Morris County Arrest Records

It is the responsibility of law enforcement in Morris County to protect its residents and curb any advancement of crime in the county. To fulfill this duty, law enforcement officers are authorized by law to arrest an individual suspected of participating in a crime. However, an arrest can only be made if the suspicion is substantial (usually determined by the court) or the person was caught in the act. The Morris County Sheriff's Office is the county's primary law enforcement department. The Morris County Sheriff's Office is the county's primary law enforcement department.

When a person is arrested, they are taken into custody and booked. The arresting agency generates an arrest record following the booking process. Adult arrestees awaiting trial or bail are detained in the county's correctional facility (jail), while juveniles are held in the Juvenile Detention Center.

If an arrestee is charged to court and stands trial, the individual's arrest record is incorporated into their case record. The arrest record containing the charges tried in court becomes part of Morris County court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Morris County?

Yes, arrest records are public in Morris County. Under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), individuals have the right to request and examine arrest records in the state. A law enforcement agency is obligated to disclose an arrest record in its custody at request, except if there is a legitimate reason not to. A legitimate reason could be that the arrest record is confidential and that an individual's privacy is greater than the requester's right to know. In such cases, the arrest record is made private and only accessible to authorized persons. The following information is redacted from publicly accessible arrest records:

• Arrest records of minors
• Personal identifying information of the victim of a crime
• Arrest records relating to an ongoing investigation
• Sealed and expunged arrest records
• Medical information contained in an arrest record

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Arrest record information accessible to the general public typically includes:

• Personal information of the arrestee
• Arresting agency
• Location of the arrest
• Date and time of the arrest
• The arrest charges
• Booking information (including mugshots and fingerprints)
• Bail information (conditions of bail and bail amount if applicable)

Morris County Crime Rate

Crime statistics in New Jersey are compiled through the joint efforts of local law enforcement agencies, the New Jersey State Police, and the Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR). Per the 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 3,131 offenses were committed in Morris County, reflecting a crime rate of 634.3 per 100,000 people. Larceny was the most frequent offense, committed 2,332 times. Other crimes reported and the frequency of their occurrence include:

• Burglary - 350
• Auto theft - 254
• Assault - 137
• Robbery - 35
• Rape - 19
• Murder - 4

503 clearances were also made in 2020. This indicates that 17 percent of the total offenses reported were cleared.

Morris County Arrest Statistics

Of the 3,132 offenses committed in Morris County for 2020, 674 arrests were made. Below is the list of crimes and the number of arrests made for them:

• Larceny - 433
• Assault - 125
• Burglary - 61
• Robbery - 31
• Auto theft - 12
• Rape - 8
• Murder - 4

Find Morris County Arrest Records

An arresting law enforcement department is responsible for generating an arrest record for an arrestee they took into custody. In Morris County, the local city police departments carry out most of the arrests, and the Sheriff's Department mostly plays a supporting role when necessary. For example, when a local police department arrests an individual, the person is held in the county Jail which the Sheriff's Office runs. This does not diminish the fact that the Sheriff's department is authorized to carry out arrests when needed.

Inquisitors can visit an arresting agency to request an arrest record in their custody. Arrest records of inmates detained in the county Jail can be obtained at the Sheriff's Office. Unlike some other counties that provide online access to the records of incarcerated persons, inmates can not be looked up electronically in Morris County. Arrest record requests at the Sheriff's Office can be done in person during business hours, by mail, fax, or email. Mail, fax, and email requests can be made by completing the Open Public Records Act (OPRA) form. The requester may complete and submit the form online or download the printable version and manually complete it. The manually completed form should be mailed, faxed, or emailed to:

Custodian of Records
Morris County Sheriff's Office
P.O. Box 900
Morristown, NJ 07963-0900
Fax: (973) 605-8312
Email: MCSOOPRA@co.morris.nj.us

While filling out the form, the requester should describe the arrest record sought as specifically as possible. The cost of acquiring an arrest record is five cents per page, plus any additional special service charge that may be incurred depending on the nature of the record.

Persons incarcerated in a state-run correctional facility can be looked up on the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) Offender Search portal. An inmate search can be done using the inmate's SBI number, first name, and last name. The portal also includes filters like sex, hair color, eye color, race, ethnicity, age range, and facility location that can be used to streamline the search.

Records of inmates who have completed their custodial term are removed from the online database after a year. Nonetheless, records of offenders who were sentenced to Community Supervision for Life (CSL) or Parole Supervision for Life (PSL) are kept indefinitely on the database.

Individuals can locate a federal inmate by utilizing the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmate search tool. The tool allows users to perform a "Find by Name" or "Find by Number" search.

The arrest record of a suspect tried in court is very often included in the proceeding court record. All criminal cases in Morris County are heard in the Superior Court. Morris County court records can be obtained by visiting the Clerk of the Superior Court. A name or case number is required for a record search to be done. Obtaining a copy of a court record will cost the requester a fee. The Morris County Superior Court is located at:

Washington Street
Morristown
(862) 397-5700

A court record can also be requested by downloading the court record request form and submitting the completed form. The request is processed electronically and is sent to the requester's email address.

Researchers can access a person's criminal court record through the New Jersey Court's criminal case search portal. Court records can be searched by name, indictment number, or CDR number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Morris County

Researchers may employ the services of third-party vendors. These vendors generally prioritize the convenience of individuals in accessing arrest records. Most of these independent vendors provide some arrest information to users for free. A fee may be required to be granted full access to the arrest record.

Arrest records obtained through a third-party company may not be accurate or complete. Inquirers should vet any arrest record acquired through official sources.

Get Morris County Criminal Records

A criminal record is a document that details an individual's history of criminal involvement with law enforcement agencies and the criminal court system. It contains all crimes committed by a person, arrests, charges, convictions, and sentences.

The Morris County Sheriff's Office maintains the county's criminal records. However, the office does not receive local background check requests for criminal records from members of the general public. The Sheriff's Office only responds to local background check requests from law enforcement agencies and the military.

Civilians can obtain a criminal record by conducting a criminal history record check through the New Jersey Police Department. The Criminal Information Unit (CIU) is responsible for the dissemination of criminal history records to eligible parties. The following parties are authorized to acquire a criminal history record from the state police department:

• The subject of the record
• Government entities
• A potential employer that requires the criminal record to certify the eligibility of the individual to be employed
• A licensed attorney-at-law in need of the record for legal purposes
• Private detectives licensed by the state police department

Employers and private detectives can perform a name-based criminal history check. A name-based check does not require fingerprints. Only the subject of the record's name, date of birth, social security number, and other relevant descriptive information is needed to conduct a check. The name-based request is submitted through the state-approved vendor portal by submitting the SBI 212B form. The fee for submission is $20 for employers and $12 if it is a volunteer employment. The fee is payable by debit or credit card. Requesters can opt for a fingerprint-based check if they want to conduct a more thorough criminal history background check. A name-based check must be done with the consent of the subject of the record and can not be used by a person to obtain their personal criminal record.

Interested persons can obtain their own criminal record by requesting a New Jersey fingerprint-based criminal history record check. A personal criminal history record can be requested for various reasons, including immigration, naturalization, good conduct, visa, expungement, international adoption, and foreign business purposes. New Jersey residents can perform an in-state or out-of-state criminal history record request. An individual requesting a personal record must submit their fingerprint at any of the approved fingerprinting locations of the state-approved private company. The requester must schedule an online or phone appointment with the company to utilize their fingerprinting services. The requester must provide a valid means of identification and the home address used to schedule the appointment to complete the fingerprinting process. The third-party vendor also has service codes assigned to each request type to be utilized by individuals when making a request. The service codes are unique combinations used to identify the Originating Agency (ORI) and the Reason for Fingerprinting (RFP). This ensures the applicant is making the correct record request.

Once fingerprinted, the personal record request letter will be available for download by the requester on the vendor's website within 24 to 72 hours. The applicant has up to 90 days to download the letter or the personal record request, and the applicant will have to redo the fingerprinting process.

The total fee for the fingerprinting service provided by the vendor is $45.73 (including the $15.73 vendor fee and relevant state sales tax). If an applicant fails to provide accurate or complete information, the fingerprinting process may need to be redone, which will incur additional fees. Any fee paid for a personal record request can not be refunded once the criminal history check has been completed. If the state police department finds the requested criminal record, a copy is mailed to the applicant's address. If none is found, a letter disclosing the result of the criminal history check will be available for download on the private vendor's website.

Individuals can contact the New Jersey Police Department Criminal Information Unit by phone at (609) 882-2000 ext. 2302 or by email to make further inquiries or receive clarity on the request procedure.

Individuals can also request their own criminal history record check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The request can be made online or by mail. Requesters can also utilize the services of an FBI-approved channeler to make a request. Each request costs $18.

Morris County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Arrest and criminal records both exist to document information related to an individual's criminal activity.

The difference between an arrest record and a criminal record is the range of information they capture. Arrest records solely comprise information pertaining to an individual's arrest history. A criminal record encompasses a person's arrests and further interactions with the criminal justice system arising from the arrests.

In simple terms, an arrest record contains information about an arrest, while a criminal record is a comprehensive record detailing the entirety of a person's criminal history.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

An individual's arrest history is permanently preserved on the person's record. However, a person can petition to have an arrest record sealed or expunged by the court. A sealing or expungement is only possible if the arrest record is eligible for expunction under state law.

Expunge Morris County Arrest Records

Pursuant to N.J.S 2C:52-1, an arrest record expungement refers to the sealing, removal, or impounding of the record in the custody of law enforcement or court. A person with an arrest history can apply for expungement at the Superior Court if the person is eligible. The following state statutes disclose the eligibility requirements for different types of crimes:

• N.J.S 2C:52-2 - Indictable offenses
• N.J.S 2C:52-3 - Disorderly offenses and petty order disorderly offenses
• N.J.S 2C:52-4 - Municipal ordinance violation
• N.J.S 2C:52-4.1 - Juvenile delinquency
• N.J.S 2C:52-5 - Young drug offenders

Under N.J.S 2C: 52-6, the Superior Court expunges the record if a party was arrested and the charges were subsequently dropped or the person was found not guilty. The expungement is automatic and does not require direct involvement from the arrestee. A discharge or dismissal that was a result of a plea bargain that led to a conviction on other charges can not be automatically expunged. An automatic expunction of the record will also not be granted if the person is deemed to have been mentally incapable or insane at the time of committing the crime.

Morris County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a document issued by the court containing an order to arrest and detain an individual. The arrest warrant issuance process begins when a complaint is filed at the Superior Court by law enforcement against a person. The presiding judge evaluates the complaint and issues an arrest warrant if the evidence put forth convincingly suggests that the person was a participant in a crime. An arrest warrant typically contains:

• The identifying information of the suspect
• The written order for arrest
• The name and signature of the issuing judge
• The date of issuance

Arrest warrants can also be issued if a person summoned to court fails to appear or there is sufficient reason to believe the person will not appear without being arrested.

Morris County Arrest Warrant Search

The Morris County Sheriff's Office has a repository of warrants issued in the county. Individuals may visit the Sheriff's Office during operational hours to inquire about the existence of an arrest warrant. A person with an active arrest warrant in their name may be arrested on the spot once the warrant's existence is confirmed. City police departments may be in custody of arrest warrants for a suspect in their jurisdiction. They can also be contacted to verify the status of an arrest warrant.

The New Jersey Police Department discloses the state's most wanted fugitives on its website. Inquirers can go through the list to see individuals with an active warrant in their name. However, the list only contains information on the state's most wanted persons.

Researchers can probe a person's court case record to check if a warrant was issued for the arrest of the subject of the record. The court record can be accessed by visiting the Morris County Superior Court Clerk's Office, making an electronic request, or searching the online case portal.

Do Morris County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants do not have an expiry date in Morris County. An arrest warrant remains active until it has been executed by law enforcement, recalled, or quashed by the court. Factors that influence the court's decision to recall or quash an arrest warrant include:

• The death of the suspect
• If the underlying issues that led to the issuance of the arrest warrant are resolved
• If errors are found with the warrant
• If the reason for the arrest is no longer considered a probable cause

The court can always issue a new warrant if the need to detain the suspect exists, even if the previous warrant was recalled or quashed.