Wells County Arrest Records

Wells County arrest records detail incidents where people were taken into custody by local law enforcement. These records include the location and time of an arrest, the name of the arresting agency and officer, and more. However, they are not a sufficient means to ascertain a person's guilt or innocence of a crime. Individuals can access the Wells County court records created by local superior and circuit courts to determine how an arrest was finalized.

Are Arrest Records Public in Wells County?

Yes, Under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA), members of the public have the right to request Wells County arrest records. The APRA commands public agencies such as law enforcement, courts, and other criminal justice agencies to provide options for viewing, copying, and requesting their official records.

However, certain information within arrest records is exempted from public access to protect individual privacy, maintain the integrity of police investigations, and safeguard the identities of confidential informants, witnesses, and certain victims. For example, Security and passport numbers, bank account details, and medical and mental health data are protected against public disclosure.

Be that as it may, record subjects and their legal representatives, law enforcement agents, and entities who obtain court orders may view sealed or confidential arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following arrest records can be released to members of the public per IC 5-14-3-5:

• Identifying and biographical information, such as the arrestee's name, age, ethnicity, physical description, and address
• Reason for arrest or lock-up, such as charges
• Date and time of arrest
• Arrest location
• Holding facility
• Name of the arresting agency and officer
• Court appearance date
• Bond and bail information

Wells County Arrest Statistics

According to figures released on the Indiana Management Performance Hub’s Arrest Information Dashboard in collaboration with the Indiana State Police, Wells County law enforcement recorded 825 arrests in 2024. Out of this number, 238 arrests were attributed to drug offenses, 78 arrests were made in response to violent crimes, and seven arrests were executed because of crimes involving weapons.

Find Wells County Arrest Records

The Wells County Sheriff is the county's primary arrest records custodian. Individuals can contact the office regarding information about past or present arrestees. The office’s jail division also maintains and shares records about inmates in the county jail.

Local police departments with jurisdiction over specific cities, such as the Bluffton Police Department, can also be contacted for records of recent arrestees.

If a person was apprehended in Wells County and sentenced to state prison, record searchers can use the options provided by the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) to find related information. The department’s Incarcerated Individual Locator is a convenient tool for viewing details about incarcerated individuals online without visiting IDOC. One can search the database by entering an inmate’s name or IDOC number. The first result page shows an inmate's name, IDOC number, date of birth, location, sex, and race. Selecting an inmate reveals more information, such as reason for incarceration, type of conviction, county of conviction, and release date.

Individuals can also use IDOC's public records request and offender records request options to order documents related to inmates in state custody. It should be noted that charges and offenses displayed on an IDOC inmate’s record may differ from original arrest offenses, as prosecutors can upgrade, downgrade, or change charges during criminal proceedings. A person may also be found guilty of one offense and acquitted of others during prosecutions for multiple offenses.

When people are arrested by federal agencies, such as the FBI, members of the public can contact the federal arresting agency or view indictments filed with federal courts to understand the reasons for such arrests. Further, individuals can use the Bureau of Prisons’ federal inmate locator to determine where a federal prisoner is being held.

Free Arrest Record Search in Wells County

Members of the public can view free arrest information through third-party aggregate websites. These websites collect publicly available arrest records from police agencies across the state and allow members of the public to search by name. Since private websites do not maintain official partnerships with law enforcement agencies, they cannot guarantee the correctness of published arrest data. Thus, individuals are advised to verify arrest information through official sources.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

In some cases, indefinitely. When a person is convicted of a felony, any related arrest may remain part of their criminal history information forever. However, certain arrestees can petition courts to block public access to their arrest records through sealing and expungement processes. People who qualify for such legal remedies in Wells must honor waiting periods before submitting their petitions.

Expunge Wells County Arrest Records

Expungement in Wells County is a legal process designed to help eligible individuals remove their criminal records from local and statewide criminal databases so that they no longer appear during background searches and remain inaccessible to the public.

According to IC 35-38-9-1, eligible individuals include people who were once arrested but never charged or convicted and persons whose convictions were vacated upon appeal. The law allows eligible parties to apply for expungement one year after the incident, and such petitioners must not have pending criminal proceedings or be subjects of pretrial diversion programs at the time of filing.

Expungement petitions are free, must be filed in the Wells County Circuit or Superior Court, and must contain the following:

• Date of the incident action, such as an arrest, indictment, or accusation.
• The county where the arrest occurred or indictment/charges were filed.
• Applicant's birth date and social security number.
• The arresting agency.

Other details, such as the petitioner's driver's license number, arresting officer's name, case number, and aliases used by the applicant, are optional but useful.

The court may summarily deny an expungement petition if the required details are not provided on the petition or the petitioner does not meet one or more statutory requirements.

Indiana also allows people with certain misdemeanors and minor felonies to expunge or seal their criminal records. Interested parties can follow the processes outlined in IC 35-38-9-2 to IC 35-38-9-8.

An expungement, however, does not physically destroy a record. While the public cannot access expunged records, law enforcement agencies may still retain access.

Wells County Arrest Warrants

Wells County arrest warrants are orders issued by circuit and superior court judges to apprehend and hold individuals accused of violating state law. These documents contain an accused person's identifying details, the alleged offense, the issuing county, the judge's signature, and any bail conditions.

One can contact the Wells Sheriff's Office to confirm whether a warrant has been issued for the arrest of any individual. People can also view information about outstanding warrants on the Sheriff's website.

Do Wells County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No, Arrest warrants issued in Wells remain outstanding until police officers execute the arrests. However, judges can quash a warrant when a subject is found factually innocent or fulfills the underlying legal obligation that initially led to the warrant's issuance, such as a child support payment.