About Criminal Records

Refers to understanding the basics of criminal records and the criminal records search industry. The most central topics that must be researched prior to beginning a successful search include: access and availability of these records, how they are organized according to jurisdiction, as well as what kinds of criminal records exist.

Acquittal

When the court hearing a case, formally absolves the defendant from blame in regards to the charges brought against them. The defendant is found not guilty.

Arraignment

The first formal court appearance in a criminal case, in which the defendant is formally required to plead either guilty or not guilty, and future plans for trial and/or sentencing is set by the court.

Arrest Records

This is a record of all arrests-or stop and detainments-made by law enforcement of a criminal for committing a specific offense. This record typically offers the criminal charges owned by the arrest, the law enforcement arresting the individual, and the jurisdiction in which the arrest was made.

Arrest Report

When a person is put under arrest for suspicion of a crime, a report is filed. This is sometimes called a police report or an "arrest report". It details all the pertinent data related to this apprehension-to include the on-scene police officer's thoughts, impressions, and speculations regarding the criminal and crime scene.

Arrest Warrant

When a court formally orders for the immediate arrest of an individual pertaining to a criminal case.

Bail

Bail is the monetary collateral requirement put forth by a court-in return for the arrested individual's ability to leave jail prior to their hearing or trial-in exchange for a promise that the arrested individual show up to all future mandatory court appearances.

Bail Bond

When an arrested individual cannot afford to pay their bail amount to get out of jail, they often contact third parties that loan them the bail money-with interest-and this is what is called: a bail bond.

Bench Warrant

When a court orders for the immediate arrest and retrieval of a particular entity for appearance before a court-for a case which is either directly or indirectly related to them.

Charges Dismissed

A court or the prosecutor can suggest that the criminal charges brought against a specific individual be dismissed-or dropped-according to a variety of criminal court reasons, such as there not being enough evidence to continue or because the criminal's due process rights were violated.

Charges Filed

Criminal charges are filed against a particular individual either at the time of or soon after arrest.

City Check

This is a kind of online search offered at an online criminal records search site which offers valuable information on particular city areas for those seeking it. Common areas of detailed information offered the seeker are city: populations, race, education levels, employment/occupations, incomes, and crime.

Conviction

A criminal conviction occurs when the defendant in a criminal case is found guilty by the court overseeing the case-after reviewing the pertinent probable cause and applicable evidence.

Crime

An act which is in direct violation of the city, county, state, or federal laws available.

Crime Classifications

According to the criminal justice system, there are felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions-of which there are further classifications of crime-determined by the serious nature of the crime and the amount of harm incurred as a result.

Criminal Background Check/Search

A search for the criminal records of crime and arrest that a person may have according to various jurisdictions and nature of crime.

Criminal Charges

Charges are brought against an individual for the commission of a crime-at the time of, or shortly after-the arrest of said individual.

Criminal Justice

This term refers to the topic of criminal law, meaning how crime is processed, sentenced, and penalized; according to the jurisdictional laws in place to acquit the innocent and punish the guilty.

Criminal Law

The practice and regulation of formally evaluating those accused of criminal offenses for the purposes of acquittal from blame or applicable punishment.

Criminal Public Records

Every crime and arrest has a particular criminal record assigned to it at all jurisdictions of the criminal justice system. These are called: criminal public records.

Criminal Records Classification

Criminal records-during the processing of crimes and incidents through the criminal court and law enforcement system-are necessarily subject to a classification system. This system organizes criminal records according to the nature of the crime and the jurisdiction in which the criminal is processed. It is the whole foundation for knowing where to search for a particular individual's criminal record.

Criminal Records Check

A type of search that is conducted through an online check service that resources databases of criminal records-at various jurisdictional levels-to check if there is a match in the databases they have, and if more criminal background information can be available to the person running the search.

Criminal Records Search

When a person seeks to uncover the potential criminal history of a particular individual-and the nature of this history in the criminal justice system.

Defense

The side in a criminal court case that is defending the charges against them-to include the defendant and their particular means of legal counsel.

Employment Check

Someone may undertake a search for a person's criminal records prior to hiring them for employment; this is an employment check.

Evidence

The data and witness accounts to be used as proof that a particular person committed the offense in question.

Expungement

Expungement occurs when data contained in a criminal record is deleted, sealed, or held from all future public view-according to certain jurisdictional law and/or case specifics.

Felony

Within the three basic classifications of crime, a felony refers to a crime that is the most serious of the three-allowing for punishment of at least one year in prison and/or fines, probation, and any restitution required. Within the felony classification, crimes are ordered in classes of severity in the following graduation from most severe to less: Felony Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, and Class I.

Infraction

Within the three basic classifications of crime, an infraction refers to the least serious of law violations-typically punishable by minor fines, etc.

Inmate Search

An inmate search is a specialized type of criminal background search, that checks for information related to a person's potential incarceration terms. Searches for this kind of information will offer details on the person's time spent in jail/prison, what crime they were incarcerated for, as well as other pertinent details.

Jail Sentence

The term as set forth by a criminal court with regards to a criminal found guilty of a specific crime-to be served in a county jail or state/federal prison, respectively.

Juvenile Criminal Records

Criminal records of persons who have committed crimes or been arrested by law enforcement, prior to being a certain age. These records are often expunged as a juvenile is not often deemed worthy of being old enough to make an informed decision.

Misdemeanor

Within the three main classifications of crime, misdemeanors are the middle most serious of crimes, and are punishable with fines and/or jail/prison time up to one year. Misdemeanors, like felonies, are further categorized according to the severity of the crime committed into Classes A, B, and C-with Class A being the most serious and Class C misdemeanors being the least serious.

Online Criminal Background Check

A common way that people go about seeking for criminal records is by using an online background check. These online services check thousands of database records for criminal records listed at various criminal justice and law enforcement resources.

Parole

A term which refers to a criminal being released from their jail/prison sentence, and offered supervised reintroduction to society.

Plea Bargain

In a criminal case, the defense may take a lesser charge and/or punishment as related to the charge in question, in exchange for a guilty plea.

Police Interrogation

A person suspected of being involved in a crime may be questioned by law enforcement prior to/after being arrested-with certain stipulations apparent.

Police Records

A popular form of record that people seek, which discusses various steps in the arresting, questioning, and surveying of the respective jurisdictional law enforcement in relation to a specific crime and/or potential criminal.

Preliminary Hearing

An appearance in front of a court which determines initially, if there is enough evidence for a trial-if the defendant has already plead not guilty.

Prison Records

These records report details of a criminal's term in jail and/or prison, to include: length of term, name and location of the prison/jail, and any other supporting details.

Prison Term

The amount of time set forth by a criminal court that a convicted criminal must be detained in prison/jail for a crime committed.

Probation

Probation is typically, a part of every convicted criminal's punishment; and is a means of supervising and rehabilitating the criminal, as they conduct life outside of prison. It can be a punishment in exchange for prison or for a lesser term.

Probation Community Service

A form of being rehabilitated back into society-as well as serving a punishment term-that allows the convicted criminal to live on his/her own terms, and serve his/her community simultaneously.

Probation Court

A type of court which deals exclusively with dealings of probation, to include both terms of probation as well as probation violations.

Probation Officer

The jurisdictional employee that mediates between the court's probation terms for a criminal and the criminal his/herself, to ensure the obligations set forth by court probation is served.

Probation Violation

When a convicted criminal ordered to certain terms of probation, fails to serve the probation obligations correctly.

Prosecution

The act of a person being formally charged and processed for a specific crime.

Restitution

As a part of sentencing, many courts will require that a convicted criminal pay the victim of the crime a certain amount of money or value to apologize for the damages incurred. This is called restitution.

Search Criminal Records

The search for criminal records information is one that a person undertakes through online and physical search at various information repositories-within the law enforcement and criminal justice system-which hold the criminal records for the individual in question. The person can approach a search for this information with or without the help of a third party service.

Sentencing

The court overseeing a particular criminal case will-after hearing both the prosecution and defendant's side-rule that the criminal is guilty. The guilty party will then be subject to punishment in the form of fines, jail time, and/or restitution.

Sex Offender Check

This is a type of online search run through an online check service, which has access to database information on registered sex offenders. Since all sex offenders are required to register with their community and state-once released from jail/prison or once moved to a new community to work or live-these registries are public information. Online check services run checks to locate sex offenders in a given area-as supplied by the seeker.

Sex Offender Records

Popular means of criminal records, in which sexual crimes of particular individuals are listed with details to include: full name, address, seriousness of crime, etc-as stipulated by jurisdiction.

Sex Offender Registry

Under Federal Law, every sex offender is required to register in a publically accessible database, every few years as well as every time they move or change jobs.

Traffic Violation

Traffic violations can be both breaches of the law, when a person is driving or not, and are subject to fines, license suspension/revocation, and possible jail time.

Trial

The court setting in which the defense and the prosecution present their sides of a criminal case for the review of a judge and/or jury, to determine innocence or guilt.

Warrant

A warrant is a court order that relates to a possible criminal and/or their belongings.

Witness

Someone who has seen or had access to evidence that supports a particular criminal case.