Find Mississippi County Criminal History
Mississippi County criminal history records are handled by the 33rd Judicial Circuit Court in Charleston. The county sits in the southeastern Bootheel region of Missouri along the Mississippi River. The Circuit Clerk keeps court case files while the Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records and incident reports. This page walks through every way to search criminal history in Mississippi County, from the free CaseNet tool to visiting the courthouse in person.
Mississippi County Quick Facts
Mississippi County Circuit Court Criminal Records
The 33rd Judicial Circuit Court processes criminal cases in Mississippi County. The Circuit Clerk, Christina Branam Turner, manages the office at 200 N Main St, 2nd Floor, in Charleston. Call (573) 683-2161. The office handles criminal, civil, probate, traffic, and juvenile filings.
Search Mississippi County criminal history records for free through Missouri CaseNet. Enter a name or case number and filter to Mississippi County. CaseNet shows charges, docket entries, parties, and judgments. Sealed or expunged cases will not appear. Under Chapter 610 RSMo, the court can remove certain records from public view.
For certified copies, visit the clerk's office in Charleston. Copy fees are $2 for the first page and 25 cents for each page after. Bring a name or case number when you visit. Mississippi County shares the 33rd Judicial Circuit with New Madrid and Scott counties.
Mississippi County Sheriff's Office Criminal History
The Mississippi County Sheriff's Office is at 200 W Commercial St in Charleston. Call (573) 683-2111. Sheriff Britton Ferrell leads the department. The office handles patrol, investigations, civil process, and jail operations.
Request arrest records and incident reports during business hours. The Sheriff's Office works with the East Prairie Police Department and other local agencies. Under Section 43.503 RSMo, arrest data from Mississippi County flows to the Highway Patrol's central repository. This feeds the statewide criminal history database.
For a statewide check, use the MACHS portal. Name searches cost $15. Fingerprint checks run about $43 total. You need an account on the MACHS site to get started.
Mississippi County Jail and Booking Records
The Mississippi County Jail is at 200 W Commercial St in Charleston. It holds pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates. Call (573) 683-2111 for inmate information. Booking records include arrest dates, charges, bond amounts, and court dates.
These booking records tie into each person's criminal history file. They connect to the case files at the circuit court. Contact the Sheriff's Office for inmate status and visitation schedules.
Mississippi County Criminal Cases and Prosecution
The Mississippi County Prosecuting Attorney, Claire E. Poley, handles criminal cases from the Charleston office at (573) 683-2540. The prosecutor reviews police reports, files charges, and represents the state in court.
Criminal filings from this office become part of the court record. Search them through CaseNet once they are in the system.
How to Search Criminal History in Mississippi County
CaseNet is the quickest free tool. Visit courts.mo.gov/casenet and search by name or case number. Filter to Mississippi County.
The MACHS portal at machs.mo.gov provides statewide criminal history data. It covers all 114 Missouri counties. Name searches are $15.
Go to the Circuit Clerk at 200 N Main St in Charleston for in-person requests. Bring ID and the name or case number you need.
- CaseNet: free, no signup needed
- MACHS name search: $15
- MACHS fingerprint search: about $43
- Court copies: $2 first page, $0.25 each after
- Sunshine Law: response within 3 business days
The Missouri DOC offender search shows people in state prison. Missouri's Sunshine Law guarantees a response within three business days.
Mississippi County Criminal Record Expungement
Under Section 610.140 RSMo, some criminal records in Missouri can be expunged. Misdemeanors may qualify after three years. Felonies after seven. Violent crimes and sex offenses are never eligible.
File the petition in Mississippi County Circuit Court. The fee is about $250. You need to show that sentence conditions were met and the time requirement has passed.
Additional Criminal History Resources for Mississippi County
Mississippi County sits in the far southeast corner of Missouri, in the Bootheel region. The area is rural, and the Sheriff's Office works with the East Prairie Police Department and other local agencies. Criminal cases from within city limits go through city police first, while the Sheriff covers the rest of the county.
The 33rd Judicial Circuit covers Mississippi, New Madrid, and Scott counties. Court resources are shared across all three counties. If a case was filed in one of the neighboring counties in the same circuit, you would search CaseNet under that county's name instead.
The Highway Patrol's Criminal Justice Information Services division manages the statewide criminal history database. MACHS background checks go through this office. All Mississippi County arrest data gets reported to the central repository. Employers, licensing boards, and volunteer organizations across Missouri use MACHS.
The Family Care Safety Registry runs checks against multiple databases. It covers the sex offender registry, child and elder abuse records, and the MACHS criminal history file. The fee is $14.75. People who work with vulnerable groups in Mississippi County need to register.
Legal aid for Mississippi County residents may be available through Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. The Missouri Bar Lawyer Referral Service also helps connect people with attorneys who practice in the Bootheel area.
If you need a report from within the city of East Prairie or another incorporated area in Mississippi County, contact the city police department directly. The Sheriff's Office handles reports from the rest of the county. Both agencies send their arrest data to the state criminal history repository. For the most complete picture of someone's criminal history in Mississippi County, use both CaseNet and MACHS together.
Public Access to Mississippi County Criminal Records
Chapter 610 RSMo gives you the right to ask for criminal records from Mississippi County offices. Section 610.023 requires a three-day response. That covers the Circuit Clerk in Charleston, the Sheriff's Office, and every other public office in the county.
Law enforcement records like arrest logs and incident reports fall under Section 610.100. Copy fees are capped at the real cost of making copies per Section 610.026. If a Mississippi County office says no to your request, they must put it in writing and cite the statute. Without that, the denial is not valid under the law.
Statewide Criminal History Search
MACHS at machs.mo.gov handles full statewide checks. Name searches cost $15. Fingerprint checks run about $43 with the FBI portion. Create an account to start. Results come back fast for name-based checks.
CaseNet at courts.mo.gov/casenet is free. It shows court records from all 114 Missouri counties. Filter to Mississippi County for local results. Keep in mind CaseNet only displays court cases. The DOC offender search at web.mo.gov/doc/offSearchWeb/ covers people in state prison.