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  1. Rutherford County Court
  2. Rutherford County Arrest Records

Rutherford County, Tennessee Arrest Records

Rutherford County arrest records provide information on arrests conducted by law enforcement agencies within the county. Such records reveal the arrestee’s name, physical description, arrest charges, name of the arresting agency, and booking number.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and local police departments generally create arrest records after arresting and booking suspected offenders. In addition, these agencies may release copies of the records in accordance with the Tennessee Public Records Act. The state law establishes the public’s right to access records generated by government agencies. In addition, the T.C.A. § 40-39-206 governs public access to criminal offender records, which may also include arrest details.

Tennessee laws allow public access to arrest records for the following reasons:

  • To allow citizens to monitor law enforcement activities within the community.
  • To promote transparency in the conduct of law enforcement agencies.
  • To provide accurate information about arrests.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Rutherford, Tennessee?

Rutherford County arrest records mostly include publicly accessible information. Under state law, interested parties can inspect and obtain copies of such information by using the resources provided by specific government agencies. 

The laws do not restrict access to arrest records based on the requester’s location. Arrest records are only redacted or restricted from public access if they include confidential or sensitive information. 

Confidential arrest information, when disclosed, has the potential to endanger the lives of concerned parties. For this reason, record custodian agencies may only disclose confidential information to eligible parties, such as the record subject, attorneys, crime victims, and government officials. Eligible parties are generally required to submit a request along with a valid ID when requesting confidential arrest information.

What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?

In Rutherford County, publicly accessible arrest records may reveal the following information:

  • The arrestee’s name and other personal identifiers, such as mugshot, birthdate, address, and ethnicity.
  • Arrest date, time, and location.
  • Arrest charges and description.
  • Booking number and date.
  • Bond or bail amount.

Publicly accessible arrest records may exclude information that is considered confidential or exempt under state laws. Examples of non-public arrest records include the following:

  • Information on juvenile arrestees.
  • Personal information of crime victims, informants, and witnesses.
  • Court sealed arrest information.
  • Arrest information that may interfere with an ongoing investigation.

Rutherford County,  Tennessee Arrest Search

Record seekers may conduct searches for arrest records by using resources provided by state and federal criminal justice agencies. At the state level, the Tennessee Department of Corrections maintains the Felony Offender Information search platform. The platform reveals information on inmates incarcerated in state prisons and may also reveal arrest details like the arrest charge and bond amount. Record seekers can view arrest records on the platform by providing the inmate’s first and last name.

In contrast, record seekers may find arrest information in the Inmate Locator, a search platform maintained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Court record databases are also repositories for locating arrest records generated in Rutherford County. For example, record seekers may look up arrest information by using the Tennessee Courts search platform. The Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is another online search database for locating arrest records. Nevertheless, the platform only reveals arrest information for federal crimes. 

Rutherford County Inmate Locator

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office does not have an online searchable platform for locating inmates held in the county jail. However, record seekers may obtain arrest records by submitting a Public Information Release Request form to the sheriff’s office at this address:

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

 & Adult Detention Center

940 New Salem Highway

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

Phone: (615) 898-7777

Alternatively, record seekers may look up arrest records via the county’s online case search portal. To view records on the portal, record seekers must fill in the following information:

  • Party name.
  • Case year.
  • Case number.

Active Warrant Search in Rutherford County

In Rutherford County, arrest warrants are court orders that call for the arrest of defendants. Court magistrates issue arrest warrants when there’s sufficient evidence that the defendant violated the law. In addition, magistrates may issue warrants under these conditions:

  • The complainant was examined under oath.
  • The defendant refused to honor the court summons.
  • The District Attorney General’s Office sends a directive for a warrant.

Under Tennessee laws, arrest warrants must include the following details:

  • The defendant’s name and physical identifying features.
  • The county and court where the warrant was issued.
  • Alleged criminal offense.
  • A statement that the defendant must be arrested and brought before the court.
  • The name and signature of the court magistrate or clerk.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, via the Warrants and Records Division, maintains records of active warrants. Record seekers may obtain information about warrants by submitting a request to the division at this address:

Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office

& Adult Detention Center

940 New Salem Highway

Murfreesboro, TN 37129

Phone: (615) 898-7777

Likewise, record seekers can find warrants in court documents. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s online case search platform contains information on warrants included in court documents. Record seekers must fill in relevant information to view records on the platform. An alternative option is to submit a request to the court that issued the warrant. The request must include case identifiers, such as the case party names, number, and warrant issuance date and year. For warrants issued by the circuit court, record seekers may submit their request to this address:

Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk's Office 

116 West Lytle Street

Room 102

Murfreesboro, TN 37130

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Rutherford County

In Rutherford County, record seekers may conduct free searches for arrest records using government-owned platforms. For example, Rutherford County’s case search platform allows free searches for arrest information included in court documents. Record seekers must provide the case party’s name, number, and case year to find records on the platform.

The Tennessee Department of Corrections’ Felony Offender Information is an alternative option for looking up arrest information in inmate records. To view records on the platform, record seekers must fill in the inmate’s name and last name.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Inmate Locator may reveal arrest information of inmates serving time in federal prisons. Record seekers may view records on the platform by providing the inmate’s name or prison identification number.

Note that free online search tools may exclude older and confidential arrest information. Such information is usually restricted from public access. Record custodians may only disclose such records to eligible parties. Eligible parties must provide valid proof of identification to obtain confidential or older arrest information.

Rutherford County Arrest Report

Arresting officers in Rutherford County create arrest reports in the aftermath of an arrest event. Such reports typically include the following information:

  • Arresting officer’s observations about the incident and preceding events.
  • The offender’s conduct during the arrest event.
  • Evidence collected at the crime scene.
  • Statements from witnesses and crime victims.

Arrest reports are mostly under the purview of the arresting agency. Thus, record seekers must contact and submit a request to the agency that made the arrest. Arresting agencies may require proof of identification before disclosing arrest reports that contain confidential information.

Unlike an arrest report, an arrest record contains basic information about arrest events. They may  also include post-arrest details, such as the booking number, mugshot, and bond amount. Record seekers may obtain arrest records through online databases maintained by criminal justice agencies. For example, the Tennessee Department of Corrections maintains an inmate search database that provides arrest details of inmates held in state prisons.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Rutherford County

Rutherford County residents may expunge their arrest records by submitting a petition to the circuit court or the court where the case originated. Residents are legally eligible to expunge arrest records under these conditions:

  • The charges were dismissed.
  • The court passed a not-guilty verdict.
  • You were arrested but not charged.
  • The case led to a nolle prosequi.

Eligible parties must follow these steps to expunge their arrest records:

  • Complete an Expungement Petition form. 
  • File the form with the clerk of the circuit court or the court that handled the case. You may send the form to the circuit court clerk’s office at this address:

Rutherford County Circuit Court Clerk's Office (Criminal Division)

116 West Lytle Street

Room 102

Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Phone: (615) 898-7812

Fax: (615) 691-5917  

Email: circuit_criminal_clerk@rutherfordcountytn.gov

  • The court clerk may require petitioners to fill out separate expungement forms for multiple  charges. 

Note that petitioners don’t need to appear in court for the court to review the expungement petition.

Petitioners who require a copy of the expungement must bring a self-addressed stamped envelope for each charge they want to expunge. This envelope enables the court clerk to send the copies after the expungement process is complete. Petitioners may ask the clerk to include certified copies of the expungement order 

How Do You Remove Rutherford County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Petitioners may remove arrest records by obtaining an expungement order from the circuit court clerk’s office or the court that heard the case. Petitioners must meet the legal requirements and follow standard procedures to obtain the order.

After the court issues the expungement order, the court clerk will send copies of the order to relevant agencies, such as the local police departments and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. These agencies will remove all related information from their database upon receiving the order.

However, you must directly contact third-party websites to remove copies of your arrest records. These websites often have their contact information on their webpages. An alternative option is to contact data brokers that are responsible for selling arrest information to third-party websites.