Search Chandler Felony Records
Chandler felony records come from two main sources in this East Valley city. The Chandler Police Department keeps arrest data, incident reports, and body camera footage at their records office on East Chicago Street. All felony court cases go through Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix because the city has no jurisdiction over serious crimes. The Chandler Municipal Court only deals with misdemeanors and city code violations. When you need to look up a felony case from Chandler, start with the county court system. You can also request arrest records from the police department. Many folks search for these records when they need to run a background check, follow up on a past case, or get proof of their own history.
Chandler Felony Records Quick Facts
Chandler Police Records Division
The Chandler Police Department runs its own records division for local arrest data. This is where you go to get police reports, incident files, and other law enforcement documents. The records office is at 250 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ 85225. Hours run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. You can call them at 480-782-4001 for questions. Email also works if you send your request to Records.Request@chandleraz.gov. Lots of people come here to get copies of arrest reports or to request documents for court.
The fee structure at Chandler PD is straightforward. The first 50 pages cost $5 flat. After that, each extra page is $0.15. Body camera footage has a set fee of $25 per request. These fees apply to most public records requests from the police department. Keep in mind that some records may take time to process. If you need something by a certain date, plan ahead and submit your request early. The records staff will let you know the total cost before they release any documents to you.
Police records from Chandler only cover arrests and incidents handled by Chandler PD. If someone was arrested by another agency in the metro area, you would need to contact that department. The Maricopa County Sheriff handles cases in unincorporated parts of the county. For arrests made by state troopers, contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Each agency keeps its own files.
Chandler Felonies Go to Maricopa County Court
All felony cases in Chandler are handled by the Maricopa County Superior Court. The city does not have a felony court. When someone gets charged with a serious crime like robbery, burglary, drug trafficking, or assault with a deadly weapon, the case goes to Superior Court in downtown Phoenix. The main courthouse is at 201 W. Jefferson Street. That is where most felony trials take place for Chandler residents.
The Superior Court Criminal Department has a dedicated phone line for case questions. Call 602-506-8575 to ask about a specific case. The Information Center at 602-506-3204 can also help point you in the right direction. You can search for felony cases online using the Criminal Case Search tool on the court website. This lets you look up cases by defendant name or case number. The search results show the charges, case status, hearing dates, and the assigned judge. The tool is free to use and gets updated as new filings come in.
If you need copies of court documents from a Chandler felony case, contact the Clerk of Superior Court. Their main office is at 620 W Jackson Street in Phoenix. The phone number is 602-372-5375. Fees run $0.50 per page for plain copies. Certified documents cost $35 per document plus the page charge. See the Maricopa County felony records page for full details on the county court system, fee schedules, and how to request records by mail.
This page shows the statewide court system that handles felony cases from Chandler and other Arizona cities. Use it to find case search tools and contact info.
Chandler Municipal Court Records
The Chandler Municipal Court does not hear felony cases. It only has jurisdiction over misdemeanors and city ordinance violations. Misdemeanors are crimes with a max jail time of six months. Examples include minor theft, DUI first offense, and disorderly conduct. If you are looking for a felony case, the Municipal Court will not have it. You need to go to Maricopa County Superior Court instead for those records.
That said, the Municipal Court can still be useful in some cases. Sometimes a charge starts as a felony and gets reduced to a misdemeanor through a plea deal. Other times the prosecutor drops the case to a lesser charge. In those situations, the final record may end up at the Municipal Court level. If you are not sure where a case wound up, check both the city and county court systems. The Chandler Municipal Court is located at 200 E. Chicago Street, right next to City Hall. Staff there can tell you if a case is in their system.
Traffic violations are also handled at the Municipal Court level. DUI cases that stay as misdemeanors go here. But if someone gets charged with aggravated DUI, which is a felony, that case moves to Superior Court. The same applies to repeat offenders who face enhanced charges. Always check both court levels if you are not certain where a case landed.
How to Get Chandler Felony Records
Getting felony records from Chandler depends on what type of record you need. For arrest records and police reports, contact the Chandler Police Department Records Division. You can visit in person at 250 E. Chicago St. in Chandler. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also submit a request by email to Records.Request@chandleraz.gov. Be specific about what you need. Include names, dates, and case numbers if you have them.
For court records from a felony case, you need to go through Maricopa County. The Clerk of Superior Court is the official keeper of case files. You can search cases online for free using the Criminal Case Search tool. If you need copies of documents, request them from the Clerk's office. The Customer Service Center is at 601 W. Jackson in Phoenix. Payment methods include money order, debit card, credit card, and cash. Personal checks are not accepted at the Clerk's office.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office holds booking records and jail data for the county jail system. Their public records unit is at 550 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. Call 602-876-1000 for general info. They cannot give you court records or case outcomes. For those, you must contact the Superior Court. The sheriff's office handles requests for arrest records from unincorporated areas and inmate booking data.
Arizona Felony Laws for Chandler Cases
Arizona law shapes how felony records work in Chandler. The state uses a class system for felonies. Class 1 is the most serious, like first-degree murder. Class 6 is the least serious, like some drug possession charges. Each class carries different sentencing ranges. The sentence also impacts how long you must wait to seal your record later on. Understanding the class of a felony helps you know what to expect from a case.
A.R.S. Section 41-1750 sets up the Central State Repository at the Arizona Department of Public Safety. This is the statewide database for criminal records. All arrests and dispositions in Arizona get reported there. However, DPS cannot run background checks for private employers or private citizens. You must use court records or a third-party service for that purpose. The law restricts access to the state repository to authorized agencies like law enforcement and certain licensed employers.
The DPS system collects arrest and conviction data from across Arizona, including Chandler. But direct public access is limited by state law.
If you have a felony conviction from a Chandler case, you may be able to seal your record under A.R.S. Section 13-911. Arizona passed this law in 2022. It lets people petition to seal their record after they finish their sentence and wait the required time. For Class 2 or 3 felonies, the wait is 10 years. Class 4, 5, or 6 felonies require 5 years. Some offenses cannot be sealed at all. These include dangerous crimes against children, sex trafficking, and violent felonies. Talk to an attorney if you want to know if your case qualifies.
Sealing Chandler Felony Records
Arizona now lets people seal certain felony records. This option was not available until the state passed record sealing laws in 2022. The process works through the court that handled your case. For Chandler felonies, that means filing a petition with Maricopa County Superior Court. The petition asks the court to seal all records related to your case so they no longer show up on standard background checks.
To qualify for sealing, you must have finished your full sentence. This includes prison time, probation, parole, and any fines or restitution. After that, you wait the required period based on your felony class. Class 2 and 3 felonies have a 10-year wait. Class 4, 5, and 6 felonies have a 5-year wait. Once you meet these conditions, you can file the petition. The court will review it and decide whether to grant the sealing. A judge looks at the nature of the offense, your behavior since then, and whether sealing serves the interests of justice.
Some crimes cannot be sealed no matter how much time passes. Dangerous offenses, crimes against children, and violent felonies fall into this category. Sex crimes and human trafficking are also excluded from sealing. If your offense is on the exclusion list, you cannot seal that record in Arizona. The exclusion list is set by state law and the courts have no discretion to override it. Check with a lawyer if you are not sure whether your Chandler case qualifies for sealing.
Chandler Criminal Justice System Overview
Chandler sits in the southeast part of the Phoenix metro area. It is one of the larger cities in Maricopa County with a population over 280,000. The city has its own police department that handles local law enforcement. Officers respond to calls, investigate crimes, and make arrests within city limits. When an arrest involves a felony charge, the case gets turned over to the Maricopa County Attorney for prosecution.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office decides whether to file charges in felony cases. They review the evidence from Chandler PD and determine the appropriate charges. If they move forward, the case goes to Superior Court for arraignment and trial. The county attorney handles all felony prosecutions in Maricopa County, not just Chandler cases. This means the same office prosecutes cases from Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, and all other cities in the county.
Defense attorneys in Chandler cases may be private lawyers or public defenders. The Maricopa County Public Defender's Office represents people who cannot afford an attorney. They get assigned to felony cases at the arraignment stage if the defendant qualifies. Private attorneys can also represent clients in Chandler felony cases. Many law firms in the East Valley handle criminal defense work and can help navigate the court system.
Felony Records in Nearby Arizona Cities
Chandler is part of the East Valley area in the Phoenix metro. Many neighboring cities also fall under Maricopa County jurisdiction. If you need felony records from these areas, the same county court system applies to all of them. Each city has its own police department with separate arrest records though. Click on a city below to learn more about local records access in that area.
All felony cases from these cities go to Maricopa County Superior Court. For arrest records, contact each city's police department directly. The county Clerk of Court handles all court document requests.
Maricopa County Felony Record Resources
For detailed info on the county court system that handles Chandler felonies, visit the Maricopa County felony records page. It covers the Superior Court Criminal Department, Clerk of Court fees, and sheriff's office records. You will also find links to online case search tools and document request forms. The county page has everything you need to navigate the court system for a Chandler felony case.
The county page also has info on the Justice Courts. These courts handle misdemeanors if a case was not charged as a felony. Sometimes related records appear there if charges were reduced. Check both levels of the court system to get the full picture on any criminal matter from the Chandler area. The Southeast Court Complex in Mesa serves the East Valley and may be more convenient for Chandler residents than downtown Phoenix.