Perry County Arrest Records and Charges
Arrest records in Perry County are tied first to the sheriff and detention center. They can show that a person was taken into custody, the arresting agency, intake date, basic demographics, charge labels used at booking, release status, and bond lines when the person is still in the current roster. That jail record is not the same as the official court charge record. It is a custody record, and it may appear before the prosecutor has filed a formal criminal case.
Charges after arrest become court charge records when the Perry County Prosecutor files an allegation in Perry Circuit Court. The prosecutor represents the State of Indiana in felony, misdemeanor, traffic, infraction, and juvenile matters arising in Perry County. Once filed, the Circuit Court Clerk maintains the case file, and public non-confidential entries may be searched through Indiana MyCase. For booking detail, use the Perry County inmate records channel; for the final case file and sentence, use criminal court records.
Local records split between the Perry County Sheriff's Office, led on the sheriff site by Sheriff Dave Faulkenberg, and the court offices at the Perry County Courthouse / Perry County Government Center. The Perry County Circuit Court Clerk, Joan Hess, is the official court-record custodian once charges are filed, while the Perry County Prosecutor, Samantha Hurst, controls charging decisions for state cases.
Indiana VINE is one statewide custody and case notification source connected to the arrest-to-court process. It does not replace the clerk's official file, but it can help victims and family members track custody or criminal-case notifications while a Perry County matter moves forward.
VINE is useful when the concern is notice and custody status, while MyCase and the clerk are the core channels for filed Perry County court charges.
Find Perry County Charges After Arrest
The best search path starts with the question being asked. If the person is in current custody, begin with the Perry County Sheriff's current inmate list or call the detention center at 812-547-2441. If the question is whether court charges have been filed, search MyCase by party name, case number, citation number, or cross-reference number. Perry local rules state that Perry Circuit Court is the only court of record for the county, so local filed charges should route through that court when they become court cases.
- Search the current jail roster if the arrest may be recent and the person may still be in custody.
- Search MyCase by defendant name or case number, and choose Perry Circuit Court when a court filter is offered.
- Open the public case summary and review the charge list, docket entries, bond events, hearings, and disposition fields.
- Contact the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk if a public document is not linked online or if a certified copy is needed.
The clerk is the official record custodian for court-filed charges. The office is at 2219 Payne Street, Tell City, IN 47586, phone 812-547-3741, inside the Perry County Courthouse / Perry County Government Center. MyCase warns that some documents are not online and that older files may require clerk contact, so a missing online image does not mean the public record does not exist.
Important: A booking line, arrest entry, or charge label is not a conviction unless the court record shows guilt by plea or verdict.
Perry County Charging Documents
The charge record starts with a filing. In Indiana practice, the key document may be a charging information, complaint, indictment, or other court filing that states what the State claims happened and which law was violated. The Perry County Prosecutor page confirms that the office handles felony and misdemeanor prosecutions, traffic and other infractions, juvenile adjudications, child support enforcement, and victim assistance. For criminal arrest cases, that office decides what allegations to file, amend, reduce, or dismiss.
| Document | Who Uses It | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint | Law enforcement or prosecutor process | Starts or supports a case by stating alleged facts and legal grounds. |
| Charging information | Perry County Prosecutor | Lists formal Indiana criminal charges filed in Perry Circuit Court. |
| Indictment | Grand jury process when used | States charges returned through a grand jury rather than ordinary prosecutor filing. |
A single arrest can lead to no filed charge, one filed charge, or several charge counts. Court records may also show probable cause findings, initial hearing entries, counsel appointment, bond orders, motions, plea entries, trial settings, disposition, sentencing, probation, fines, costs, and restitution.
Perry County Charge Status
Charge status can shift as the case moves. MyCase may show the charge as filed, amended, dismissed, or resolved by plea, verdict, or other disposition. The chronological case summary is the best place to read those changes because it lists filings, orders, hearings, judgments, sentencing, and financial events. Financial balances online may lag, and official balances must come from the clerk.
| Status | Meaning in a Court Charge Record |
|---|---|
| Pending | The charge is still open or has not reached final disposition. |
| Amended | The prosecutor or court changed a filed count, statute, level, or wording. |
| Reduced | The charge level or offense changed to a less serious allegation or plea count. |
| Dismissed | The court ended that count or case without a conviction on that charge. |
| Convicted | The record shows guilt by plea or verdict and may lead to sentencing. |
Indiana criminal procedure and expungement rules are in Indiana Code Title 35. Those laws matter when a person is trying to understand bond, arrest without warrant, expungement, or post-case access limits.
Perry County Charges vs Convictions
Charge and conviction are often confused. A charge is the State's filed allegation. A conviction is the result after a guilty plea, guilty verdict, or other finding of guilt. Perry County arrest records may show charge words at booking, but the court case must be checked before treating those words as an outcome.
| Point | Charge | Conviction |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Filed after arrest or citation | Reached after plea or verdict |
| Proof | Based on accusation and probable cause | Requires a guilty plea or finding |
| Where to check | Jail roster, MyCase, clerk file | Final orders, judgment, sentencing entries |
| Can change | May be amended, reduced, or dismissed | May later be appealed or expunged if eligible |
For employment, housing, licensing, or tenant screening, do not use casual arrest or charge lookup as a consumer report. The legal notice on this site states the FCRA limit, and official records should be verified with the originating Perry County office.
Public Access to Perry County Charges
Indiana public access starts with the rule that public records are available unless a statute, court rule, or lawful exception restricts them. Court records are governed by the Indiana Rules on Access to Court Records and the Access to Public Records Act in Indiana Code Title 5. MyCase provides public, non-confidential case information and some documents, but it is not the certified record.
- Charging information
- A prosecutor's formal document stating the criminal charges filed in court.
- Probable cause
- The legal basis used to support an arrest, search, or criminal allegation.
- Disposition
- The current or final outcome of a case or charge.
- Expungement
- A court process that limits public access to eligible arrest, charge, conviction, or juvenile records.
The Indiana IOCS excluded-records list explains categories not available to the public under court access rules. Juvenile delinquency, adoption, sealed, expunged, mental-health, protected-person, and some investigation-related material can be withheld or redacted.
Perry County Arrest Bonds
Bond data can appear in both custody records and court records. Perry local rules include a bond schedule for arrests without warrant and custody on a criminal charge, while the sheriff bond page says jail staff cannot change a bond set by the court. The detention center accepts cash or credit card in allowed cases, does not handle property bonds, and directs property-bond questions to an attorney.
| Charge Level | Bond Schedule From Local Rules |
|---|---|
| Level 1 or 2 felony | $200,000 surety or $20,000 10% cash deposit |
| Level 3 or 4 felony | $100,000 surety or $10,000 10% cash deposit |
| Level 5 felony | $40,000 surety or $4,000 10% cash deposit |
| Level 6 felony | $15,000 surety or $1,500 10% cash deposit |
| Class A misdemeanor | $6,000 surety or $600 10% cash deposit |
The sheriff's posting-bond instructions also point to GovPayNow with PLC 6903 or 6904 and a 9% service fee. A booking number may be required, so callers without that number should ask the sheriff's office before attempting payment.
Restricted Perry County Arrest Records
Some arrest and charge records are public in part but not public in full. MyCase excludes confidential, sealed, and expunged cases from ordinary public search. Protection-order information has separate limits, and protected-person identifying data is excluded from online public access. Juvenile records are governed by Indiana juvenile statutes and court access rules, so a juvenile arrest or delinquency matter should not be assumed public.
Indiana expungement law in Title 35 can limit public access to eligible arrest, charge, conviction, and juvenile-delinquency records after the court grants relief. Sealing is similar in daily use because it removes a record from ordinary public view, but the exact effect depends on the order and statute.
| Record Type | Public Access Effect |
|---|---|
| Sealed record | Hidden from ordinary public search unless a rule or order allows access. |
| Expunged record | Access is limited after a successful petition under Indiana law. |
| Juvenile record | Controlled by IC 31 and court access rules, with case-type limits. |
| Active investigation | Search warrants or reports may be withheld while the matter is open. |
Note: When a charge is not visible online, the next step is clerk or sheriff contact, not a conclusion that no record exists.