Barnstable County Felony Records

Barnstable County felony records are maintained by the Superior Court and district courts serving Cape Cod. If you need to search felony case records, check inmate status, or request criminal history information for anyone in Barnstable County, this guide covers the courts, the state CORI system, and the steps to get what you need.

Barnstable County Superior Court

The Superior Court in Barnstable handles the most serious felony cases in the county. This includes trials, grand jury proceedings, and sentencing for major felony charges. The court sits at 3195 Main Street in Barnstable and covers all 15 Cape Cod towns. If a felony charge was filed in Barnstable County, the Superior Court case records are kept here. The clerk's office can confirm whether a case is pending, has been resolved, or ended in a conviction.

Most felony cases begin at the district court level and are then indicted up to Superior Court. When an indictment is returned, the Superior Court takes over. Trial records, plea agreements, and sentencing orders all become part of the Superior Court file. You can search basic case information online through masscourts.org, the state's free public case lookup portal.

The Barnstable County Superior Court is located at 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630. Phone: (508) 375-6761. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. In-person visits let you view the full case file, request certified copies, and confirm what documents are in the record.

The Superior Court clerk handles requests for copies. Bring the case number or the full name of the defendant. If you only have a rough date, staff can search by name across a date range. Certified copies of felony judgments cost more than plain copies. Call ahead to confirm current copy fees before you go.

Barnstable County District Courts and Felony Records

Barnstable County has three district courts. Each one handles lower-level criminal cases and the early stages of felony proceedings. The district courts are in Barnstable, Falmouth, and Orleans. Felony cases often start here before going to Superior Court. District court records are also searchable on MassCourts.

The Barnstable District Court is at 3195 Main Street, phone (508) 375-6778. The Falmouth District Court is at 161 Jones Road, phone (508) 495-1500. The Orleans District Court is at 237 Rock Harbor Road, phone (508) 255-4700. All three operate Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. If a case was handled at the district level and not indicted to Superior Court, the district court has the full record.

For cases that moved from district to Superior Court, both courts will have records. The district court retains the early filings, the complaint, and any bail or pretrial orders. The Superior Court takes over when the indictment is handed down. Searching both can give you a complete picture of a case's history in Barnstable County.

Barnstable County Felony Records Through CORI

The state's Criminal Offender Record Information system, known as CORI, is the main way to access felony conviction history in Massachusetts. The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, or DCJIS, manages this system. For most people, the way to get a CORI on someone else is through an authorized organization. Individuals can request their own CORI at any time.

To get your own CORI, you can submit a request to DCJIS at 200 Arlington Street, Suite 2200, Chelsea, MA 02150. Phone: (617) 660-4600. The fee for a personal CORI is $25, though it is waived if you are indigent. DCJIS will mail the report to you. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6, CORI includes criminal charges and dispositions from courts statewide, including Barnstable County. This means a felony conviction from Barnstable Superior Court will appear on a CORI report.

Felony records stay on a standard CORI for 10 years after conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is later. Murder and sex offense convictions have no lookback limit. If you believe a record is in error, you can file a challenge with DCJIS. The process is set out in MGL Chapter 6.

The DCJIS CORI portal is the primary statewide tool for accessing Massachusetts felony conviction history, including records from Barnstable County courts.

Barnstable County Sheriff and Inmate Records

The Barnstable County Sheriff's Office at 6000 Sheriff's Place, Bourne, MA 02532 runs the county jail and house of correction. Phone: (508) 563-4700. If someone was arrested on a felony charge in Barnstable County and is currently held in county custody, the Sheriff's Office can confirm their status. The jail holds people awaiting trial and those sentenced to two and a half years or less.

The Sheriff's website has an inmate lookup tool. You can search by name to find people currently in custody. This covers the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. For people who have been released, the tool may not show historical stays. For those matters, contact the Sheriff's Office directly or check court records to confirm whether someone was incarcerated and for how long.

State prison sentences in Massachusetts are served at facilities run by the Department of Correction, not the county sheriff. If someone received more than two and a half years for a Barnstable County felony, they went to a state prison. The DOC runs a separate offender search at the state level. Local law enforcement records for arrests can also be requested from the Barnstable County Sheriff or from town police departments across Cape Cod.

Barnstable County DA Office and Prosecution Records

The Barnstable County District Attorney's Office at 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630 prosecutes all felony cases in the county. Phone: (508) 362-5601. The DA's office works with law enforcement from every Cape Cod town and decides which cases to bring to Superior Court. While the DA does not give out copies of case files to the public, their office can sometimes confirm whether a case is under active prosecution.

The DA's office covers both Barnstable County and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket as the Cape and Islands District Attorney. This is one of the few DA offices in the state that covers multiple counties. If you are researching a felony case from any of these three island counties, this DA's office is the prosecuting authority.

Sealing Felony Records in Barnstable County

Massachusetts allows people to petition to seal felony convictions after a waiting period. Under MGL Chapter 276, Section 100A, the wait is seven years from the date of conviction or release from incarceration, whichever is later. After sealing, the record no longer appears on standard CORI checks. However, sealed records can still be accessed by courts, law enforcement, and certain government agencies.

To petition for sealing, you file with the court that handled your case. In Barnstable County, that is either the Superior Court or one of the district courts depending on where the case was resolved. The petition process is free. MassLegalHelp and Greater Boston Legal Services both have guides explaining the sealing process and eligibility rules. If you want help with a petition, contact a legal aid organization or a private attorney familiar with Massachusetts criminal record law.

Sealing does not erase a record. It restricts who can see it. For Barnstable County cases, once sealed, the clerk's office will note that a record exists but is sealed if someone requests it. The underlying case information is not disclosed to the public after sealing.

Online Felony Case Search for Barnstable County

MassCourts is the best free tool for searching Barnstable County felony case records online. Go to masscourts.org and search by name or case number. The system shows basic docket information: party names, charges, case status, and hearing dates. It covers both the Superior Court and the district courts in Barnstable County.

Keep in mind that MassCourts shows case information but not full documents. You cannot download the full case file from the portal. For certified copies of judgments or complete court documents, you must go to the clerk's office in person or mail a written request with payment. Call the clerk before mailing to confirm the current fee and address your request to the correct court.

Some older cases may not appear online. Records from many years ago may only exist in paper form at the courthouse. If you are searching for a case from before the MassCourts system was put in place, you may need to visit in person or call the clerk's office to request a manual search.

Cities and Towns in Barnstable County

Barnstable County covers 15 towns on Cape Cod. No cities in the county meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. The towns served by Barnstable County courts include Barnstable, Sandwich, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans, Brewster, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, Provincetown, Mashpee, and Bourne. All felony cases from these towns are handled by the Barnstable County Superior Court and the appropriate district court.

Nearby Counties

Barnstable County connects to mainland Massachusetts through Plymouth County. The island counties of Dukes and Nantucket share the same DA's office.