Kentucky Arrest Records and Warrant Search

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What are arrest records and arrest warrants?

In Kentucky, arrest records is a cumulative term used to signify a range of criminal history data maintained by various judicial and law enforcement agencies. Although a part of public records, restrictions have been placed on the dissemination of details pertaining to criminal matters.Two state agencies that accept background check inquiries and host their own databases of crime records are the Kentucky State Police and the Administrative Office of the Courts.

While the AOC only furnishes information in response to a name based query, the Kentucky State Police accepts both personal identifier search requests as well as finger print based inquiries. There is also a difference in the type of report that is provided by these agencies.

While the AOC will offer information on any arrests that occurred in the state including those that did not result in formal charge filing and conviction, the KSP which is governed by the state laws on the matter is only allowed to provide information on cases in which the offender was found guilty.

This means that arrest records for cases that are still in the trial stage and even those where the case did not culminate in a conviction will not be included in the KSP report. Also, while the State Police keeps the criminal history data of an offender till he/she is alive, the AOC arrest records for felonies only date back to 1978 while misdemeanor and traffic violation case details are held for 5 years.

The Administrative Office of the Courts offers a more convenient approach for individuals, organizations, schools and other entities to look for background reports. In contrast, the State Police will only entertain requests from authorized employers and law enforcement agencies.

Arrest warrants

Arrest warrants are judicial decrees that are issued in criminal matters by a county, circuit or superior court. These orders demand that the accused be placed into physical detention by local law enforcement agencies till such time that he can be presented in court for a bail hearing.

Often considered to be the first step in the trial process, arrest warrants are issued when the police file a plea in court for these orders. The investigating officers are expected to support the judiciary in its quest to ascertain probable cause by furnishing all case related facts including evidence in their affidavit.

While a warrant release does not always have to precede custodial detention, such an arrest decree does allow police officers to take the accused into custody regardless of the time and place he is found in. Also, law enforcement personnel are allowed to use any means of force to effect the arrest.

Active warrants are among a series of judicial initiatives available to the sitting the magistrate. Another legal instrument that comes close to being like an arrest warrant is the search order. These decrees allow the police to enter and search a private property for evidence.

These provisions are only released when the police request the court to issue them. In contrast, a bench warrant is added to the equation when an offender fails to show up in court as ordered or does not obey a court directive. Because the state police are in charge of executing these instruments, they will have information pertaining to all such decrees.

How do I search for Kentucky arrest records and arrest warrants?

If you are willing to take a bit of effort, you can visit the AOC office in Frankfort Kentucky for an in person inquiry. You will be asked to fill a relevant form and provide a check or draft for $20 to cover the charges of conducting the search. Also, it is possible to approach the office of the local county clerk, the court of the magistrate and the sheriff’s department when looking for information on arrest warrants.

However, if the idea of driving down to these agency offices is unappealing to you, it is also possible to look for arrest records and warrants online. There are three options available for an internet based inquiry.

  • You can start with the Fast check service available through the AOC website at http://kcoj.kycourts.net/CourtRecords/Search.aspx with a charged of $15
  • You can try the courts website at http://courts.ky.gov/aoc/criminalrecordreports/Pages/default.aspx which offers free records
  • Use a third party database of records like the repository available through this website that can be used for a nominal fee

Of these three, you can get the most extensive information through a third party database which will hold records from all over the country and not just a specific county in Kentucky.The AOC website will require that you submit information about yourself as well, including your name and address apart from relevant details about the subject.

However, at least you won’t need a signed released to access this service like with the KSP. The court services website will only be able to offer information on warrant releases and verdicts in cases that have already completed the trial process.

To find information through the court records site, simply provide the name of the defendant, the county that the incident occurred in, the birth date of the accused and the time period of the case.

Kentucky criminal statistics

From 1999 to 2008, a mammoth 1.2 million cases were reported in the state of Kentucky. This figure included almost 120,000 instances of violent crime and over 1 million cases of property crimes. On an average, almost 120,000 criminal complaints are filed in the state annually which can be worked out to about one case every 4 minutes.

Although, the crime rates of Kentucky showed single digit growth in the decade mentioned above, the state crime figures are considered to be on the higher side when compared with the national average.