Find Southfield Felony Records

Southfield felony records are filed through the Oakland County court system. The 46th District Court in Southfield handles misdemeanor matters and the early stages of felony cases. Once a felony charge clears the preliminary examination, it moves to Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac for trial and sentencing. This page covers how to search Southfield felony records online and in person, what documents the courts hold, and how to request copies or run a background check.

46th District Court - Southfield

The 46th District Court at 26000 Evergreen Road in Southfield covers all district-level criminal matters for the city. This is where felony arraignments, bond hearings, and preliminary examinations take place. If the district court judge finds probable cause at the preliminary exam, the case is bound over to Oakland County Circuit Court. The 46th District Court also handles all misdemeanor cases filed in Southfield, which stay at the district court level from start to finish.

The court shares the Southfield Civic Center complex with the police department and city clerk's office on Evergreen Road. This makes it easy to visit more than one office in a single trip. Records at the 46th District Court include arraignment orders, bond conditions, preliminary exam records, and all misdemeanor case files. You can request records in person at the clerk's window. Call (248) 796-5800 to ask about procedures or business hours before you visit.

Oakland County Circuit Court

All Southfield felony cases bound over from the 46th District Court go to Oakland County Circuit Court at 1200 N Telegraph Road in Pontiac. The 6th Circuit Court handles all felony trials, plea hearings, and sentencing for Oakland County, including cases from Southfield. The clerk's office phone is (248) 858-0344. Case files at the circuit court are public records and available for inspection or copy requests during business hours.

Oakland County provides an online case search tool called Oakland Court Explorer at courtexplorer.oakgov.com. This tool covers the circuit court, all district courts in the county including the 46th, and the probate court. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney. Results show case events, charge descriptions, and hearing dates. For Southfield felony records, Oakland Court Explorer is often the best starting point before going to the statewide MiCOURT tool. The Explorer is regularly updated and specific to Oakland County cases.

Keep in mind that Oakland Court Explorer shows case summaries but does not let you download full court documents. For complete case files, you need to visit the circuit court clerk's office in Pontiac or submit a written request. Certified copies carry a separate fee.

How to Search Southfield Felony Records

Start with Oakland Court Explorer for Southfield felony records. This tool is built for Oakland County and pulls data from the 46th District Court and the 6th Circuit Court. Enter a full name or case number to see case activity, charge descriptions, and case status. It is free and available at any time.

For a statewide search covering all Michigan courts, use MiCOURT. This free tool from the Michigan Supreme Court covers all 83 counties. A search by name returns results from every Michigan court that has a case under that name. MiCOURT is the right choice when you are not sure which county a case was filed in, or when you want to check for cases outside Oakland County at the same time.

The Michigan State Police runs ICHAT, the Internet Criminal History Access Tool. A search costs $10 and returns a statewide conviction history. ICHAT covers all 83 Michigan counties and is most useful for background check purposes. It shows conviction type, statute violated, conviction date, and sentence. It does not cover pending cases or arrests that did not lead to conviction.

The Michigan Department of Corrections also operates the OTIS Offender Tracking System, which is free to use and covers current and past MDOC offenders. OTIS is useful for verifying whether someone has served time in a Michigan state prison for a felony conviction tied to a Southfield case.

What Southfield Felony Records Contain

Southfield felony records at Oakland County Circuit Court cover the full life of a case. The file starts with the felony information, the formal charging document that names each count and the statute violated. The arraignment record at the circuit level shows the plea and bond terms. Pre-trial motions, responses, and scheduling orders accumulate as the case moves forward. If the matter went to trial, you will find voir dire records, exhibit lists, and the jury verdict or bench verdict form.

When a case closes, the key documents are the plea agreement or trial verdict and the sentencing order. The sentencing order records the crime of conviction, the sentence imposed, probation terms, fines, restitution, and any registration requirements. This is the document most often needed by agencies, courts, and individuals verifying a conviction record. It is public and can be obtained from the Oakland County Circuit Court clerk.

Law enforcement records from the Southfield Police Department are held separately from court files. Arrest reports, incident files, and investigative notes are not part of the court case file. These require a FOIA request submitted to the Southfield City Clerk at (248) 796-5100 or to the police department at (248) 796-5500.

Michigan Courts Felony Records Portal

The Michigan Courts website is the central hub for court access tools across all 83 counties, including statewide resources for searching Southfield felony records through Oakland County courts.

Michigan Courts provides links to MiCOURT, local circuit court websites, and court forms used statewide for record requests and case searches.

Expungement of Southfield Felony Convictions

Michigan law under MCL 780.621 lets eligible people with Southfield felony convictions petition the court to have those records set aside. Petitions are filed at Oakland County Circuit Court, where the conviction was entered. The process involves completing form MC 227, paying a $50 fee to the Michigan State Police, serving copies on the Southfield Police Department and the Oakland County Prosecutor, and appearing at a hearing before a judge.

The Clean Slate law under MCL 780.621g added automatic expungement for certain eligible felony convictions. Under this law, qualifying records can be set aside without filing a petition, after a waiting period of seven years from sentence completion. Violent crimes, crimes against children, sex crimes, and offenses resulting in death or serious injury are excluded. Many drug offenses and lower-level property felonies can qualify under the automatic process.

Visit Michigan Legal Help for a free eligibility check and step-by-step guides for Oakland County expungement petitions. The Oakland County Circuit Court clerk at (248) 858-0344 can provide petition forms and explain the local filing process for Southfield cases.

FOIA Requests for Southfield Criminal Records

Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231 gives the public the right to request records from government bodies. Court case files at the 46th District Court and Oakland County Circuit Court are public records you can get through the clerk's offices. For law enforcement records from Southfield PD, a written FOIA request is required and goes to the city.

Submit FOIA requests for Southfield Police Department records to the Southfield City Clerk at 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, MI 48076, or call (248) 796-5100. You can also contact the police department at (248) 796-5500 to ask about their records request process. Michigan FOIA law requires agencies to respond within five business days of receiving a written request. An agency can extend that deadline by up to 10 business days if it sends you written notice. Fees for copies must be reasonable and are set by statute.

Nearby Cities

These qualifying Oakland County and nearby cities also have felony records pages.

Oakland County Felony Records

Southfield is part of Oakland County. All felony cases for Southfield residents are tried at Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac. Visit the county page for full details on courts, record access, and fees.