Oconto County Arrest Records

An arrest in Oconto County involves legally depriving someone of their liberty for violating a civil or criminal law. A law enforcement officer may arrest a person when a warrant is issued for arrest or reasonable grounds to believe that the individual is committing or has committed a crime.

Local law enforcement agencies operating within the county and the county Sheriff's Office typically handle the creation and maintenance of arrest records. However, other public agencies may also retain arrest records. For instance, anyone seeking information on post-arraignment outcomes may look up Oconto County Court Records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Oconto County?

Yes. Arrest records are public in Oconto County under the Wisconsin Public Records Law. Anyone may request these public records. However, some information is exempt from public inspection and may only be accessible to restricted officials or authorized personnel. Some of these information include

• Records of ongoing investigation
• Records restricted from public view under federal or state statute
• Information concerning crime victims and their families
• Confidential informants
• Juvenile arrest records.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

The following information may typically be obtained in an Oconto County arrest record:

• First and last name of the arrestee
• Physical description of the arrestee, such as sex, race, eye color, hair color, weight, height
• Offense date
• Date and time of arrest
• Location of arrest
• Arresting agency
• Charges
• Mugshot.

Oconto County Arrest Statistics

The Wisconsin Department of Justice provides state annual arrest statistics. According to the UCR Arrest Data provided by this agency, 801 arrests were made in Oconto County in 2023. 276 arrests were made for society crimes, the highest number recorded, with 164 arrests made for disorderly conduct and 95 arrests made for driving under the influence. Arrests for all other offenses and simple assault numbered 299 and 63, respectively. 92 arrests were made for drug crimes, with 42 arrests made for property crimes and 25 arrests made for violent crimes, out of which 20 arrest incidents were for aggravated assault.

Find Oconto County Arrest Records

The Oconto County Sheriff's Office generates and maintains records of arrests that occur within the county. One may look up information on incarcerated individuals online or contact the Sheriff's Office in person at:

Oconto County Sheriff's Office
220 Arbutus Avenue
Oconto, WI 54153
Phone: (920) 834-6900
Fax: (920) 834-6915

Interested persons may also Request an Incident Report online. Local police departments may also provide booking information to record seekers who enquire in person.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice oversees Wisconsin's primary fingerprint-based criminal history database. The centralized criminal history (CCH) database includes comprehensive arrest information, charges, and other information. Requests for these records may be made in person, or authorized persons may submit a request online.

Individuals seeking information may also use the Bureau of Prisons' Federal Inmate Locator. This database contains information about federal inmates who have been jailed since 1982. Users can search using either a name or a number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Oconto County

One may look up arrest information for free by utilizing the online search service provided by the Sheriff's Office. To complete a search, input the first and last name of the subject.

Alternatively, interested persons may utilize online record search services provided by independent websites. One may perform a free basic search of an arrest record using an arrestee's first and last name. One may need to subscribe or purchase the whole search result to obtain more comprehensive arrest information. However, it is important to note that record accuracy may differ and must be validated before being used for official purposes.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Per Wis. Stat. §19.21, government agencies generally keep all public records for at least seven years. Arrest records for misdemeanor cases are retained for 20 years, felony criminal cases are generally retained for 50 years, and Class A felony cases are retained for 75 years.

Expunge Oconto County Arrest Records

An arrest record expungement in Oconto County involves the removal of all records relating to the conviction from records maintained by the court system. Arrestees can request an expungement of their arrest records during sentencing. Generally, a court may order that an adult’s criminal court record be expunged only under the following circumstances:

• Offenses for which a person under 25 years faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison or less, provided that the sentence is effectively served (Wis. Stat. § 973.015).
• Juvenile cases once the minor has reached the age of 17 and fulfilled the requirements of the dispositional order (Wis. Stat. § 938.355(4m)). The individual may request that the court expunge the record after turning 17.
• Individuals who commit a commercial sex act while being victims of human trafficking. Wis. Stat. § 973.015(2m).
• The sentencing court decides that the individual will gain from having their record wiped and that the expungement will not negatively impact society.

A judge may order the expungement of any eligible offenders once their sentence has been completed to complete an expungement procedure. Individuals who were arrested but never charged may be able to have specific details about their arrest deleted from the Wisconsin Criminal History Repository by filing a specific form with the CIB. However, removing information from the repository does not remove information from other agency records.

Oconto County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a document issued by a judge ordering a peace officer to take an individual into custody. Under Wis. Stat. §968.04(1), an arrest warrant is issued when a complaint is filed under affidavit and there is probable cause to believe that a suspect has committed an offense. An arrest warrant is typically issued in writing, along with a copy of the complaint.

The following information can be found in an Oconto County arrest warrant

• The name of the subject or an adequate description of the subject if the name is unknown
• The description of the offense committed, the section that was charged, and the number of the section that was violated
• A command ordering the peace officer to apprehend and present the individual named in the warrant before the judge
• Name, title, and signature of the court official
• The date the warrant was issued.

Do Oconto County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Oconto County arrest warrants do not expire. However, in some situations, the court may recall or cancel an arrest warrant before it is executed. The purpose of arrest warrants is to safeguard a person's rights until a court decision is made.