Finney County Arrest Records

Arrests occur in Finney County, Kansas, when law enforcement believes that any of the conditions stipulated in section 22-2401 of the Kansas legislature are met. These arrests may be based on warrants issued by the courts for individual arrests or situations where a suspect is caught committing a criminal act.

After an arrest is made, the suspect is taken to a police station where their fingerprints and mugshots are taken. The local police department then charges the arrested person with a crime. When someone is charged, it indicates they have been suspected of breaking a particular federal or state law. Using its record management system, the arresting agency will produce incident records following an arrest. It is during this booking process that arrest records are created. In Finney County, arrest records are a critical part of an individual's criminal history. They are essential to the legal process in Finney County because arrest information is featured in Finney County court records if it is relevant to a specific judicial proceeding.

Are Arrest Records Public in Finney County?

Yes. Arrest records are public in Finney County per the Kansas Public Records Act and Kansas state laws 45-216. Citizens in Finney County have the legal right to request and access arrest records created by law enforcement in the county. The cost and the amount of information disclosed in these fee-based arrest record checks are governed by Kansas laws and regulations. However, some exemptions prevent certain types of arrest records from being disclosed. These records can only be accessed by law enforcement and judicial officers. Some examples of Finney County arrest records that are confidential include:

• Juvenile arrest records.
• Arrest records of an active law enforcement officer.
• Arrest records that are part of an ongoing investigation.
• Arrest records of persons in a Witness Protection program.
• Arrest reports that are part of medical and health records.
• Arrest reports that reveal the identity of victims of sexual abuse crimes.
• Arrest reports that show financial information.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A Finney County arrest record usually includes the following information:

• The full name and aliases of the arrested person
• The height, weight, race, and eye color of the arrested person
• The last known address of the arrested individual
• The cause of the arrest
• Criminal items found with the arrested person
• The name of the arresting agency
• Charges against the arrested person
• The name of the arresting officer
• Bail and bond information

Find Finney County Arrest Records

Interested individuals can find Finney County arrest records by contacting the county's law enforcement offices. Every law enforcement office in Finney County has a records maintenance division that stores arrest records and other criminal records. These divisions also maintain other types of law enforcement records, including criminal offense reports, traffic accident reports, sex offenders lists, active warrants, and traffic citations. The first step to finding a Finney County arrest record is locating the office where the arrest record is held, which is most often the agency that made the arrest. Law enforcement offices in Finney County typically allow requests for Finney County arrest records in person, online, or through the mail. To make a request, applicants will need to provide the following information at the office of the custodian of the record:

• The initials and last names of the person arrested
• Date of birth of the arrestee, if known, Date and place of the incident
• The contact details of the requester
• valid government-issued ID

Anyone arrested by law enforcement is usually held at the Finney County Jail until their court appearance. Inquirers may search for inmates online using the Finney County Jail portal. This portal can be searched using the arrested person's name or booking number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Finney County

There are two main ways to perform a free arrest record search in Finney County. Individuals can search county court district court dockets for arrest records entered into the court's database as evidence in a case. These records can be searched using public access terminals at the county courthouse. It is challenging to obtain arrest records from police departments for free; however, individuals can request to have the fees associated with arrest records requests waived if they can prove that they cannot pay them.

Third-party websites also provide an alternative free arrest record search option. These sites are operated by private companies that offer public records access as a service. Some of these sites are a result of the outsourcing of public records by official Authorities. Individuals can search these sites using keywords such as the name of the person on the record, the date when the arrest occurred, and the name of the department that made the arrest.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. Arrests will remain on a person's criminal record until steps are taken to clear it. An arrest will come up on a person's background check and criminal history report as long as they remain alive. However, arrest information that dates as far back as 7 years is restricted in some employment background checks if an individual has stayed crime-free during that period. The only way to clear a person's criminal history is to have it expunged in accordance with state law.

Expunge Finney County Arrest Records

Expungement is the legal process of removing arrest and other criminal records from public access. A record that has been "expunged" can be regarded as having never happened by most people or organizations outside the legal system.

The expungement process for arrest records in Finney County is guided by sections 22-2410 of the Kansas state statutes. Only eligible individuals can request the expungement of arrest records. Persons arrested in cases of mistaken identity can file a petition to have their records expunged. Individuals who have had their charges dropped by a prosecuting judge or attorney and those who have dismissed their cases can also petition the court for expungement.

Persons convicted of certain minor crimes can also request expungement if they have not been involved in any criminal activities during the statutory waiting period before expungement. Certain convictions, including traffic infractions, minor infractions, and felonies, may be erased after three years. Motor vehicle convictions, including driving while suspended, and other felonies may be cleared for five years.

An individual must submit a petition for expungement through the Finney court with jurisdiction over the incident to remove an arrest record from their criminal history record. The court will decide whether the arrest can be expunged following the petition. If the petition is granted, the court clerk will mail a certified copy of the expungement to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

It takes two to four weeks for the KBI to process the expungement and update the criminal history record after receiving the certified expungement order. The KBI will also inform the Kansas Secretary of Corrections, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and any law enforcement agency in Finney County that was connected to the incident.

Finney County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are legal orders issued by county court judges instructing law enforcement to apprehend a person suspected of committing a crime and bring them before the judge.

Finney County arrest warrants are issued by the county court judge or the county court clerk when a person is indicted by law enforcement. Arrest warrants are also issued based on probable cause that supports warrant issuance. Any warrant issued by a court in Finney County will contain the following information:

• The court's name where the warrant was issued.
• The defendant's name, a description of the defendant, and the judge's signature, either in person or electronically.
• The defendant's date of birth and last known address, as determined by their town, county, and geographic codes.
• Any distinctive physical traits that will help locate the defendant and carry out the warrant execution.
• The offense committed and the associated charges.
• A command to apprehend the suspect

Individuals can search for Finney County arrest records at the Finney County Sheriff's Office's Warrant Department.

The warrant staff is responsible for processing around 200 incoming arrest warrants monthly. The deputies at the office are always adding, updating, and maintaining wanted person records. The computer systems for municipal, state, and federal wanted persons are used to enter these entries. If someone knows the name of a person of interest, they can request that arrest warrants be searched.

Do Finney County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Finney County arrest warrants do not have any expiry date. They remain active until they are executed by law enforcement. New laws decriminalizing the charges on an arrest warrant can also invalidate a warrant.