Knox County Arrest Records

Arrests occur in Knox County, Indiana, when a person is caught committing a crime or is suspected of committing one. The arrest process follows the same general procedure regardless of the law enforcement agency involved: officers restrain the suspect (using physical force if necessary) and transport them to the local county jail. At the jail, the suspect is either formally charged with a crime or released after a few hours.

After an arrest, an individual's personal information and the circumstances surrounding the arrest are collected during the booking process. This process is carried out at the police department by the designated officer who made the arrest. Arrest records are the official documents that emerge from this booking process. They detail how often someone has been apprehended for criminal offenses. These records are vital for law enforcement recordkeeping and the county's judicial process. Consequently, arrest information may be featured in Knox County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Knox County?

Yes, arrest records are public in Knox County, Indiana, per the state Access to Public Records Act (APRA). The Act permits general members of the public access to arrest records and any other criminal record file created by law enforcement. Citizens can request copies of arrest records, and law enforcement must make them available to people needing them. However, the APRA also exempts certain types of arrest records from public disclosure because they will lead to an unfair invasion of privacy. Specific categories of arrest records will disrupt public safety and are exempt from public disclosure if made public. Some examples of exempted arrest records in Knox County include:

• Juvenile arrest records
• Arrest records for a person in a state witness protection program
• Arrest records that reveal the identity of a sexual abuse victim
• Arrest records that are part of an undercover police investigation
• Arrest reports that might reveal investigative techniques arrest reports that are part of a medical report

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records in Knox County usually contain the following information:

• The name of the arrested individual.
• A detailed physical description of the arrested person( height, weight, visible tattoos and scars, race, sex, facial features).
• The suspect's last known address.
• The suspect's age and date of birth.
• Arrest reports that explain the circumstances around the arrest.
• The name of the arresting officer.
• The name of the arresting agency.
• Charges against the arrestee.
• Arrestees previous arrest history report.
• Possible release date.
• Bail and bond information and terms of release.

Knox County Arrest Statistics

The Knox County Sheriff's Office reported 7122 arrests in the 2021 NIBRS report and the FBI Uniform crime reporting portal, comprising 418 minor arrests and 6704 adult arrests. The offenses that resulted in the most number of arrests overall were simple assault (784 arrests), DUI (396 arrests), aggravated assault (227 arrests), and drug/narcotic violations (1329 arrests, or 19% of all arrests that year).

Find Knox County Arrest Records

Anyone can find Knox County's arrest records by making a formal request to the law enforcement agency that maintains the records in the county. Every police department in Knox County allows requests for arrest records, criminal history reports, incident reports, and accident reports. Requests can be done in person, through mail, or by email. Every request should be made in writing and addressed to the records department of the law enforcement agency that creates the needed record. The records department of law enforcement agencies in Knox County maintains arrest records created by the booking department in digital and physical formats. The request should also include a payment for the needed records as either cash or money order. Individuals will need to call the police department's front desk to inquire into the cost of the records. The cost of arrest records depends on the type of arrest records needed (certified and non-certified) and how much time it takes department staff to search for the record.

Individuals can contact the Knox County Sheriff's Office to find out who is in jail. The department also publishes a 24-hour list of persons held in temporary and permanent custody by the county sheriff's authorities. This list can be searched using the names of persons arrested as requestor suspects.

Free Arrest Record Search in Knox County

Interested persons can search Knox County arrest records using the Indiana case management system portal. However, the portal can only search for arrest records for cases tried at a Knox County court. Arrest records for cases not charged to court can only be found at the law enforcement institution that made the arrest. Individuals can also request a fee waiver when performing arrest record searches at police departments if their case was dismissed or they are proven innocent of all charges against them in court.

Third-party websites provide an alternative option for searching for Knox County arrest records. They are often used because they are easily accessible remotely from anywhere. Most third-party sites also provide different types of public records, all on a single platform. These sites can easily be searched using the arrestee's name on the record and the date the arrest was made. While most third-party sites are accurate, it is good practice to check that their information is valid by comparing data from third-party websites with those from government sources.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

It depends. If left unchecked, an arrest record can follow a person for the remainder of their life, even if years have passed since they served. However, new laws in Indiana allow for automatic erasure for first-time offenders whose charges have been dropped. Expungement or record sealing are the only legal ways to keep arrest records out of the public domain.

Expunge Knox County Arrest Records

Expungement is a court-ordered procedure used to erase arrest records from a person's criminal history legally. An Expunged arrest record will be as though it never occurred in the first place. Individuals wanting to expunge their Knox County arrest record must first determine if they qualify.

As per IC 35-38-9 of the Indiana court rules, the following criteria must be met to erase arrest records:

• After a one-year waiting period, those who have had their charges dropped, been found not guilty, or had their charges dismissed may petition for expungement.
• People convicted of petty offenses may request expungement after two to five years, provided they do not engage in any more criminal activity during that time.

However, certain types of criminal activities cannot be expunged. Some examples include records pertaining to:

• An elected official that is found guilty of a crime while holding office or running for office.
• A violent or sexual offender
• A person found guilty of a criminal that caused another individual to suffer physical harm.
• A person found guilty of official malfeasance or perjury
• A person who has been found guilty of two (2) or more felonies that did not occur during the same criminal episode and that involved the unauthorized use of a deadly weapon.

Eligible persons can file a petition at the Knox County Circuit Court by downloading and completing the state petition form. Persons convicted must also pay the filing fee to submit their petition. The filing fee can be waived if a person is not charged with the crimes they are charged with. When a petition for expungement is received, the court has two options: either approve the petition or summarily refuse it if it does not fulfill the requirements or if the petitioner's comments suggest that they are not entitled to relief.

The court will order all government authorities to make the arrest records confidential if the petition is approved.

Knox County Arrest Warrants

A Knox County arrest warrant is a document that gives police the right to detain someone accused of committing a crime. A judge or magistrate in Knox County issues this warrant. Generally speaking, an affidavit of probable cause supporting an arrest warrant must be attached to a warrant for it to be deemed legal. This affidavit is obtained from the court when law enforcement requests a person's arrest. Based on the evidence in the affidavit, the judge will decide whether to grant the arrest warrant request or not.

Warrants issued by Knox County Court usually include the following information:

• The name of the defendant
• When the warrant was issued
• The issuing city or county
• The alleged offense committed by the defendant
• The title of office and signature of the issuing authority
• The court or authority issuing the warrant
• The bail information

Warrants issued by any court in Knox County are sent to the county sheriff's office and the nearest police department in the suspect's neighborhood. Individuals can search for active arrest warrants in Knox County by contacting the warrant officer at the Knox County Sheriff's Department in person or through mail.

Do Knox County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Knox County arrest warrants have no expiry date. They are valid until the subject voluntarily surrenders, is taken into custody, or passes away. Nevertheless, if a party moves to have a warrant revoked or deemed unlawful, the court has the authority to do so.