Litchfield County Arrest Records

Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-1f) describes an "arrest" as the lawful taking into custody or apprehension of a person suspected of engaging in a criminal act. In Litchfield County, this arrest may occur after a police investigation, upon an active warrant, or when a peace officer observes a crime or reasonably believes someone perpetrated a criminal offense.

Once a person is arrested in Litchfield County, they are usually booked and fingerprinted at the nearest police station. Booking (or "processing") is where the official arrest report is created. From there, the suspect may be released without charges, released on a promise to appear, or released on bail. However, if the suspect cannot make bail/bond, they will be kept in lock-up until they see a judge (typically the first court day following their arrest).

Litchfield arrest records provide pertinent details about arrests performed in the county. Members of the public often request these records from law enforcement to investigate a person's background or learn about an arrest's outcome. However, when seeking the final result of the criminal case itself, it is best to review the Litchfield County court records or other relevant public records within the local or state criminal justice system.

Are Arrest Records Public in Litchfield County?

Yes. Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), codified in Chapter 14 of the Connecticut General Statutes, furnishes members of the public with access to the "public records or files" of public bodies in the state. The Act establishes arrest records to be inherently public, as such documents originate from the execution of a law enforcement agency's official business (i.e., to maintain law or order).

Nevertheless, Section 1-210 of the FOIA designates certain records/information as confidential and exempt from public disclosure. These include:

• Juvenile arrest records
• The identity of informants and witnesses where disclosure would endanger their safety or make them vulnerable to threats or intimidation
• The identity of minor witnesses
• The name/address of a victim of sexual assault
• Records erased under Chapter 961a, Conn. Gen. Stat.

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

A public arrest record in Litchfield County usually carries the following data:

• The full name, last known address, and photograph of the arrested person, as well as their race, sex, date of birth, and age
• The arrest date, time, and location
• The charge(s), including the offense code and description
• The arresting agency
• Bond information, including type and amount
• Next court date, location, and case number

Litchfield County Crime Rate

The Crimes Analysis Unit of the Connecticut State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection disseminates comprehensive annual crime reports for Litchfield County and other Connecticut counties. However, unlike in many U.S. states, these reports are compiled according to municipality (city/town) and reporting agency rather than by county totals. As a result, one must ascertain the appropriate town jurisdiction they wish to search and the agency (town police department or Connecticut State Police/CSP) to gain valuable insights from the reports.

For example, per the Unit's 2022 Crime in Connecticut Report, the City of Torrington—Litchfield's most populous municipality, with a population estimated at 35,302 in 2022—had a crime rate of 28.8 per 1,000 persons in 2022. The city's police department reported 1,017 Group A offenses, which included crimes against persons (395 incidents), crimes against property (594 incidents), and crimes against society (28 incidents). Meanwhile, the Connecticut State Police reported 28 Group A offenses for Torrington in 2022, precisely 5 crimes against persons and 23 crimes against society; no crimes against property were recorded.

Similarly, the Town of New Milford, Litchfield County's second most populated municipality (pop. estimated at 28,252), had a crime rate of 13.5 per 1,000 persons in 2022. The town's police department recorded 382 Group A offenses, constituting 43 crimes against persons, 325 crimes against property, and 14 crimes against society. The CSP, on the other hand, reported only one offense in the crime against society category for New Milford in 2022. It was a drug/narcotic violation.

Note: Group A offenses include arson, assault, fraud, gambling, human trafficking, burglary, homicide, stolen property, and other offenses collected in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) program, as listed on page II of the 2022 Crime in Connecticut Report.

Litchfield County Arrest Statistics

The same principle for researching crime statistics in Litchfield County applies when looking for the county's arrest numbers. As mentioned, the data is only readily available by town and reporting agency through the Connecticut Crimes Analysis Unit.

Keeping to the above examples, Torrington City's Police Department reported 604 arrests in 2022. Of that number, 442 were classified as Group A offense arrests, and the remaining 162 were Group B arrests (i.e., offenses recorded when an arrest is made). Further, 582 of the total county arrests involved adults, and 22 were juvenile arrests. The most frequent arrests noted by the city police department were intimidation (185 arrests), simple assault (98 arrests), and shoplifting (73 arrests).

Concurrently, the CSP made 64 arrests in Torrington City in 2022. Only one of those arrests involved a juvenile, with driving under the influence (10) and drug/narcotic violations (6) being the most prevalent arrests.

On the other hand, the New Milford Police Department recorded 356 arrests in 2022, comprising 339 adult arrests and 17 juvenile arrests. The town had more Group B arrests (296) than Group A arrests (60) that year, and disorderly conduct (99), driving under the influence (45), and non-violent family offenses (28) topped the list as the most recurring arrests.

In 2022, the CSP reported only one arrest in the Town of New Milford, which involved an adult.

A detailed breakdown of the reported offenses and arrests for each town in Litchfield County can be obtained by downloading the Crime Overview by Town report.

Find Litchfield County Arrest Records

The primary location to retrieve an arrest record in Litchfield County is the police department that performed the related arrest. Individuals can stop by the relevant office during business hours or call the agency's designated line to request arrest information. Certain agencies, like the Winchester Police Department, may provide arrest summaries/logs on their official websites, which offer pertinent information about their jurisdiction's arrested population.

Another way to find information about persons arrested in Litchfield County is to access the Offender Information Search tool provided by the Connecticut State Department of Correction. The DOC oversees all jails holding pretrial offenders and prisons holding sentenced offenders in Connecticut, including the New Haven Correctional Center. The portal can be searched with a person's last name, at the minimum, and can disclose an offender's sentencing status, present location, primary offense, bond amount, and more.

Finally, people can search the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch's Criminal/Motor Vehicle Case Look-up System to find some arrest information about people whose criminal cases are pending in court or who have been convicted.

Note that information about federal arrestees should be sought from the Federal Bureau of Prisons via its Federal Inmate Locator or by calling (202) 307-3198. A request can also be made to the arresting federal department under the FOIA.

Free Arrest Record Search in Litchfield County

One method for conducting a free arrest record search in Litchfield County is to access electronic databases that local authorities provide at no charge to the public (some examples above). These databases are typically searchable with a person's first and last name.

Individuals can also seek a free arrest record search at an official custodian's office. Under Connecticut's Freedom of Information Act, a person whose only request is to view a public arrest record is typically not liable for any charges. However, if the record must be reproduced to comply with a request, the requester must pay the associated fees.

Notably, several privately owned databases are available online to people who wish to look up basic arrest information at no cost. Like their government-run counterparts, these websites can be searched by name, but the user may be required to pay for detailed records.

Get Litchfield County Criminal Records

Litchfield County criminal records summarize a person's encounters with the criminal justice system in Litchfield. These records are generally open to the public. However, depending on the type of criminal record, certain restrictions may exist to prevent unauthorized access.

Criminal record information generated in Litchfield is usually obtainable from the courts or the State Police's Bureau of Identification. Criminal records maintained by the Connecticut State Police are only releasable to the subject of the record after they submit their fingerprints. The agency charges a $75 fee for the service, minus the fingerprinting fee, and parties can opt to pay an additional $13.25 for a nationwide check. (The fingerprinting fee varies depending on the law enforcement agency offering the service.) More information about the process is available on the State Bureau of Identification's website.

Conversely, anyone can search and retrieve criminal records maintained within the court system. The simplest way to access Litchfield County court records is via the Connecticut State Judiciary's Criminal/Motor Vehicle Case Look-up System. Individuals can also stop by the superior courthouse where a criminal case was heard to request related records. A case participant's name or case number is typically required to search for case information through the courts.

Litchfield County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

It is a common misconception that an arrest record is interchangeable with a criminal record. However, these records have different purposes.

An arrest record in Litchfield County is the initial report documenting an arrest incident within county limits. The record is essential for bringing charges against a suspected offender and can assist the police in monitoring offender activity. However, it does not reveal the outcome of the corresponding criminal case and cannot serve as definitive proof of someone's guilt.

In contrast, a criminal record encompasses not only the arrest data but also details about the court proceedings, including any sentences the court imposed on the offender. Compared to an arrest record, a criminal record can have long-lasting repercussions on its owner, going as far as to limit their career, educational, and housing options, among other setbacks.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Usually, an arrest is a permanent component of a person's criminal record in Litchfield County. As a result, the record may be seen by anyone who conducts a background check unless it is exempt from public access.

However, subjects can take action to expunge their arrest record, or they may qualify for automatic expungement under Connecticut laws, which effectively removes a record from the public's view.

Expunge Litchfield County Arrest Records

An expungement in Litchfield County (formally known as "record erasure") removes police, prosecutorial, and court records from public access but does not physically destroy them. Once an arrest record is erased, the subject is considered never to have been arrested and may state as much without risking perjury.

Generally, anyone seeking to erase an adult arrest record in Litchfield must meet the relevant prerequisites under CGS § 54-142a, which include:

1. The subject was found not guilty or had their charges dismissed, and the time to file an appeal has either expired or a final determination of an appeal has been made sustaining the acquittal or dismissal.
2. The charge was nolled (not prosecuted), and at least 13 months have elapsed since then.
3. The crime for which convicted was later decriminalized.
4. The subject received an absolute pardon for an offense

Where a person meets the requirements in (1) or (2), their records are erased by operation of law. This means erasure happens automatically, and no petition needs to be filed in court. However, an individual may petition the Litchfield County Superior Court upon receiving an absolute pardon or if the crime they were convicted of has been decriminalized.

Regarding convictions generally, an adult can petition their sentencing court to erase eligible convictions for offenses committed before January 1, 2000, which qualify under Connecticut's Clean Slate Law. Examples include misdemeanors, Class D/E felonies, and motor vehicle violations whose potential sentences do not exceed five years by statute. However, a person can qualify for automatic erasure for an eligible conviction entered on or after January 1, 2000.

Those petitioning the court to erase an eligible conviction must request a copy of their criminal history from the State Police for a fee. They may also need to review past convictions using the Connecticut Judicial Branch's Criminal/Motor Vehicle Case Look-up System and order a copy of their arrest report for Cannabis erasure petitions under General Statutes § 21a-279, 21a-267(a), or 21a-277(a). The petition form (JD-CR-202), form-filling instructions, and filing locations are available on the state government's Petition for Clean Slate Erasure website.

Individuals seeking juvenile record erasure can find state eligibility requirements in the Criminal and Juvenile Delinquency Record Erasure manual (page 5 of 6) and the juvenile petition form (JD-JM-12) on the state judiciary's website.

Litchfield County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal order released by a judge or other judicial authority commanding a police officer to arrest someone for an offense stated in the warrant.

Courts in Litchfield can issue different kinds of arrest warrants, including Failure to Appear (FTA), Violation of Probation (VOP), Order to Incarcerate (OTI), and felony/misdemeanor warrants (see glossary). All authorize the arrest of an accused person, but no warrant can be issued without the establishment of "probable cause". Probable cause refers to a reasonable suspicion that someone has committed an offense or has engaged in criminal activity.

Arrest warrants in Litchfield typically indicate the accused's full name, last known address, the issuing county, and the issue date.

Litchfield County Arrest Warrant Search

People looking for active warrants in Litchfield County, Connecticut, can access the Arrest Warrants Search portal on the state judiciary's website. The system can be searched by name, town, court location, or any combination of the three to find outstanding warrants. Users can also filter the search using optional entries like a person's first name or birth year. Portal results include the accused's first and last name, birth year, last known address, the warrant issue date, and docket number. A photograph of the offender may also be seen if it is available.

Note that the Arrest Warrant Search portal is limited to VOP, FTA, and OTI warrants and does not contain warrants requested by local and state police agencies. As such, one may still reach out to local law enforcement authorities to find active warrants in Litchfield County or hire an attorney or bail bonds service for a more comprehensive search.

Do Litchfield County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants issued in Litchfield County have no expiry date. Unless a warrant is served or executed by the subject's arrest, it continues to follow the individual, regardless of whether they move out of the jurisdiction. As a result, the subject may be arrested upon any contact with law enforcement personnel.