Henry County Criminal Records

Criminal records in Henry County are held by the Circuit Court Clerk, the General District Court, and the Henry County Sheriff's Office, with the county seat in Martinsville. If you need to search for criminal records tied to a person or case in Henry County, you can use the Virginia Judiciary online case search, visit the courthouse in person, or submit a written request by mail. This page explains who holds what and how to get it.

Circuit Court Criminal Records in Henry County

The Henry County Circuit Court Clerk is the official keeper of all felony criminal records in the county. The courthouse is in Martinsville, which is the county seat. Office hours run Monday through Friday, typically 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, not including state holidays. The Clerk maintains felony indictments, criminal motions, court orders, judgments, and sentencing records. These are public records unless a judge has ordered them sealed.

Henry County is part of Virginia's Twenty-First Judicial Circuit. The Circuit Court handles the most serious criminal cases, including felony charges punishable by more than one year in prison. It also handles appeals from the General District Court and civil matters over $25,000. The Clerk is an elected constitutional officer who serves an eight-year term. The same office keeps land records, marriage licenses, wills, and probate files.

Search Henry County circuit court cases online at the Virginia Courts case information system. You can search by name, case number, or hearing date. The system shows case status and disposition records. For full file review or certified copies, contact the clerk directly. Copy fees apply under Virginia Code section 17.1-275.

Henry County shares the Twenty-First Circuit with the independent city of Martinsville. Keep this in mind when searching. Cases from the city of Martinsville are separate from Henry County cases, even though they share judicial resources.

General District Court Records in Henry County

The Henry County General District Court handles misdemeanor criminal cases, traffic offenses, and preliminary hearings for felony charges. Cases are heard by a judge, not a jury. The court keeps records of warrants, summonses, continuances, judgments, and sentencing orders for misdemeanor offenses committed in Henry County.

These records are public information. Search them at the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. The portal shows case status and disposition data. For certified copies or a full file review, contact the General District Court Clerk at the Henry County Courthouse. Copy fees apply, and state retention schedules determine how long records are kept.

Cases decided in General District Court can be appealed to Circuit Court within 10 days. The appeal is heard completely fresh as a new trial. Either party can file an appeal.

Note: The online portal shows basic case data but may not include every document. Check with the clerk's office when you need a complete record for legal or official purposes.

Henry County Sheriff's Office Records

The Henry County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for the county. It maintains arrest records, incident reports, and investigative files for crimes that happen in Henry County. The Sheriff's Office also runs the county jail. The Sheriff is an elected constitutional officer in Virginia.

The image below links to the Henry County Government website, which includes contact information for the Sheriff's Office and other county departments.

The Henry County Government site connects you to the Sheriff's Office and other county departments that handle public records requests in Henry County.

Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, certain arrest records are public. This includes the date, time, and place of an arrest, the name of the person, and the charges filed. Active investigation records may be exempt. All arrests are reported to the Virginia State Police Central Criminal Records Exchange under Virginia Code section 19.2-390. To request records from the Sheriff, submit a written request with the date, name, and type of record needed. Fees may apply for copies.

How to Request Henry County Criminal Records

The fastest free option is the online case search at vacourts.gov. It covers both Circuit Court and General District Court cases in Henry County. For copies of actual documents, contact the right office based on what you need.

For court records, contact the Circuit Court Clerk or General District Court Clerk at the Henry County Courthouse in Martinsville. Give the full name, approximate date range, and case number if available. Staff can tell you what is on file and what is in archives. Pay by cash, check, or money order. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and fees follow state law.

For records from the Sheriff's Office, such as arrest reports or incident records, submit a written FOIA request. Include the full name, date, and type of record. The county must respond within five working days. Some records are exempt, including those tied to open cases and juvenile records. For help understanding your rights under FOIA, check the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council website.

Virginia CCRE and Henry County Records

The Virginia State Police operate the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE), which is the statewide criminal history database. It collects arrest and disposition data from all Virginia localities, including Henry County. The Sheriff's Office and courts here are required to report to the CCRE under Virginia Code section 19.2-390. The CCRE gives you a complete view of a person's Virginia criminal history, not just what happened in Henry County.

Visit the Virginia State Police Criminal History Records page to learn how to request a statewide criminal history report. Individuals can request their own records. Authorized agencies can request records on others. The process involves submitting a form and paying a fee directly to the State Police.

If a disposition was never reported to the CCRE, a record may show only an arrest with no outcome listed. This is a data gap, not a legal finding. Contact the court or the State Police to correct any missing disposition information in a record.

FOIA and Expungement in Henry County

Virginia's Freedom of Information Act at Virginia Code Title 2.2, Chapter 37 gives the public access to most government records, including many criminal records. Henry County must respond to FOIA requests within five working days. Fees are limited to the actual cost of search and copy work. No county office can charge more than it actually costs to produce the records.

Active investigation records may be withheld under FOIA. Juvenile records are sealed by law. Confidential informant information is protected. Each FOIA request in Henry County is reviewed on its own merits. Parts of a record may be released while others are redacted. If you believe your request was wrongly denied, you can seek guidance from the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council or challenge the denial in court.

Virginia law allows people to petition for expungement of certain criminal records. The rules are set out in Virginia Code Title 19.2, Chapter 23.1. If your charge was dismissed, you were acquitted, or you received an absolute pardon, you may qualify. File the petition in the Circuit Court where the charge was brought. For Henry County charges, that is the Henry County Circuit Court in Martinsville.

Expungement removes a record from public access but does not erase it from all law enforcement databases. Virginia's expungement laws changed significantly in recent years. Review the current statute before assuming you qualify, and consider talking to an attorney if you are unsure.

Cities Near Henry County

Henry County borders the independent city of Martinsville, which has its own courts and law enforcement. Cases from Martinsville are separate from Henry County cases even though they share judicial circuit resources.

Other communities in Henry County include Collinsville, Bassett, and Ridgeway. These areas file criminal cases through the Henry County court system in Martinsville.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Henry County. If you are not sure which county handled a case, use the county where the person lived at the time of the charge.