Plainfield Arrest and Booking Records
Plainfield is a city in Union County in the central part of New Jersey. Arrests made by Plainfield police lead to bookings at the Union County Jail in Elizabeth. The booking release is the record made at that jail. It lists the name, charges, date, and bail for the person. Plainfield has its own police force and municipal court. This page explains how to find booking release records for Plainfield arrests from each of the agencies that hold them.
Where Plainfield Arrests Are Booked
When Plainfield police arrest a person on a criminal charge, the booking takes place at the Union County Jail. The jail sits at 15 Elizabethtown Plaza in Elizabeth. The Union County Sheriff's Office runs this facility. Sheriff Peter Corvelli oversees jail operations from the main office at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza. You can call the sheriff at (908) 527-4450.
| Facility | Union County Jail |
|---|---|
| Address | 15 Elizabethtown Plaza Elizabeth, NJ |
| Sheriff | Peter Corvelli |
| Sheriff Office | 10 Elizabethtown Plaza (908) 527-4450 |
| Sheriff Website | ucnj.org/sheriff |
At intake, jail staff record the person's name, date of birth, and physical traits. They take a photo and prints. Each charge is logged. The bail amount or release terms are set. All of this goes into the booking release. The jail handles arrests from every town in Union County, so Plainfield bookings are part of a larger pool of records.
Plainfield Police Booking Records
The Plainfield Police Department is at 200 E. 4th St, Plainfield, NJ 07060. The main line is (908) 753-3131. The department is split into three main parts: the Administrative Bureau, the Patrol Bureau, and the Investigations Bureau. Each plays a role in the arrest and records process.
Patrol officers make most arrests in the field. They write the arrest report and bring the person in. The Investigations Bureau handles cases that need more work, such as drug crimes or fraud. Arrest reports from both groups are city records. You can ask for them through the city clerk using an OPRA request under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.
The Plainfield Police website has more on the department. If you have a tip about a crime, you can call (908) 753-8477 or email tips@plainfieldpolicenj.gov. These tip lines are for active cases, not records requests.
Plainfield Inmate Lookup
Union County runs an online tool to check who is in the jail right now. The Union County inmate lookup lets you search by name. You can see the charges, bail, and booking date for each person. This is the fastest way to check if a person from a Plainfield arrest is still in custody.
The tool is free. It works at all hours. It only shows current inmates. Once a person is released, their entry drops off. For past bookings, you need to file a records request with the county. The data can lag by a few hours, so a very recent arrest may not show up right away.
Plainfield Booking Release OPRA Requests
The Open Public Records Act is the legal path to get booking releases in Plainfield. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 grants the public access to government records. Booking releases are government records. You can file your request with the county or the city, based on which agency holds what you need.
For jail booking records, file with Union County. The county OPRA portal is at ucnj.org/opra. This site takes your request and sends it to the right office. The county has seven business days to respond under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5. They may grant it, deny it, or ask for more time.
For Plainfield police arrest reports, file with the city. The city clerk handles OPRA requests for all city departments. Be clear in your request. Name the person. Give the date of the arrest if you can. State that you want a booking release, arrest report, or both. The more detail you give, the faster the process goes.
You can also use the statewide NJ OPRA Portal to send requests to agencies that use that system. It tracks your request and keeps a log of all replies.
Plainfield Municipal Court Records
The Plainfield Municipal Court is at 325 Watchung Ave. The court and the police share this site. Minor offenses from Plainfield arrests go through this court. These include disorderly persons offenses and local code violations. If the case stays at the municipal level, the court file is the main record.
You can search municipal court cases through the state courts site. Pick Plainfield from the list and type in a name. The site shows the case number, charges, and dates. It is free to use. For copies of court documents, you can visit the court in person or file a written request.
Cases that are more serious go to the Union County Superior Court at 2 Broad St in Elizabeth. The court phone is (908) 787-1650. Those cases are in the statewide criminal case lookup tool. The Union Vicinage court page has details on hours and forms.
Union County Clerk and Plainfield Records
The Union County Clerk's Office keeps court filings tied to criminal cases. County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi runs the office at 2 Broad St, Room 113, Elizabeth. The phone is (908) 527-4787. If a Plainfield booking led to a conviction, the judgment is on file with this office.
The clerk also records liens, civil judgments, and other legal papers. These can come up in a records search tied to a Plainfield arrest. For criminal booking data, the sheriff's office is the better source. But the clerk's files fill in the picture on what happened after the booking.
State tools and county offices work in tandem to hold booking data from Plainfield arrests.
Plainfield Arrest Alerts
Crime victims can track the custody status of a person booked from a Plainfield arrest. The VINE system covers Union County. Sign up with the person's name or ID. You will get a call, text, or email when their status changes. VINE is free and runs all day. It does not give you the booking release. It tells you when the person moves, gets out, or escapes.
State Resources for Plainfield Booking Records
The NJ DOC inmate finder covers state prisons. If a Plainfield arrest led to a state sentence, the person shows up there. The tool lists the facility, sentence dates, and parole facts. It does not cover the county jail.
The Government Records Council handles OPRA disputes. If your request for a Plainfield booking release is denied, you can file a complaint with the GRC at no cost. They will review the case and can order the agency to hand over the records. The process is slow but it is free and it works. N.J.S.A. 47:1A-6 sets out the rules for appeals. You have 45 days from the denial to file.
What Plainfield Booking Releases Contain
A booking release from a Plainfield arrest holds key data about the event. The record is made at the Union County Jail during intake. It draws from what the arresting officer provides and what jail staff collect at the door.
A standard booking release includes:
- Full name and any known aliases
- Date of birth and physical traits
- Booking date and time
- Arresting agency and officer
- All charges at time of booking
- Bail amount or release terms
Some records may also note the court date and judge. The level of detail can shift based on when the booking took place. Older paper records may lack some fields that newer digital entries have. Most Plainfield bookings in the current system are thorough.
Union County Booking Releases
Plainfield is in Union County. All jail bookings go through the Union County Jail in Elizabeth. The county handles arrests from Plainfield, Elizabeth, Westfield, and every other town in the county. For more on county records, the sheriff's office, and the inmate lookup tool, visit the Union County booking releases page.