| Despite what many people claim, there are several | | | | from all around the United States. The first alternative |
| good reasons for the existence of free court records. | | | | is usually much faster, though somewhat more |
| First and foremost, the fact that court records are | | | | expensive, too. |
| public means that the public (that is to say, all of us) | | | | Either way, be warned that in many cases you can |
| can monitor the actions of courts in order to determine | | | | expect the data to be either harder to find or less |
| its accuracy. There has been more than one case | | | | informative than you might think. The major problem of |
| when only the free access to court records has let | | | | free court records is that while there are no technical |
| the justice to be served. | | | | problems concerning publishing complete set of all |
| Then, there is a wider case of public control over the | | | | public and court records on the Internet, such system is |
| government and the freedom of information that have | | | | unable to discern between the honest citizens and |
| been helping keep the U.S. democracy together for | | | | potential scammers and identity thieves. |
| over two centuries. It will not be possible to keep an | | | | If such people were able to get access to the vital |
| eye on local or federal government actions unless we | | | | information concerning someone - its name, Social |
| have the right to access the public records to check | | | | Security number, driving licence and a photo (and all |
| what they have really been doing all that time. And we | | | | such information may be parts of the court record |
| can't do it fully without ability to check the court | | | | even in case of a witness) - they could easily |
| records, too. | | | | impersonate that person and commit frauds or crimes |
| And last, but not least, there is a matter of our | | | | in that person's name. Of course, there are also |
| personal and business safety. On many occasions it is | | | | several other dangers of publishing court records - |
| crucial for us to know who we are dealing with. It is | | | | false accusations, denying of a mortgage or work |
| only logical that we will try to access to (preferably | | | | because of minor wrongdoings, revealing the |
| free) court records in an attempt to check the possible | | | | witnesses' personal data as well as the risk of a |
| criminal record of our prospect business partner, major | | | | technical mistake. |
| provider or an odd-acting neighbor. However, this is the | | | | That is why many courts throughout the United States |
| moment when the right to access the public records | | | | have ruled to seal most information concerning |
| conflicts with another major right - the right to privacy. | | | | people's privacy or allow searching their databases |
| There many ways for people to access to court | | | | solely by a case number, not a name. While in many |
| records, depending on the individual solutions chosen by | | | | cases you can plea to the court to reveal some |
| the local court. Basically, you can either look for them | | | | personal data, it can only be done with regard to a |
| at commercial websites such as Choice Point (though | | | | specific case. Such information are generally available |
| you can't hope for the court records to be free) or at | | | | only to specific organizations and businesses that need |
| your local court webpages, or in the court archives. If | | | | credential verification or pre-employment information. |
| you choose the latter alternative, you will receive free | | | | Usually it is done through some private database such |
| court records, but you will have to do most of the | | | | as Choice Point and only rarely we can access the |
| digging yourself, since there is no single, universal | | | | information directly rather than after being processed |
| government-run database containing court records | | | | by the service provider. |