Public Arrest Records By State
May 2nd, 2008 by Jed Elaine
Many of us don’t realize it but our governance of society is based upon a great virtue, one of transparency and accountability. Yes, where civil documentation is concerned, we handshake with our government upon our Public Records, the Freedom to Information Act ensures that. There are numerous categories of public records and those pertaining to criminal violations include Arrest, Inmate, Sex Offender, Police Records and several others.
Among them, one of the most widely searched is Arrest Records. The distinctive thing about this category is that all arrests are recorded regardless of whether they result in incarceration or not. Arrest Records are basically documentations of detention or custody taken by law enforcement or military authorities on grounds of suspicion or allegation of criminal violation or threat.
That aside, Arrest Records are similar to other Public Records. As such, anybody has the right to retrieve and view anyone’s Public Arrest Records as long as procedures are followed. They can be requested at government agencies by mail, telephone, in person or fax. Online option via the Internet is also getting increasingly available and popular. There is also an abundance of such commercial information providers especially online.
Public Arrest Records fall under state jurisdiction and although they are generally free of restriction in access, exception is taken when it is determined to be against public interests. Examples of such situations are security and classified issues, protection of individual privacy and when juvenile subjects are involved. On top of that, there are variations from state to state in regard to restriction on access and a check with the local authorities may be necessary.
The opposite side of the coin to transparency is privacy. The laws forbid employers to ask direct and open questions about Arrest history during job interviews. In other instances, it’s simply touchy. Public Arrest Records are thus very useful for discreet checks and is widely, albeit quietly conducted on employees, social acquaintance, tenants, neighbors, nannies, care-givers, future spouse, prospective in-laws or any fishy people we come across.
A great deal of information about people can be derived from their Public Arrest Records. Typically, they contain the personal particulars and description of the individual, the details of each of the arrests such as the time and place, case number, warrant, agency, offence, and so forth. Related records which may also show up include bankruptcies and liens, civil judgments, tax offense and others.
The two basic versions of Public Arrest Records available are the free-of-charge (FOC) and fee-based ones. FOC sources are mainly found at government offices. While it’s also common for commercial providers to offer free searches, reports or any information download are chargeable. FOC records however tend to require further work so paid professional records are essential for official or legal purposes. The industry is fiercely competitive so you’ll get your money’s worth.
