Access White Plains Felony Records

White Plains felony records are kept at the Westchester County Clerk's Office, which is right in the city since White Plains serves as the county seat. The city sits within the 9th Judicial District, and the district administration is based here at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Felony arrests by White Plains police begin with arraignment in White Plains City Court. After a grand jury indictment, cases move to Westchester County Court for full prosecution. Mayor Justin C. Brasch appointed Wade Hardy as Public Safety Commissioner in January 2026. The city operates with a Common Council that makes its meetings accessible in over 60 languages through Wordly real-time translation.

Westchester County Clerk and White Plains Felony Records

The Westchester County Clerk's Office at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. is the main source for felony records. Because White Plains is the county seat, the clerk's office is just steps from the county courthouse. Criminal records from both Supreme Court and County Court are on file here.

The clerk charges $5.00 per name for online searches. In-person searches are free during business hours. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies are available for an additional fee. The Records Access Officer is located at 148 Martine Avenue. Written FOIL requests go to that address.

Felony case files are kept permanently. Misdemeanor records stay for 25 years. Violation records are kept for at least six years. Records older than 10 to 15 years may not be in the digital system. Matrimonial records are sealed and only available to the parties involved or their attorneys.

How to Search White Plains Felony Records Online

The OCA Criminal History Record Search is the most thorough online option. It costs $95 per name and pulls from every court in New York. Results come by email the next business day. The search is not certified, so it cannot serve as an official report.

Free options include the WebCrims portal for case status and court dates. The DOCCS Inmate Lookup tracks state prison inmates at no cost. The Sex Offender Registry is free and searchable by name, county, or zip code.

For Westchester County specifically, the Westchester Criminal Records portal and the Westchester Courts public records page offer local search tools. These can provide details that may not show up in statewide systems. The NYSCEF portal shows e-filed court documents without needing an account.

White Plains City Court and Felony Proceedings

White Plains City Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanors and lesser offenses. For felony cases, the city court judge conducts the arraignment and any preliminary hearings. Bail is set at this stage. The defendant may waive a preliminary hearing, or the case may go directly to a grand jury.

City Court judges must be attorneys admitted to practice in New York for at least five years. They serve ten-year terms and must be residents of White Plains. The court retains records for cases that stayed at the local level. Once a felony case is indicted and moves to county court, the main file transfers up.

The Westchester County District Attorney at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. prosecutes all felonies from White Plains. The DA's office works with the county clerk on filings and maintains its own prosecution records. Victim assistance services are available through the DA's office.

Sealing of White Plains Felony Records

When charges are dismissed or a defendant is acquitted, the record seals automatically under CPL Section 160.50. Nobody can access it without a court order. The named person and their attorney are the only ones who can still see the file.

CPL Section 160.59 lets people seal up to two old convictions after ten years. No more than one can be a felony. The court weighs several factors before granting the petition. Drug convictions may be sealed under CPL Section 160.58 if the person completed a court-ordered treatment program. Youthful offender records are sealed under CPL Section 720.35.

The Clean Slate Act took effect in November 2024. It will automatically seal certain eligible convictions. Class A felonies and sex offenses are excluded. Full implementation may take three years. During this rollout period, White Plains felony records that qualify will gradually disappear from public searches. The DCJS Record Review lets people check their own rap sheet through fingerprinting.

FOIL Requests for White Plains Records

The Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law Sections 84 through 90) gives the public the right to request records from White Plains city agencies. This includes the police department and the city clerk's office. Write a letter describing the specific records you want. Be as detailed as possible.

The city has five business days to respond. They may grant access, deny the request with a reason, or ask for more time. Denials can be appealed within 30 days to the Corporation Counsel. If that appeal fails, an Article 78 proceeding in Supreme Court is the next step. Copies cost $0.25 per page. There is no fee for inspection. Correction Law Section 9 limits the sharing of certain criminal history data to authorized agencies only.

Nearby Cities

White Plains is centrally located in Westchester County. Several nearby communities also use the Westchester County Court system for felony cases.