York County Arrest Records

Arrest records are important documents created after a person’s apprehension. They are required for various legal purposes. For example, booking and case numbers contained in arrest records are used to keep track of people's cases and detention for administrative purposes. Members of the public can use such details to locate their loved ones and provide support. Individuals whose arrest records may have prevented them from securing jobs and licenses require those records for expungement petitions.

Further, defense lawyers and prosecutors use arrest data to make their cases for and against defendants. These records are created and maintained by the York County Sheriff's Office and various city police departments. However, arrest information can be accessed through the Maine judiciary when it becomes part of York County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in York County?

Yes, arrest records are public information in York County per 16 MSRA § 704. The law mandates the Sheriff's Office to document arrest information of individuals in its custody and make those details available to the public. The state's supreme court also establishes that criminal court records are accessible to members of the public remotely and at the courthouse.

However, the following arrest and criminal records are classified as confidential:

• Sensitive financial information: These include bank account details, credit card data, mortgages, investment accounts, bank and account statements, tax documents, and payment histories.
• Personal Identification Numbers: Driver's license, passport, social security, employer identification, and state ID numbers
• Other personal data: Medical and health information, education records, and trade secrets.
• Information about other parties: Names, dates of birth, addresses, and other collected personal information of parties other than defendants and their alleged accomplices. These parties include certain victims, witnesses, and confidential sources
• Juvenile records: Arrest and prosecution information related to young adults below the age of 18
• Sealed records: Arrest and criminal data removed from public access after a court approves an individual’s petition to seal their criminal and arrest records.
• Investigative records: Arrest information, prepared evidence, and other materials collected and generated during active police investigations

Moreover, information containing details about a person whose arrest or summons occurred over a year ago and never ended in a guilty disposition are generally removed from public access pursuant to 16 MSRA § 703.

Notwithstanding, criminal justice agencies, courts and subject of records can access confidential information in certain situations approved by law.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Per 16 MSRA § 706, the following details prepared and collected by criminal justice agencies in York County, Maine are public information:

• The name, year of birth, occupation, and address of the of the arrested individual
• Descriptions of the alleged crime, which must include the violated state law
• Where the alleged offense occurred
• Arrest date, time, and location
• How the arrest was executed, such as the resistance encountered by police officers, the arrestee’s refusal to yield, use of physical force, and method of pursuit

York County Crime Rate

Maine’s Uniform Crime Reporting law (25 MRSA § 1544) instructs every law enforcement authority within the state to submit crime reports to the State Bureau of Identification under the Maine State Police. The bureau is also directed to produce annual reports using the data it receives from these agencies. The Crime in Maine 2022 reports crime data for the state using the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System format. It shows that York County recorded 6,781 crimes in 2022, a 4.04% drop from 2021’s 7,066.

The Biddeford PD reported the most offenses in 2022 (1,694), followed by the Sanford PD (1,320). The Saco PD recorded 924 offenses and the York Sheriff's Office reported 564 crimes.

York County Arrest Statistics

The Crime in Maine 2022 report covers arrest statistics for the entire state and does not include granular numbers for York. Interested parties can contact the York County Sheriff's Office or their city police departments to request specific arrest statistics for their neighborhoods. They can also contact the Maine State Police department by email at maine.ibr@maine.gov for inquiries.

Find York County Arrest Records

People interested in finding arrest records must first determine why and where the individual was arrested. Knowing whether they were arrested for a state or federal crime and in which city or town will help identify the likely arresting agency.

Those arrested for violating state laws are usually apprehended by city police departments and the Sheriff's Office. City police departments like the Biddeford and Sanford PDs arrest people who violate state and local laws within city jurisdictions. Members of the public can contact these agencies to obtain arrest information, especially for recent incidents.

However, arrested individuals are routinely remanded into the county jail managed by the Sheriff's correctional division. The division is instructed by law to obtain and create arrest records for each inmate and make them available to the public. As such, people can contact the Sheriff's Office for details about loved ones that may be held at the county jail.

To find information about persons sentenced to a state adult facility can use the online web app provided by the Maine Department of Corrections. The department calls its web tool the Adult Resident/Adult Community Corrections Client Search Service. It allows individuals to search inmates by MDOC number and name. Site users can provide other details, such as date of birth, sex, offense type, and other inmate information to refine their search. The database shows whether an offender is currently in custody or released on parole. It also shows the status of absconders. Other details include each offender's offense, crime level, sentencing court, and incarcerated duration.

Meanwhile, people arrested on suspicion of committing federal crimes will be in the custody of federal agencies. Interested parties can use the inmate locator provided by the Bureau of Prisons to track down federal inmates. The tool allows site users to search for incarcerated people using their names or register number. One can also use the bureau’s Freedom of Information Act request method to ask for more inmate records.

If the arrested person is in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, one can use the agency's Online Detainee Locator System. The database requires the arrestee's A-Number, short for Alien Number, or their full name and birth country.

Free Arrest Record Search in York County

Records are not typically free when they involve copying official documents. However, third parties operating online public records websites often display York County arrest information for free. They allow members of the public to view publicly available details from the Sheriff's Office or city and town police departments.

Moreover, using online search tools like those provided by ICE, the BOP, and MDOC are also free.

Get York County Criminal Records

Prosecutors create the first batch of criminal records when they charge arrested persons to court or initiate criminal proceedings through complaints and indictments. Alongside the complaints and indictments, criminal records include evidence, witness testimonies, arrest warrants, party names (prosecutors, defense attorneys, and defendants), and case outcomes (judgment and sentencing). Criminal records for incarcerated individuals also contain the facility where they served time and parole and probation information.

Since criminal data are mostly made up of court records, interested parties can approach York County's district and superior courts to obtain criminal case files. The records can be obtained by filling out and submitting the Record Search Request form to the Judicial Branch Service Center in person or by mail.

A requester must provide the name of the search subject and their date of birth to order copies of criminal case documents. Using an alias indicates a different search and attracts separate fees. People can request copies of dockets, orders, complaints, and motions, among others.

Record search and copy fees include the following:

• Record search: $20 per name and court. Requesters must pay for additional court or name searches. For example, two names and two courts cost $80, three names and two courts cost $120, and one court and two names cost $40.
• Copies of documents: $2 for the first page and $1 per additional page
• Court seal: $5 per document

Requestsers must note that requesting records searches and ordering copies are two different things. While records search requests provided the documents and data for viewing, copy orders allow one to obtain copies (sometimes certified) of court documents.

Court transcripts and audio recordings of non-confidential court hearings and proceedings are also available to members of the public. Interested parties can order these record formats online or submit a form by mail or hand delivery.

The online process involves using the judiciary's third-party vendor. A user account is required to access the platform.

To use the mail-in or hand delivery option, one must fill out form CV/CR/JV-165 (Transcript and Audio Form) and submit it to the clerk of the court that handled the case. Individuals must provide the case's assigned number and title, hearing date, and time the hearing started (start time). People who do not know the docket number can contact the court.

Audio recordings generally cost $50 for the first copy of the MP3 or CD and $10 per additional copy. It may take up to 7 business days to deliver an audio recording.

Transcripts are charged per page but the fees depend on turnaround time. Still, individuals are required to pay for the estimated cost of their orders before the court begins the process. They should expect to pay the following fees per page:

• 21 days: $3.70
• 14 days: $3.95
• 7 days: $4.35
• 3 days: $4.65
• 1 day: $5.75

Interested parties can also contact the judiciary's office of transcriptions at the following address for more details:

Office of Transcript Operations
Penobscot Judicial Center
78 Exchange Street, Suite 200, Bangor, ME 04401
Phone: (207) 991-6322
Email: OTO@courts.maine.gov

Background checks

Background checks, also called criminal history record requests, provide conviction information to members of the public. The service is provided by the State Bureau of Identification under the Maine State Police and regulated by 16 MSRA § 701 through § 710. Individuals can run name-based searches by providing the names and dates of births of search subjects. This search produces “possible match” results, as the system can return multiple identical reports. The fingerprint-based search involves using the search subject's fingerprints to find exact matches.

Non-governmental organizations and members of the public are required to pay $31 or $21 for parties (resident in Maine) that are subscribed to the bureau's third-party vendor for the service. The system returns search results to the requester's email address roughly 2 hours after the request is submitted. However, the result may take up to weeks if the request requires manual retrieval. Individuals can find more information on the website of the State Bureau of Identification.

York County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest records are not criminal records because they do not imply that people are guilty of the crimes for which they were apprehended. They only contain information indicating law enforcement suspicions. On the other hand, criminal record searches for the general public show that people with histories have been convicted.

However, these records are compiled by the SBI and can show up in criminal searches. Arrests without meaningful dispositions against arrestees are sealed after a specific period elapses but individuals with certain low-level convictions must apply to remove their records from public access.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. York County arrest and criminal records are never permanently deleted. They are generally accessible to members of the public until eligible individuals apply to have them sealed. However, some arrest records become unavailable to the public if arrestees were never prosecuted or charged.

Be that as it may, courts and criminal justice agencies will retain access to these records for certain criminal purposes.

Expunge York County Arrest Records

As stated earlier, eligible parties can only seal their criminal records from public access in Maine. Eligible convictions include former or current Class E misdemeanors except for sex-related offenses and certain crimes connected to trafficking, cultivating, and possessing marijuana. Class E crimes are violations punishable by a $1,000 fine and a maximum jail sentence of six months.

To qualify for sealing these cases, affected persons must satisfy the following requirements:

• They completed their sentence or probation or fulfilled other punishments like community service, fine payments, and license suspension over 4 years ago.
• They do not have pending criminal charges in York County, Maine, and any other federal or state jurisdiction
• They have not been convicted of any any crime at state (any state including Maine) or federal level since completing their sentence
• They have not been convicted of any adult criminal offense nor have they been involved in any case that was dismissed due to a deferred disposition

The applicant must fill out the Motion to Seal Criminal History (CR-218) form and submit it with the clerk of the convicting court. Once the motion is filed, the court will set a hearing to assess whether the individual meets the statutory requirements to seal the records. Once the motion is granted, the court will send a notice to the SBI commanding it to seal the record. The petitioner will then receive a notice by mail from the SBI about the sealing.

York County Arrest Warrants

Arrest warrants are judicial processes (or documents) issued by supreme and superior court justices, district court judges, and justices of the peace instructing law enforcement to take people into custody and bring them before the court. These documents are usually approved after prosecutors file indictments or charging instruments against individuals pursuant to 15 MRSA § 701 or submit complaints under 15 MRSA § 708.

However, judges and justices can also issue arrest warrants when individuals are in contempt of court due to failed court appearance and violation of various court orders like fine payments and community service.

York County Arrest Warrant Search

People looking to obtain copies of arrest warrants can do so through the Main Judicial Branch Service Center as explained earlier. That is, they can fill out the records request form and indicate the type of record they want to order, submit it to the center, and pay the required fees.

Interested parties can also approach the York County Sheriff's Office and local police departments to determine whether arrest warrants have been issued for their arrest or someone they know.

Do York County Arrest Warrants Expire?

There is no specific time lapse for arrest warrants in the state of Maine. A person's warrant will remain active until they are taken into custody and brought before a judge. However, judges can recall warrants once subjects satisfy the judicial obligations that necessitated ordering their arrests. Warrants can also be squashed when individuals are cleared of their alleged crimes.