There could be many reasons why a person would want to research old crimes. For example, you might be interested in checking your criminal or driving records to see if there are any old charges you need to clear up.
An employer may check for criminal charges against potential employees during a background check during the hiring process.
Technological advancements and digitalization have made accessing public records significantly easier. There are tons of tools at your disposal that you can use to find information about anyone. In this article, we have explained how to research old crimes.
The Process of Finding Old Criminal Cases
There are certain steps you need to follow before starting your research:
- Identify the Jurisdiction: Each jurisdiction has its own laws, so the first thing you need to do is check whether the case falls under local, state, or federal jurisdiction.
- Using the Public Records: Next, we recommend checking public records to see if you can find anything. These records are maintained by government authorities, so they’ll very likely have the information you’re looking for.
- Online Databases: There are various online databases that you can use to find the information you need.
- Legal Help: If nothing else works, then it’s time to hire a professional.
Six Ways to Research Old Crimes
There are multiple resources available that you can use to research old crimes. Note that if you choose to visit a government agency to request information regarding the crime you’re researching, then there’s a good chance you’ll be asked for your fingerprints.
Here are six ways to research old crimes:
- If you want to check your own criminal record, then the easiest way is to contact the local police department and ask them for a copy. This record, in professional terms, is called police clearance.
- For a more detailed search, we recommend contacting the FBI and requesting a background check. This process is known as a criminal background check. All you have to do is present proof of identity with $18 as a processing fee.
- You can always use an online people search tool to look up information about anyone. These tools are legal to use because they collect information from public records. Plus, it only takes around 2 minutes to run a background check on people using these tools.
- You can access all the public court cases by using different sites. JudyRecords used to be the largest public website. However, today, there are tons of other websites that contain transcripts of all the closed public cases.
- You can search for old crimes by visiting libraries and online databases that have newspaper archives. Crimes that spark an interest in readers, such as homicide, robberies, sexual assault, or drunk driving crashes, are usually mentioned in newspapers.
- Hire a private investigator for research purposes. Generally, these investigators have links with the government authorities, and digging up old crimes is much easier for them.
What Is a Criminal Record?
A criminal record is referred to by the government as the complete criminal history of a person. It is a compilation of summaries presented in a document form that presents all the person’s interactions with law enforcement agencies.
Each state has its own background check system, but the federal background check system is maintained by the FBI. It is important to note that the FBI does not hand out background checks of others to any random individual.
Criminal records are often looked up by employers during the hiring process and landlords during the lease of their property.
Types of Records and Their Accessibility
Not all records are accessible to the general public. The records are often categorized into public and sealed records:
- Public Records: These records are accessible to the general public. They generally include trial transcripts, verdicts, and pieces of evidence.
- Sealed Records: These records are not accessible to the general public as the courts seal them to protect witnesses, minors, or in high-profile cases.
- Expunged Records: These can not be viewed by the general public as the person they’re associated with initiated a petition for expungement of the charges. However, law enforcement bodies still have access to them.
Finding Information About Old Crime Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Looking up old crimes can be very easy. We recommend using a free online background search tool as it’s fast and convenient. All you need is the name of the person who committed the crime, and you’ll be able to find tons of information about them, including details of the crime.