Lake of the Woods County Criminal History

Lake of the Woods County criminal history records are held by the Sheriff's Office and the 9th Judicial District Court in Baudette. This remote northern Minnesota county borders Canada and is one of the least populous in the state. If you need to search for an arrest record, look up a court case, or check on someone in custody, the Sheriff's Office and Minnesota Court Records Online are where you start. The county's Records Division and detention center both handle public records requests under state law. This page explains what is available and how to access it.

Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office

The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office is located in Baudette at 206 8th Ave SE, Suite 300. The phone number is (218) 634-1143. Deputies cover a vast area that includes mainland Minnesota and a portion of land that can only be reached through Canada. The Sheriff handles patrol, arrests, records, and the county detention center. For most criminal history searches in Lake of the Woods County, the Sheriff is the first contact.

The Sheriff's Office maintains a Records Division that handles public data requests. You can find information about it at lotwcounty.gov/sheriffs-office/records. Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, certain arrest data is public. This includes the name of the arrested person, the date and time of the arrest, the stated charges, and where the arrest occurred. Some information may be withheld to protect an ongoing case or a protected party.

The Lake of the Woods County Sheriff's Office in Baudette maintains arrest records and criminal history data for the county and operates the county detention center.

Court Records and MCRO Access

The District Court in Lake of the Woods County is part of the 9th Judicial District. Criminal cases are filed and heard in Baudette. The court clerk's phone number is (218) 634-1451. The clerk handles certified copies of criminal case documents and can answer questions about what records are available for a specific case. Some older records may not be digitized and would require an in-person or written request.

Minnesota Court Records Online is the free public search tool for court case data in Lake of the Woods County. You can search by party name or case number at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us. The system shows charges, case status, and docket entries for criminal matters. Juvenile records are not public and do not appear in MCRO results.

Minnesota Court Records Online provides free access to criminal case data from Lake of the Woods County District Court including charges, dockets, and case status.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, criminal history data held by Minnesota agencies is private unless the subject has a conviction. The court clerk can tell you what is open to the public in a given case. Access rules vary based on the charge, outcome, and type of proceeding.

Lake of the Woods Detention Center

The Lake of the Woods County Detention Center is operated by the Sheriff's Office. Visiting hours are Sunday and Monday from 1 to 4 PM, and Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 PM. Video visitation is available through the Reliance Telephone system. This service allows remote contact with inmates outside of standard visiting hours. Call the Sheriff's Office at (218) 634-1143 to ask about a specific inmate or to get more details on the video visitation process.

The detention center also runs a work release program. The daily rate is $25 for Lake of the Woods County residents and $45 for inmates from other counties. Work release allows qualified inmates to leave during the day for approved employment and return to the facility at night. The Sheriff's Office reviews eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

The Lake of the Woods County Detention Center page at lotwcounty.gov lists visiting schedules, work release fees, and inmate contact options.

VINE Link is available for custody notifications in Lake of the Woods County. Sign up at vinelink.com to receive automated alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. This is a free service available to victims and the general public.

Statewide Criminal Background Checks

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension maintains the state's central criminal history database. Records from Lake of the Woods County flow into this system along with data from all other Minnesota counties. If you want a complete picture of someone's criminal history in Minnesota, the BCA is the right place to look. Their site is at bca.dps.mn.gov.

BCA public background checks are available for a fee. The person named in the record can request their own file. Certain agencies and authorized parties can also request records under standards set in state law. The BCA processes requests online and by mail. Use MCRO for court case data and the BCA for a broader criminal history search that spans the full state.

Note: A local county search through MCRO may miss records from other jurisdictions. If the person you are searching has lived in multiple counties or states, the BCA or a multi-source search may be more complete.

Expungement in Lake of the Woods County

People with criminal records in Lake of the Woods County can seek expungement under Minn. Stat. § 609A.02. Expungement seals records from public access. Cases that were dismissed, stayed, or otherwise resolved without a conviction are typically easier to seal. Some convictions are also eligible depending on the offense level, time since the offense, and the person's conduct since then.

To start the process, you file a petition with the 9th Judicial District Court in Baudette. The court notifies the prosecutor and the Sheriff's Office. They have the right to respond or object. The judge holds a hearing and decides if expungement is in the public interest. If approved, all agencies with records of the case must seal them. The process from filing to decision typically takes several months. Legal aid organizations in northern Minnesota may be able to assist people who cannot afford an attorney.

Cities in Lake of the Woods County

Lake of the Woods County is one of Minnesota's most remote counties. The county seat is Baudette. Williams and other small communities also exist within county borders. All criminal cases are handled through the 9th Judicial District Court in Baudette.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lake of the Woods County. Check the right county if you are unsure where a case was filed.