Kennesaw Criminal History Lookup

Criminal history records in Kennesaw are handled by the Kennesaw Police Department and the Cobb County court system. Kennesaw has a population of about 37,740 and sits in Cobb County in the northwest part of metro Atlanta. The Kennesaw PD manages arrest reports and police records for crimes inside city limits. Criminal court cases go through Cobb County Superior Court, which serves as the trial court for felonies and serious misdemeanors. State databases maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation also contain criminal history from Kennesaw arrests. A complete search usually means checking local police records, county court files, and state-level tools.

Kennesaw Police Department Records

The Kennesaw Police Department is the main law enforcement agency for the city. Their office is at 2380 Cherokee Street, Kennesaw, GA 30144. You can reach them at (770) 429-4533. The department keeps arrest reports, incident reports, and other police records for crimes within Kennesaw city limits. These records are created at the time of arrest and include the date, charges, and the name of the arresting officer.

Kennesaw PD sends arrest data to the Georgia Crime Information Center as state law requires. That means arrests in Kennesaw show up in the statewide GCIC database as well as in local files. If you need a copy of a police report from a Kennesaw case, contact the records division at the Cherokee Street office. Walk-in requests during business hours are the fastest way to get copies.

Kennesaw PD records only cover crimes within city limits. Cobb County is a large county with several cities. If the incident was outside Kennesaw, it might fall under Cobb County Police, Marietta PD, or another agency. The Cobb County Police Department covers unincorporated areas of the county. Make sure you know where the incident happened before requesting records.

Cobb County Court Records for Kennesaw

Kennesaw is in Cobb County. All criminal court cases from the city go through the Cobb County court system. The Superior Court Clerk keeps case files for felonies and serious crimes. This office holds the charges, plea deals, trial results, and sentencing data. The Cobb County Courthouse is in Marietta, the county seat, which is just a few miles south of Kennesaw.

The clerk charges fees for copies of court records. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Walk-in requests are handled at the Marietta courthouse during regular hours. Cobb County is one of the more populated counties in Georgia, so the court system processes a large number of cases. The online case search through the Cobb County court website is one way to look up basic case information without going in person.

For more details on searching Cobb County records, the Cobb County criminal history page covers the clerk's office, sheriff's department, and county-level search options. The Cobb County Magistrate Court also handles warrants and preliminary hearings, so check there for certain types of records.

State Criminal History Tools

The Georgia Felon Search is a state-run database that checks GCIC records for felony convictions. Each search costs $15. You enter a first name, last name, date of birth, and sex. Results come back right away. The fee is charged whether or not any record is found. Kennesaw cases are included in this statewide tool.

The Georgia Department of Corrections offender search is free to use. It shows people who are currently in a state prison. Someone convicted in Kennesaw and serving time at a GDC facility will show up. The search does not include people in the Cobb County Jail or those who have completed their sentence.

The GBI FAQ page answers common questions about criminal history records in Georgia. It explains how to request your own record and how to search for someone else. The GBI also runs a fingerprint-based check. That is the most complete way to get an official criminal history report because it catches records that name-based searches sometimes miss.

Record Restriction for Kennesaw Cases

Georgia does not call it expungement. The term is record restriction. When a criminal record gets restricted, it is hidden from public view. Law enforcement can still access it, but the general public cannot see it in a standard search.

There are cases where record restriction applies. Charges that were dismissed or dropped may qualify. People who completed a pretrial diversion program can apply. The First Offender Act under O.C.G.A. Section 42-8-60 lets eligible first-time offenders complete their sentence without a formal conviction on their record. Once done, the court discharges the person and the record gets restricted.

The full details are in O.C.G.A. Section 35-3-37. For arrests after July 1, 2013, the process starts with the prosecuting attorney in Cobb County. For older arrests, you contact the arresting agency. In Kennesaw, that would be the Kennesaw Police Department or the Cobb County district attorney, depending on the case.

There is a retroactive First Offender option as well. If someone should have been sentenced under the First Offender Act but was not, they can petition the court later. The Cobb County Superior Court handles these petitions for Kennesaw-area cases. Getting retroactive status can result in a conviction being removed from the public record.

How to Find Criminal History in Kennesaw

A few different paths exist for finding criminal history connected to Kennesaw. The method you use depends on what type of record you are after.

• Call the Kennesaw Police Department at (770) 429-4533 for arrest and incident reports
• Visit the Cobb County Superior Court Clerk at the courthouse in Marietta for court case records
• Use the Georgia Felon Search for statewide felony conviction data
• Check the GDC offender search for people in state prisons
• Contact the Cobb County Sheriff for jail and booking records

Police records show arrest details and charges. Court records from Cobb County show pleas, trial outcomes, and sentences. State tools add felony conviction and corrections data. You may need to look in more than one place. Kennesaw Municipal Court handles city ordinance cases and some minor offenses, so check there too if the case was a small local matter.

Open Records Requests

Under Georgia's Open Records Act, you can request public documents from government agencies. That includes police records held by the Kennesaw Police Department. You can ask for arrest reports, incident reports, and other police records. The city may charge for the time spent searching and for copies of the records.

The law requires agencies to respond within three business days. That first response might just confirm the request was received. Actual records can take longer depending on the scope of the request. Some records are exempt from disclosure. Ongoing investigations, for example, may not be released until the case is closed. Records that have been restricted by court order will not be provided through open records either.

Nearby Cities With Criminal Records

Kennesaw is near several other cities in Cobb County and the north metro area. Each has its own police department and local criminal records. Arrest data from these agencies goes into the state GCIC system. These pages cover criminal history resources for nearby cities.