Sanilac County Felony Records

Sanilac County felony records are maintained at the 24th Circuit Court in Sandusky, the county seat. The circuit court handles all felony criminal cases filed in Sanilac County, from arraignment through final sentencing. You can search records online through MiCOURT or visit the clerk's office in Sandusky. This rural county in Michigan's Thumb region keeps all felony case files at the Sandusky courthouse.

24th Circuit Court Felony Records

The 24th Circuit Court in Sandusky is the court of record for all Sanilac County felony matters. When a felony charge gets filed in Sanilac County, the case starts in district court for arraignment and preliminary examination, then moves to the circuit court for all further proceedings. The circuit court file holds everything from plea agreements and motions to the final sentencing order. All these documents are part of the public record unless a judge has sealed them.

The 73A District Court is the district court that serves Sanilac County. It handles the early stages of felony proceedings before cases come up to the 24th Circuit. For anyone researching a case where the charges were dismissed at the district court level, the district court is the place to look. For convicted felony cases, the circuit court file has the main record.

The Sanilac County Clerk's office manages all circuit court records. Call (810) 648-3212 to reach the clerk. Staff can help you locate a case file by name or number, confirm that a record exists, and provide copies for a per-page fee. FOIA requests for court records go through the clerk's office. Normal business hours run Monday through Friday.

How to Search Sanilac County Felony Records

Use MiCOURT to search Sanilac County felony records online. This free tool from the Michigan Supreme Court lets you search by name, case number, or filing date. Results show the full register of actions for each case, listing every document filed and every hearing held. Most circuit court felony cases from Sanilac County from the past two decades appear in MiCOURT.

For a broader statewide criminal history check, use ICHAT. The Michigan State Police runs this system. Each search costs $10 and covers felony conviction records from all 83 Michigan counties. ICHAT is useful when you need to check whether someone has a criminal record anywhere in Michigan, not just in Sanilac County. The results include offense, conviction date, and sentence information.

In-person access is available at the clerk's office in Sandusky. Bring the name of the person or a case number if you have one. For arrest records and law enforcement documents, send a written FOIA request to the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office. Records that are not yet in MiCOURT can still be pulled from the clerk's paper archive.

What Sanilac County Felony Records Include

A felony case file at the 24th Circuit Court starts with the charging document, either a complaint or a formal information. Arrest warrants, bail orders, and arraignment records are part of the file too. As the case moves through court, the file adds motions, hearing notes, plea agreements, and ultimately the judgment of sentence. The register of actions is the timeline that ties all of it together.

The sentencing order is often the key document people want. It shows the charge the person was convicted of, the sentence the judge gave, and any probation conditions. Under Michigan law, presentence investigation reports are generally not public. Most everything else is available under MCL 15.231. For records about prison time served after a Sanilac County conviction, check the OTIS offender tracking system from the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Michigan Felony Records Search Resources

The Michigan Courts website provides statewide access to court tools and local court information for all Michigan counties, including Sanilac.

This portal links to MiCOURT, circuit court pages, and information on how to request records from courts across the state.

Expungement of Sanilac County Felony Convictions

Michigan law at MCL 780.621 allows eligible people to petition to have felony convictions set aside. If you were convicted in Sanilac County, file your petition at the 24th Circuit Court in Sandusky. The process requires form MC 227, a $50 fee paid to the Michigan State Police, and service of the petition on the prosecuting attorney. The judge will review the record and hold a hearing before deciding.

Michigan also has an automatic expungement process under MCL 780.621g. Some felony convictions may be set aside automatically after 10 years if you have stayed out of trouble. Certain serious offenses are excluded. The Michigan Legal Help website lets you check your eligibility and walks you through the process.

FOIA and Public Records Access

Under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act at MCL 15.231, most felony court records in Sanilac County are public. Written FOIA requests for court documents go to the county clerk in Sandusky. Requests for arrest and law enforcement records go to the Sanilac County Sheriff's Office.

Agencies have 5 business days to respond to FOIA requests. They can extend by up to 10 more days with written notice. Fees for copies must be reasonable. Denied requests can be appealed. For Michigan State Police criminal records, contact MSPRecords@Michigan.gov.

Cities in Sanilac County

Sanilac County is a rural county in Michigan's Thumb region along Lake Huron. The county seat is Sandusky. No cities in Sanilac County meet the population threshold for dedicated felony records pages. All felony cases for county residents are filed at the 24th Circuit Court in Sandusky.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Sanilac County. Each county's felony cases go through its own circuit court. Make sure you know which county a case was filed in before you search.