Marshall County Arrest Records

Police records in Marshall County are kept by the Sheriff's Office in Guntersville. Sheriff Phil Sims has run the department since 2019. The jail can hold about 250 inmates. You can find booking data and inmate info through the sheriff's online roster. This page covers how to search for inmates, request arrest records, and understand the process for getting police reports in Marshall County. The county sits on Lake Guntersville in northeast Alabama.

Marshall County Sheriff's Office

The sheriff is the chief law officer in the county. They run the jail. They patrol rural areas. They handle many types of calls. Phil Sims took office in 2019.

Contact info:

• Address: 423 Blount Avenue, Guntersville, AL 35976
• Phone: (256) 582-2034
• Email: marshallso@marshallco.org
• Website: marshallso.org

The office has many divisions. Patrol deputies respond to calls. The investigations unit works on felonies. Civil process serves papers. Court security guards the courthouse. Communications handles 911. Transport moves inmates. The jail division runs the detention center.

For non-urgent matters, call during business hours. For emergencies, always dial 911. The dispatcher can send help right away.

Marshall County Jail

The jail is part of the sheriff's complex in Guntersville. It can hold around 250 inmates. People wait here for trial. Some serve short sentences here too.

When someone gets booked, staff records their info. They take a photo. They log the charges. They enter bond amounts if set. This data goes into the system that feeds the online roster.

Phone service in the jail runs through Securus Technologies. Inmates can make calls to approved numbers. Family must set up an account to receive calls. There are fees for each call.

Visits follow a schedule. Contact the jail for current hours. Some visits may be in person. Others are by video. Rules can change, so check before you go.

Search Inmates in Marshall County

The sheriff has an online roster. It shows who is in jail. It costs nothing to use. You just need a name.

Go to the sheriff's website. Look for the inmate search or roster link. Type in the person's name. The system shows matching records.

Each entry includes:

• Inmate name and photo
• Booking date
• All charges filed
• Bond amount
• Release date if they are out

The roster updates often. New bookings may take a few hours to appear. The booking process has many steps. Give it time if you know someone was just arrested.

Anyone can search the roster. It is public info. Families use it to check on loved ones. Employers may look before hiring. Victims can see if someone is still locked up.

Request Police Records in Marshall County

You can get copies of arrest records and incident reports. These come from the sheriff's records section.

To start, know what you need. Have the date of the incident. Know the location if you can. A case number helps a lot. The more detail you provide, the easier it is to find the record.

Contact the sheriff's office. Ask about their records request process. Some agencies need a form filled out. Others handle it in person at the counter.

Alabama law limits records access to state residents. Bring your Alabama ID when you make the request. It must show an in-state address. Out of state requests can be refused.

What to include in your request:

• Your full name and phone number
• A copy of your Alabama ID
• The date and details of the incident
• Any case numbers you have
• Payment for fees

Fees apply to most records. Copies cost per page. Some reports have a flat fee. Ask about costs before you pay.

There is no set time for agencies to respond. Some are quick. Others take weeks. Follow up if you have not heard back.

Posting Bond in Marshall County

When someone is arrested, a judge sets bail. This lets them get out while the case moves through court. The amount depends on the crime and the person's record.

There are a few ways to pay:

• Cash bond: Pay the full amount in cash. You get it back when the case ends.
• Surety bond: Use a bail bondsman. Pay them a fee, usually 10 percent. They put up the rest.
• Property bond: Offer real estate as collateral. This takes more time to set up.

The jail accepts cash and money orders for bond. They may not take checks. Call ahead to see what they accept.

After the bond posts, release takes time. Staff checks for holds. They process paperwork. Plan for a wait of a few hours.

Marshall County Court Records

Court records differ from police records. Police handle arrests. Courts handle trials. You need to know where to look.

Marshall County is in the 27th Judicial Circuit. Courts are in Guntersville. District Court hears minor crimes. Circuit Court hears felonies.

Search court cases at pa.alacourt.com. A name search costs $9.99. You can see hearing dates, charges, and outcomes. Document copies cost more.

For paper copies, go to the Circuit Clerk's office. It is in the courthouse. Tell them the case name or number. They pull the file and make copies. You pay the copy fee.

Court records tell you what happened after the arrest. Did the case go to trial? Was there a plea? What was the sentence? This info is in the court file.

Legal Help in Marshall County

Not everyone can afford to hire a lawyer. Options exist for those who need help.

The court can assign a public defender. At your first hearing, the judge asks about income. If you are too poor to pay, you get a free lawyer. This is a constitutional right.

Legal aid groups handle civil cases. They help with housing, debt, and family issues. Criminal cases are not covered. Contact Legal Services Alabama to learn if you qualify.

The Alabama State Bar has a referral program. You call and describe your case. They give you a lawyer's name. The first meeting is usually low cost.

Law libraries are in courthouses. They are free to use. You can research your case there. Staff cannot give advice but can help you find books and forms.

Alabama Open Records Law

State law controls who can see police records. The main statute is the Open Records Act.

Under Alabama Code Section 36-12-40, residents can inspect public records. Arrest logs and incident reports count. But only Alabama residents can ask. You must show proof of where you live.

Some records are off limits. Ongoing cases can stay private. Home addresses of those arrested are not released. Juvenile names are kept out. These rules protect people.

Alabama law does not force agencies to respond fast. There is no deadline. Some requests finish in days. Others take months. Keep following up.

If denied, you can go to court. File a lawsuit in circuit court. No other appeal exists. You have two years to sue after the denial.

Nearby Counties

Marshall County is in northeast Alabama. It borders these counties:

An arrest near a county line could be in either county. Check both if you are not sure where it happened.

Cities in Marshall County

Guntersville is the county seat. It has its own police. Other cities include Albertville, Boaz, Arab, Grant, and Douglas. Some towns have police. Others rely on the sheriff.

If a crime happened inside a city, that city's police likely handled it. Crimes outside city limits go to the sheriff. The inmate roster shows people arrested by both.

Note that Albertville (population around 22,000), Boaz, and Arab all fall below our 50,000 threshold for dedicated city pages. Contact local police departments directly for records from those cities.

Start Your Search

Use the search below to find Marshall County police records. Look up inmates, arrests, and more.