Bartholomew County Felony Records
Bartholomew County felony records are maintained by the Bartholomew County Clerk's Office in Columbus and are available online through the Indiana MyCase portal. The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Chris Lane handles arrest records and public records requests for the county. Columbus is the county seat, and all Bartholomew County felony cases are filed and heard at the Columbus courthouse.
Bartholomew County Felony Records Quick Facts
Bartholomew County Sheriff Felony Records
Sheriff Chris Lane, the 59th Sheriff of Bartholomew County, was elected in 2022. The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office is at 1971 State St., Columbus, IN 47201. The main phone number is 812-379-1650. The Sheriff's website is at bartholomew.in.gov/sheriff.html. The office's leadership team includes Major John Martoccia as Chief Deputy, Major Brandon Slate for operations, Captain Chris Roberts for criminal investigations, Captain Justin Arnholt as Jail Commander, and Captain T.A. Smith as Road Division Commander.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office has a clear set of duties under Indiana law. These include arresting suspects in view of an offense, suppressing breaches of the peace, pursuing and jailing felons, executing legal process, serving court documents, providing court security, running the county jail, and fingerprinting and photographing people who are arrested. Every felony arrest in Bartholomew County starts with the Sheriff's Office or a local police agency and flows through this process.
For public records requests from the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office, complete the Sheriff General Record Request form at bartholomew.in.gov/sheriff/sheriff-general-record-request.html. The form asks for the date and time of your request, your name, phone number, fax number, organization, and the subject of the request. Completed forms can be returned by email, fax, or mail. Reproduction costs, certification fees, fax transmission costs, and postage may apply. Payment must be made before documents are released.
The Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office in Columbus manages felony arrest records and handles public records requests for criminal case information throughout the county.
Bartholomew County Court Felony Case Files
The Bartholomew County Clerk's Office in Columbus maintains the official case files for all felony cases filed in the county. The clerk's website links are available through the Bartholomew County government site at bartholomew.in.gov. The public records FAQ page at bartholomew.in.gov explains how to ask for public records from county agencies. Case files include all filings, court orders, plea agreements, and the final judgment entered by the Superior Court.
Indiana MyCase at public.courts.in.gov/mycase is the free online tool for searching Bartholomew County felony records. Enter a defendant's name or case number to get case summaries, charges, court dates, and final dispositions. Most Bartholomew County Superior Court criminal cases from the past several years appear in the system without any login required.
Note: For the most recent Bartholomew County felony filings, allow a day or two for the clerk to enter the new case into the MyCase system after the initial filing.
Statewide Resources for Bartholomew County
The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History system at in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch provides a name-based criminal history search covering all Indiana counties, including Bartholomew County. The fee is $15.70. This covers felony arrests and Class A misdemeanor arrests statewide. The ISP LCH result is not court-certified, but it is useful for checking criminal history across multiple counties at once.
For Bartholomew County felony convictions that resulted in Indiana state prison sentences, search the IDOC offender locator at offenderlocator.idoc.in.gov. For automatic notifications about custody changes for someone at the Bartholomew County Jail or an IDOC facility, register for the free Indiana SAVIN victim notification service. SAVIN covers both county jail and state prison custody changes statewide.
The Indiana sex and violent offender registry at in.gov/sor shows registered offenders in Bartholomew County and allows searches by address or name. This is separate from the felony case records system but is relevant to many serious Bartholomew County felony convictions that require registration.
Expunging Bartholomew County Felony Records
Indiana's expungement statute at IC 35-38-9 gives Bartholomew County residents a way to petition the Superior Court to seal eligible felony records. Filing fees are waived. After the court grants the petition, the records are removed from MyCase and the ISP criminal history system. The Bartholomew County Clerk handles the order and seals the applicable case files.
The waiting period depends on the offense. Arrests with no conviction may qualify after one year. Less serious felony convictions require eight years from conviction or release. More serious felony convictions require ten years plus written consent from the Bartholomew County Prosecutor. All fines, fees, and restitution must be paid before filing. Crimes that cannot be expunged include homicide, most sex offenses, and serious violent felonies under IC 35-38-9-8.5. The Indiana Public Access Counselor at in.gov/pac can tell you whether a specific Bartholomew County record qualifies.
Bartholomew County Cities with Felony Records Pages
Columbus is the only qualifying city in Bartholomew County with its own felony records page. All felony cases in the county are filed at the Columbus courthouse.