, however, those parties will no longer have access.

Whiteside County Arrest Warrants

Whiteside County arrest warrants are written documents directing the arrest of a person purported to have committed a crime. These papers are issued by judges upon a law enforcement officer's complaint and affidavit stating probable cause for an arrest (i.e., setting out facts or evidence that a particular person should be held responsible for a criminal offense).

Nonetheless, circuit court judges in Whiteside can issue arrest warrants when a person disobeys a court order, such as failing to pay a court fine or restitution. In these instances, the warrant is known as a bench warrant or body attachment.

Per 725 ILCS 5/107-9, arrest warrants in Illinois, including those approved in Whiteside County, typically carry the following information.

• The legal name, gender, and date of birth of the alleged offender. If such information is unknown, the warrant will include any name or description by which the accused can be identified with reasonable certainty
• The offense
• The date and municipality or county of issuance
• The judge's signature and title of office
• An order that the accused person be apprehended and brought before a judge
• The conditions of pretrial release, if applicable
• Any geographical limitations on the warrant

Do Whiteside County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Any arrest warrant released in Whiteside County remains attached to its subject until it is executed by their arrest, regardless of whether they move out of the county. However, the court may recall the warrant if it finds new evidence that questions the suspect's guilt or any other information/condition that invalidates the arrest warrant.