If you’ve ever done any research into the legal world, you’ve likely heard about court records at some point. However, many people don’t really know what court records are, much less how you can gain access to them. Whether you’re a complete newcomer to the world of court records or you’ve at least heard about them before, here’s what you need to know about the importance of court records in the United States.
What Are Court Records?
First and foremost, what are court records? Court records are, quite simply, all the materials that cover court proceedings. This most prominently includes case files, which are a compilation of information from the actual case and the issues surrounding it. Court records can also include dockets, indexes, minutes, administrative files and more. The term is a general umbrella term that includes all records a court may have kept while discussing a case.
What Information Can You Learn From Court Records?
Because court records include a variety of pieces of information, you can learn quite a lot from court records. You can learn if someone was accused of a crime, how the accused plead, the way the case went down, and the final verdict. If it’s not a criminal or civil case and is instead something like a bankruptcy case, you can learn what happened before and after the case, especially if that’s a requirement to file the records.
Why Might You Want To Get Court Records About Someone?
Most prominently, people look to get court records to see whether someone has a criminal history. If you’ve just started dating someone new, you might look into their past using court records to see whether they’ve ever gone to court for something dangerous. Court records often include information that might not make it onto a background check, like certain court issues that aren’t properly dangerous but could indicate a pattern of reckless behavior.
Who Holds Court Records?
It depends on the age of the record, as well as the type of record. Court records that are less than 15 years old tend to stay in the possession of individual courts, even if they’re federal court records. Court records older than this tend to go to the National Archives, which holds more than 200 years of court proceedings, with a history starting as far back as 1790. Certain types of records may also stay with individual courts longer.
How Can You Get Access to Court Records?
Typically, court records are public records, which means they’re often technically free for the general public to access. However, the process of retrieving, printing and certifying these records may not be free, so you might need to pay a fee to gain access to these records. Additionally, in some situations, you may have to physically go to the courthouse to gain access to certain court records, as they might not be available online. While most court records are technically free to access, you might end up spending a pretty penny to get them either online or in person, and finding records in other states might be very difficult or nearly impossible.
Is There an Easier Way To Access Court Records?
It can be easy to feel frustrated after learning that accessing court records is often very difficult. However, the good news is that there are some sources that may make it easier for you to access those records. Public record search engines gather all the records, then consolidate them into a single searchable database. This is exactly the case with PeopleFinders.
When you get court records from PeopleFinders, you can access both civil and criminal court records regarding a variety of issues. If someone’s ever been to court and filed a court case, you’ll probably be able to see it through PeopleFinders. That way, you’ll at least understand someone’s court history, even if it ends up being nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
For many people, court records are a great way to learn more about someone’s history. However, actually getting your hands on those court records can be much more difficult than it would seem. If you’re interested in accessing court records, instead of turning to an official source, consider trying a public record search engine. They get the information from the courts for you so you don’t have to spend time doing it yourself.
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