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Washtenaw County Criminal Records
Find Washtenaw criminal case information, distinguish Trial Court and district searches, and request documents that are not available in the online index.
First identify which Washtenaw court owns the criminal case
| Clue | Likely official route | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| County district-court matter outside Ann Arbor | Washtenaw 14A District Court tools through Request for Court Records / Case Look-up. | A district-court result and a Circuit Court felony result can be different stages of the same prosecution. |
| City of Ann Arbor district-court case | 15th District Court Case Search and its Traffic/Criminal Division. | The 15th District Court serves Ann Arbor and handles misdemeanors plus felony matters before bind-over. |
| Circuit-level criminal case | Washtenaw Trial Court Civil / Criminal name search and records access. | The Circuit Court is the place to verify circuit case filings and final circuit documents. |
| Statewide Michigan public criminal history | Michigan State Police ICHAT. | ICHAT is a repository product, not the court file or a copy of the disposition order. |
A name search finds a case; a record request gets the document that proves the outcome
Search layer
Use the official name/case search to identify the correct case number, court and party. Treat that result as an index to the file, especially when the name is common.
Docket layer
Review the register or docket for charges, events and disposition entries. A docket line can tell you what happened procedurally, but it may not contain the full text of the order or judgment.
Document layer
Washtenaw publishes a dedicated Request for Court Records route. Ask for the actual judgment, order, dismissal, sentence or other document needed for the user’s purpose.
Certification layer
If the recipient requires an official/certified copy, say so in the request. Do not describe a screenshot or copied docket summary as certified evidence.
Ann Arbor’s 15th District Court has its own case-search boundaries
Older or non-public records may require direct court contact
The City of Ann Arbor’s 15th District Court Case Search provides public electronic case records by name or case number but excludes non-public case information. The court also states that older closed cases outside its online coverage should be obtained from the court. Its Traffic/Criminal Division handles misdemeanor cases and felony matters before they are bound over to Circuit Court, so a felony search may require following the case from district-court stage into the circuit filing.
When the case moved from district court to circuit court, follow the case number and disposition
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01
Locate the district-stage record
Start with 14A or 15th depending on where the district case was filed. Capture the defendant, filing/case number and the event showing transfer or bind-over when present.
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02
Open the Washtenaw Trial Court route
Use the county’s Civil / Criminal Name Search and Records Access to locate the circuit-level case.
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03
Find the final event
Distinguish pending settings from plea, dismissal, verdict, sentencing and post-judgment activity.
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04
Request the final document
Ask the court holding the final case for the judgment/sentence/dismissal document. This avoids relying on an earlier district-stage entry after the prosecution has moved courts.
ICHAT is useful for statewide Michigan history, but its published exclusions matter
| ICHAT can help with | ICHAT does not include, according to MSP |
|---|---|
| Public Michigan criminal-history information maintained by Michigan State Police; Michigan requires reporting of felonies and serious misdemeanors punishable by more than 93 days. | Suppressed records and warrant information. |
| A name-based statewide search when the user needs repository history beyond one Washtenaw court. | Federal, tribal, traffic, juvenile, local-misdemeanor, and out-of-state criminal history. |
| Cross-checking whether a court matter appears in public state history. | The actual Washtenaw court file, pleadings, or certified disposition document. |
Verify identity and disposition before treating a Washtenaw result as final
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Match identity: use date of birth or other lawful identifiers when the official system provides them; a name alone can collide.
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Track court movement: note whether the record is in 14A, 15th District, or the Washtenaw Trial Court circuit level.
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Read the end of the case: distinguish charge filed from charge dismissed, amended, convicted, sentenced, or still pending.
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Keep the document: for a consequential conclusion, retain the final court order or certified copy rather than only a search-result page.