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  1. Garrett County Court
  2. Garrett County Arrest Records

Garrett County, Maryland Arrest Records

Garrett County arrest records are documents created by the county's law enforcement agencies to track arrests made by the sheriff's office, police departments, or other county agencies. These documents provide essential details about the reasons for the arrest, the warrants or charges that led to it, and a list of all the people involved. 

Arrest records are created to preserve information about arrests and made public to ensure that citizens are informed about arrests within the Garrett County jurisdiction. Arrest records are a type of criminal offender records. Arrest information that leads to a conviction is included in Maryland's criminal summary information. Hence, while most arrest records are public records, specific types of arrest records included in criminal records may be restricted under Criminal Procedure Article §10-201 of the Code of Maryland.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Garrett, Maryland?

Yes, arrest records are regarded as public information in Garrett, Maryland, per the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) - Md. General Provisions Code Ann. §4-101. The law requires custodians of arrest records to make these documents available to the public upon request. Citizens also have the right to request these arrest records, view them, and make copies. However, the MPIA also grants exemptions that prevent certain arrest records from being made public. Some examples of these arrest records that are exempted include:

  • Arrest records of minors 
  • Arrest records that are part of investigatory files 
  • Arrest records that have been sealed or expunged 

Any personal data of victims, and any information that would breach a victim's privacy rights, included in arrest reports and any other arrest records, is also made confidential by redacting it before records are made public.

Garrett County Arrest Search

Persons can conduct a Garrett County arrest search through the Central Records Division of the Maryland state police. The state police receives arrest records, such as arrest logs, arrest reports, arrest summary sheets, and statistical arrest data, from police departments and county sheriffs' offices in Maryland, including those in Garrett County. The division responds to requests for arrest records in person, by telephone, or by mail. 

In-person requestors must visit the Central Records Division during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday, excluding State Holidays) to request records. Alternatively, individuals can submit a request for arrest records to the division's email address: msp.crd@maryland.gov. Regardless of the request method, the request must specify the name of the arrested individual, the county of arrest, the name of the arresting agency, and the arrest booking number (if known).

Maryland Department of State Police

1201 Reisterstown Road

Pikesville, MD 21208

(410) 653-4200

Garrett County Inmate Locator

The Garrett County inmate locator is an online portal that provides information about individuals who have been incarcerated, detained, sentenced, or pre-trial in the county. The inmate locator tool in Garrett County is a searchable database that provides information on individuals arrested by law enforcement in the county. The tool is updated every 24 hours and allows individuals to look up inmates using the names of the arrested person. The portal provides information about an individual's identity, the reason for the arrest, charges against the arrestee, and how to release the individual through bail or bond.

Active Warrant Search in Garrett County

Arrest warrants are court-issued orders that authorize law enforcement to arrest an individual suspected of committing a crime. A judge in Garrett County may issue a warrant based on the evidence provided by law enforcement agents or based on the testimony of a citizen under oath. The evidence must be sufficient and show probable cause to suggest that the subject has committed a crime. Every warrant issued by any court in Maryland is entered into the county's local warrant database, which is made available at every law enforcement office in Garrett County.

Persons looking to perform an active warrant search in Garrett County can do so by visiting the warrants Unit of the Garrett County Sheriff's Department to request a search. Staff within the unit can provide information seekers with a list of active warrants from their in-house database. Visitors can also perform specific name-based searches by giving staff at the office the name of a person of interest, which will be used to check against subjects with active warrants in the office's database.

Online searches can also be done using the Garrett County active warrant portal. The portal can be searched by a suspect's first and last names.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Garrett County

Individuals can find arrest records for free in Garrett County using third-party websites. These websites are owned by independent companies that provide free access to public records, such as arrest records and other criminal records, as part of a larger service. These sites allow users to search for documents by the arrestee's name. However, the free-to-use third-party websites are limited in the amount of information they provide.

The Garrett County Sheriff's Office also provides arrest records free of charge in some instances. People who were wrongfully arrested can obtain arrest records at no cost by requesting them as part of an expungement petition. Citizens can also request a fee waiver at the sheriff's office when requesting an arrest record. The sheriff's office administration will accept requests for waivers if they serve the public interest in any way, and in cases where the requester can prove they cannot afford the fee.

Garrett County Arrest Report

 Garrett County arrest reports are prepared by an arresting law enforcement officer and detail who was arrested, why the officer believes a crime occurred, and how the arrest was made. Arrest reports also include information about every incident that happened during the arrest and every conversation the arrested individual had. Arrest reports are the first type of arrest records created immediately after an arrest.

On the other hand, arrest records are documents that provide a general summary of an arrest. Arrest records include basic information about the time and location of the arrest, the detention facility, and the charges against the arrested individual. Arrest records provide a general overview and summarize key details of an arrest, while arrest reports offer a narrative breakdown.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Garrett County

Maryland law describes expungement as the legal removal of law enforcement and court records from public inspection. Expungement ensures that a person who is rehabilitated after a conviction for a crime, or who is innocent of a crime, does not endure the stigma of an arrest on their record. In Maryland, when arrest records are expunged, they cannot be revealed by any basic background check.

Anyone who wants to apply for expungement of their arrest records in Garrett County must first meet the eligibility criteria set out in Maryland expungement legislation. Arrest records from misdemeanors are eligible for expungement in Maryland. However, the expungement applicant must wait 3 years before filing the expungement petition. The Maryland expungement code also provides that individuals whose cases have been dismissed and persons who have been found not guilty may apply for expungement before the minimum 3-year wait period elapses. Nuisance crimes like theft and possession of controlled substances have a 5-7 year wait period. Persons who are eligible for expungement in Garrett County can do so by following these steps:

  • Obtain copies of the Maryland expungement of records petition form from the Garrett County district or circuit court or online on the Maryland courts' websites.
  • Petitioners must then complete the expungement petition form.
  • File the form at the Garrett County court that handled the arrest case. If the case was not charged, petitioners may file an ex parte petition with the Garrett County Circuit Court.
  • Petitioners must then pay the filing fees for the expungement petition. There is no filing fee if the case has a disposition of acquittal, dismissal, PBJ, or not criminally responsible. However, there is a $30 filing fee for each arrest record case if the petition is for a guilty disposition.

How Do You Remove Garrett County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Individuals can remove Garrett County arrest records from the internet by making formal or off-the-record requests to site owners. For example, people can contact the Garrett County Sheriff's Office by email or phone to request that their records be removed from the sheriff's online arrest logs. However, requests will only be granted if the records being disputed are not public records, contain entirely false information, or violate the subject's privacy rights. Similarly, third-party aggregators that provide arrest records as a service include sections on their websites for requesting the removal of arrest records. Requests can be made in writing and submitted through email or over the phone. If a request is refused, requesters can challenge it in court or file a petition  to get a court order for the records removal

What Do Public Garrett County Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest records produced by law enforcement in Garrett County include comprehensive data on all arrests. The arrest information released to the public by law enforcement agencies in Garrett County follows a uniform pattern and consistently provides the same information. Most of these arrest records include:

  • The full name of the arrestee
  • A physical description of the arrestee
  • Arrestee booking number and inmate number
  • Time, place, and date of the arrest
  • The cause of the arrest 
  • The name of the arresting agency and officer
  • The offenses committed by the arrestee
  • The name of the detention facility where the arrestee is being held
  • Next scheduled court date 
  • Possible release dates
  • Bail and bond information
  • A short summary arrest report