Harrison County Arrest Records

In Harrison County, arrests occur when law enforcement officers have probable cause to believe that an individual has committed a crime. Arrests may also happen when the court releases a warrant or a person is caught in the act of a crime. Since various law enforcement agencies work together in Harrison County, any of these agencies may be responsible for arresting an offender.

An arrest record is simply the official account of an arrest generated by the arresting officer/department, which details personal information about the arrestee and the circumstances leading up to the arrest.

Harrison County arrest records are closely related to other public records, such as Harrison County court records and the Indiana criminal history files. These latter records provide comprehensive information about an individual's interaction with the state's legal system, including past arrests, court cases, sentencing, and judgments.

Are Arrest Records Public in Harrison County?

Yes, Harrison County arrest records are public under Indiana's Access to Public Records Act (APRA), codified in IC 5-14-3. This law grants citizens the right to inspect and copy governmental records, such as arrest records.

Still, sensitive or confidential information is not included in public records. Examples include records that expose financial information or reveal investigative techniques. Juvenile arrest records are also barred from public disclosure.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A typical Harrison County public arrest record contains the following information:

• The Defendant's Personal Information: Full name, alias(es), date of birth, physical description, and mugshot
• Arrest Data: Arrest date, time, and location; the arresting agency; the arresting officer's name or badge ID
• Charges: Offenses or charges against the defendant, including the code of law violated
• Case Information: Court case number and court jurisdiction
• Bail/Bond Information: The amount of bail or bond set and other conditions for release

Harrison County Arrest Statistics

According to statistics from the Indiana Management Performance Hub's (MPH) Arrests Dashboard, 722 arrests occurred in Harrison County in 2023. Drug arrests were the leading category among other offenses, constituting 253 arrests that year. Other popular categories were property, traffic, and violent offenses, accounting for 141, 119, and 110 arrests, respectively. The least recurring arrests in 2023 were weapon violations, for which only 8 people were arrested in the county.

Find Harrison County Arrest Records

Multiple resources are available to researchers for finding Harrison County arrest records at the state, county, and even federal levels. Some are accessible online, while others are strictly offline. However, to locate an arrest record, one typically needs to provide a record's description, such as its subject's name or date of birth or the arrest date, case number, or place of arrest.

Local Police Departments: Local police departments often retain copies of arrests made. Hence, an interested person may contact the police department that handled an arrest and request information about that case.

Individuals searching for those in custody at the local jail can reach out to the Harrison County Sheriff's Department at:

1445 Gardner Lane North-West
Suite 1000
Corydon, IN 47112
Phone: (812) 738-2195

The Indiana State Police's Criminal History Request Service: This is a subscription-based service provided by the Indiana State Police. Interested persons may search for felonies and class A misdemeanor arrests within Indiana. Each record request costs $15 for subscribers.

Court Clerk: An interested person may visit the clerk of the county's circuit court or superior court, whichever heard the case, to request public court records, which may carry arrest data.

Free Arrest Record Search in Harrison County

Individuals interested in a free Harrison County arrest record search can visit the local police agency that made the arrest. Certain records may be disclosed at no cost to the requester. However, there may be charges attached to obtain a record copy.

Another way users can find Harrison County arrest records for free is to access third-party aggregate websites. These sites may provide limited arrest data for free. However, they may not always be up-to-date or comprehensive.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Per Indiana's laws, arrest records can remain on an individual's criminal record indefinitely unless expunged. However, the waiting period for expungement varies from being instantaneous for certain juvenile cases to up to 10 years for some misdemeanors and felonies.

Expunge Harrison County Arrest Records

Expungement is a legal process that seals or erases arrests, charges, or juvenile delinquency allegations from public view. The expungement procedure may be automatic or by application.

Automatic Expungement

According to Indiana Code (IC 35-38-9), an adult or juvenile qualifies for automatic expungement of their arrest records if:

• The charges were dismissed, or the subject was not convicted
• Their judgment was vacated, and they are not in any pretrial program
• One year has passed with no charges filed, and the state is no longer pursuing the case

If all the above criteria are met, the court will issue an expungement within six months (or one year, per the prosecutor's request). However, juvenile cases in which the court has not made a decision after one year and the state is no longer pursuing the case are expunged immediately.

Application For Expungement

• No Pending Charges: If a person has no pending charges one year after an arrest, they can petition the county's superior court judge for an expungement.
• Misdemeanor Convictions (IC 35-38-9-2): Suppose a person was convicted of a misdemeanor or certain class D felonies and completed their sentences, including financial restitution. Then, after five years, they may petition the Harrison County Superior Court to expunge their conviction records.
• Felonies (IC 35-38-9-3): After eight years, individuals who were convicted of class D felonies may apply for expungement.

When an arrest record is expunged, the court orders the Department of Corrections, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, law enforcement agencies, the Supreme Court Clerk, and the central repository for criminal history information to seal any records related to that conviction. Subsequently, only those with a court order or other legally authorized entities may access the records.

Offenses that are ineligible for expungement under Indiana laws include sexual or violent crimes (IC 11-8-8-5), homicide and manslaughter (IC 35-42-1), official misconduct, human and sex trafficking offenses (IC 35-42-3.5), sex crimes (IC 35-42-4), and felonies involving deadly weapons.

Harrison County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant instructs law enforcement officers to apprehend a named or described person and bring them before a court. According to IC 35-33-2-1, an arrest warrant may be issued in two scenarios: when a formal indictment has been made against someone or where probable cause exists to justify the warrant.

Indiana laws mandate that an arrest warrant be directed to the county sheriff, be in writing, and contain the following:

• The name of the person to be arrested or any alias/physical description that correctly identifies them (if the name is unknown)
• The nature of the offense
• The issue date
• The issuing municipality/jurisdiction
• Name and title of the court clerk or judge who issued the warrant
• An instruction commanding that the person against whom the indictment or information was filed be arrested and brought to the issuing court without unnecessary delay
• Bail amount (if applicable)

Do Harrison County Arrest Warrants Expire?

Yes. Harrison County arrest warrants for misdemeanors expire after 180 days, although the court can re-issue them at the prosecuting attorney's request. However, felony arrest warrants and rearrest warrants never expire (IC 35-33-2-4).