McDonough Criminal Court Records Search

Criminal court records in McDonough are maintained by two courts. The McDonough Municipal Court processes city ordinance violations, traffic offenses, and misdemeanor crimes that happen within McDonough city limits. Felony charges and serious criminal cases go through the Henry County Superior Court. McDonough serves as the county seat of Henry County, so both courts sit close together in the downtown area. The Flint Judicial Circuit covers Henry County along with several neighboring counties. All criminal court records at both levels are open to the public under Georgia's open records law.

McDonough Municipal Court Records

The McDonough Municipal Court handles traffic citations, city code violations, and misdemeanor criminal cases within the city. This court does not hear felony cases. If you got a ticket or were charged with a misdemeanor in McDonough, your case file is here. The court clerk can look up records by name or case number.

The court sits at 71 Macon Street, McDonough, GA 30253. Call (770) 898-7250 for case info. Walk-ins are welcome during business hours. Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. The clerk can pull copies of case records, show you court dates, and print disposition letters. Most simple requests are handled the same day you ask.

Note: The municipal court does not process felony cases or bond hearings for serious crimes, which are handled by Henry County courts.

Henry County Criminal Court Records

Felony criminal cases from McDonough are filed in the Henry County Superior Court. This covers drug charges, armed robbery, assault, and other serious crimes. Because McDonough is the county seat, the Henry County courthouse is right in town. The Clerk of Superior Court keeps all felony records and indexes them by defendant name, case number, and date.

Henry County also has a State Court that handles misdemeanor cases, DUI charges, and preliminary hearings. Some misdemeanor cases that start in McDonough Municipal Court may get bound over to Henry County State Court if the charges are serious enough. Check both courts if you cannot find a case in the municipal system.

The Flint Judicial Circuit, which includes Henry County, serves a large area south of Atlanta. Cases from McDonough share the same circuit judges and prosecutors as other cities in the county. Court records from this circuit are filed with the Henry County Clerk and indexed in the statewide system.

The E-Access to Court Records portal pulls case data from Henry County courts. You need a free account to search. Once set up, you can look across all Georgia courts, which is helpful if you are not sure where a case was filed.

How to Search McDonough Records

You have several options for finding criminal court records in McDonough. What you pick depends on the record type and how quickly you need it.

The GSCCCA indexes court filings from every Georgia county. Search for Henry County records through this tool. A standard account runs $14.95 per month. Premium is $29.95. The GSCCCA also runs the free FANS alert system. It lets you set up notifications when new filings show up for a specific name in any county.

For your own record, ask for a Purpose Code U criminal history report. You can get this from the Henry County Sheriff's Office or through a local law enforcement agency. The report pulls data from the Georgia Crime Information Center and shows arrests, charges, and court outcomes from the whole state. Bring your ID, date of birth, and be ready for fingerprinting. Call the GBI at (404) 244-2639 for more details on how this works.

In person, visit the Municipal Court on Macon Street or the Henry County Courthouse. The full name and date of birth of the person you are searching for will get you started. A case number makes things faster. Staff can pull records while you wait in most situations.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees at any Georgia public office are $0.10 per page. The first 15 minutes of staff search time are free. After that, the agency can charge a reasonable hourly rate.

McDonough Criminal Record Restrictions

Georgia law lets people restrict certain criminal records from public searches. Under O.C.G.A. § 35-3-37, you may qualify to restrict records for arrests that did not result in conviction, some misdemeanor convictions after a four-year wait, and cases that sat on a dead docket for over 12 months. You can restrict up to two misdemeanor convictions in your lifetime.

To start the process for McDonough cases, contact the Henry County District Attorney's office. You will need to file a petition with the court. The agency processing the restriction can charge up to $50. Once the court grants the petition, the record gets pulled from public access. Law enforcement can still see restricted records, but they will not appear in most public searches.

If your case was handled in McDonough Municipal Court, also contact the court clerk at (770) 898-7250 to confirm the local records are updated after a restriction order goes through. This step ensures that the municipal court files match the state database.

State Resources for McDonough

The GBI manages the state criminal history database. You can call their helpline at (404) 244-2639 option 3 for questions. The GBI Open Records Unit only accepts requests through their online portal now. They no longer take email submissions.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, the Georgia Open Records Act gives the public broad rights to access government records. Criminal court files at both the city and county level fall under this law. Agencies must respond within three business days of getting your request. If they need more time, they have to explain why in writing.

The Henry County Law Library near the courthouse is open to the public. It has forms for record restriction petitions, templates for open records requests, and guides for common legal processes. Staff can point you in the right direction, though they cannot give legal advice. For actual legal help, the Georgia Legal Aid office serves Henry County residents who meet income limits.

Nearby Cities

These cities near McDonough also have criminal court records resources. Each city operates its own municipal court for local cases, but felony charges go through the county where the crime happened.