Wayne County Felony Records

Wayne County felony records are held at the 3rd Circuit Court in Detroit. Wayne County is Michigan's most populous county, home to Detroit and many other cities. Felony cases go through the criminal division at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice. You can search Wayne County felony records through the Odyssey Public Access portal or the statewide MiCOURT tool. For a statewide criminal history report, the Michigan State Police ICHAT tool gives fast results. This page explains all your options for finding and requesting Wayne County felony records.

3rd Circuit Court Felony Records

The 3rd Circuit Court is Michigan's largest circuit court and handles all felony criminal cases in Wayne County. The criminal division is based at Frank Murphy Hall of Justice at 1441 St. Antoine Street in Detroit. This is where felony trials, pleas, and sentencing hearings take place. The civil and domestic divisions operate from the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center at 2 Woodward Avenue. Juvenile matters are handled at Lincoln Hall of Justice at 1025 East Forest.

The court's Odyssey Public Access (OPA) system at cmspublic.3rdcc.org lets you search case records online. OPA shows case search results, registers of action, and civil judgments. Public access kiosks are available at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center lower level during court hours. The 3rd Circuit Court website is at www.3rdcc.org.

The Wayne County Clerk's records room handles document requests. Contact the clerk at 313-224-5530 or email wcrecordroom@waynecountymi.gov. The office is at 2 Woodward Avenue, Room LL-61, Detroit, MI 48226. Fees are $2 per page for standard copies, $10 certification plus $1 per additional page for certified copies, and $1 per-name search for criminal records. Note that criminal records from Detroit after 1983 may be limited in scope. Call the Frank Murphy records room at (313) 224-2500 for older records.

How to Search Wayne County Felony Records

The Odyssey Public Access portal at cmspublic.3rdcc.org is the best tool for Wayne County felony cases. It shows the register of actions, case status, and basic case information. You can search by party name or case number. Public access kiosks at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center offer the same access in person.

The statewide MiCOURT portal also covers Wayne County. Maintained by the Michigan Supreme Court, it allows searches by name, case number, or date range across all participating courts. MiCOURT is free and available at all hours.

For a statewide criminal history report, use ICHAT from the Michigan State Police. A search costs $10 and requires a full name and date of birth. ICHAT searches the Criminal Justice Information Center and returns felony arrests, convictions, and pending charges from all 83 Michigan counties. Results are available in minutes.

The free OTIS database from the Michigan Department of Corrections shows state prisoners, parolees, and probationers under MDOC supervision. Many Wayne County felony convictions that resulted in state prison time will appear in OTIS.

Wayne County has multiple district courts serving different cities and areas. The 36th District Court at 421 Madison Street in Detroit handles preliminary examinations for Detroit felony cases and can be reached at (313) 965-2200. Its website at www.36thdistrictcourtmi.gov includes an online case search and records request system.

What Wayne County Felony Records Contain

A felony case file in Wayne County begins with the complaint or information listing the charges. Arrest warrants and arraignment records are part of the file. As the case proceeds, pretrial motions, plea agreements, transcripts, and court orders are added. The register of actions is a dated list of every event in the case and is often the most useful starting point for research.

Sentencing records show the crime of conviction, the sentence imposed, fines, court costs, restitution orders, and any probation or parole conditions. Presentence investigation reports under MCL 771.14 are part of the court file but are not open to the public in most cases. The remaining case documents are public under MCL 15.231 unless a court has sealed them.

The 36th District Court holds records from 1990 to present for Detroit misdemeanors and felony preliminary examinations. HYTA cases under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act and drug cases under MCL 333.7411 are restricted from public access.

Wayne County Court Resources

The 3rd Circuit Court website at www.3rdcc.org provides access to the Odyssey Public Access portal and general court information for Wayne County felony cases.

Use this resource to access the OPA case search system and find contact information for the various divisions of the 3rd Circuit Court.

The 36th District Court website at www.36thdistrictcourtmi.gov covers Detroit misdemeanor cases and felony preliminary examinations, with an online records request system.

This court handles felony arraignments and preliminary examinations before cases move to the 3rd Circuit Court for trial or sentencing.

Expungement in Wayne County

Under MCL 780.621, eligible people can petition to have felony convictions set aside. For Wayne County convictions, file the petition at the 3rd Circuit Court. The process requires form MC 227, a $50 processing fee to the Michigan State Police, and service of copies on the Wayne County prosecutor and the Michigan Attorney General.

Michigan's automatic expungement law under MCL 780.621g may clear some eligible felonies automatically after ten years. Many offense types do not qualify. Visit Michigan Legal Help for a free eligibility check and step-by-step guidance through the petition process.

FOIA Requests for Wayne County Records

Under MCL 15.231, the public has the right to request government records. Court documents are handled by the Wayne County Clerk at wcrecordroom@waynecountymi.gov or by calling 313-224-5530. Arrest and incident records are held by local police departments and the Wayne County Sheriff. Written FOIA requests must include the subject's name, date of birth, and approximate dates of the case or arrest. Agencies have five business days to respond.

Cities in Wayne County

Wayne County includes several major cities with dedicated felony records pages on this site.

Nearby Counties

Wayne County borders these counties. Each has its own circuit court for felony cases.