Murray County Criminal History Records

Murray County criminal history records are maintained by the Sheriff's Office and the District Court in Slayton. If you need to look up a criminal case, find arrest data, or check court filings for someone in Murray County, this page covers the primary offices and free tools available to you. The Minnesota Court Records Online system is a good starting point, and the Sheriff's Office can help with local inquiries about arrests and bookings in the county.

Murray County Sheriff Criminal Records

The Murray County Sheriff's Office is at the Murray County Courts Building, 2558 29th St in Slayton. Call (507) 836-6168 during business hours. The fax is (507) 836-8704. Deputies handle arrests across the county and keep records on bookings, charges, and law enforcement activity. The Sheriff's Office is the primary source of criminal history data at the local level in Murray County.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.82, arrest data is public in Minnesota. Law enforcement must disclose the name of the arrested person, the date and time, the charges, and the location of the arrest. Some records may be withheld if releasing them would harm an active investigation or if a court has ordered them sealed. For questions about a specific arrest in Murray County, call the Sheriff directly.

District Court Criminal Records

The Murray County District Court is part of the 5th Judicial District. The courthouse is located at the Murray County Courthouse in Slayton. Court staff handle all criminal case filings for the county, store the official case records, and help members of the public access those records. If someone was charged with a crime in Murray County, the case file is at this courthouse. You can call during business hours to ask about a case or find out the steps for getting a copy of court documents.

Minnesota Court Records Online, known as MCRO, is a free statewide portal that provides public access to court case data. It covers the Murray County District Court and lets you search criminal cases by name or case number. Results show party names, charges, case status, and docket entries. Records involving juveniles or matters sealed by a judge may not appear. For adult criminal cases, MCRO is one of the most useful tools available and you do not need to go to the courthouse to use it. Access the portal at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us.

The Murray County District Court page on the Minnesota Courts website is shown below, sourced from mncourts.gov.

The Murray County court page on mncourts.gov lists court hours, phone numbers, and links to case search tools.

The Minnesota Court Records Online search portal is shown below, sourced from publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us.

Use Minnesota Court Records Online to search Murray County criminal cases at no cost.

Background Checks and BCA Criminal History

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension holds statewide criminal history data from all 87 counties, including Murray. Two public tools are available. The free Criminal History Search at cch.state.mn.us shows conviction records and open cases for most adults in Minnesota. For a more thorough certified report, the $15 paid BCA background check is at dps.mn.gov. That certified report goes deeper than the free search and is useful when you need an official result for a formal purpose.

Under Minn. Stat. § 13.87, criminal history data in law enforcement files is private in most situations. Individuals can request their own records from the BCA. Third-party access requires a specific legal basis. MCRO court data is public and does not carry the same restrictions. For people serving state prison sentences, the Minnesota DOC Offender Locator at coms.doc.state.mn.us is free and covers all DOC facilities. For the Murray County Jail, call the Sheriff at (507) 836-6168 to confirm custody status directly.

Expungement

If you have a criminal record from a case in Murray County, you may be eligible to have it sealed. Minnesota's expungement statute is Minn. Stat. § 609A.02, which sets eligibility based on offense type, how the case ended, and time elapsed since. Expungement limits who can access the record. It does not fully erase it. Law enforcement and certain agencies may still see sealed records in specific situations allowed by state law.

To file in Murray County, you submit a petition to the District Court in Slayton. The court weighs the petition against the public interest in keeping the record accessible. Some cases may qualify for automatic sealing under Minn. Stat. § 609A.015 without a formal petition, particularly for dismissed cases or acquittals after the required waiting period. Legal aid serving southwestern Minnesota can help with eligibility questions. The mncourts.gov self-help section has free guides and petition forms.

VINE Link

VINE Link is a free national service for tracking inmate custody status in Murray County and beyond. It covers the county jail in Slayton and state prison facilities throughout Minnesota. Go to vinelink.com and search by name to check current status. You can also set up free automated alerts by phone, text, or email for when someone is released, transferred, or has a custody change. The VINE Link portal is shown below, sourced from vinelink.com.

Use VINE Link to look up inmate status or sign up for release alerts in Murray County.

Cities in Murray County

Murray County is a rural county in southwestern Minnesota. The county seat is Slayton. All criminal cases from communities throughout the county are heard at the Murray County District Court in Slayton.

There are no cities in Murray County that meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Murray County residents access criminal history records through the county-level offices and online tools listed on this page.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Murray County. If you need to confirm which county holds the criminal record you are looking for, check where the incident occurred or where the person was living at the time.