Data is all around us today; there is barely any aspect of modern life that is not impacted by data in some way. Like many governments around the world, the USA has taken steps to make its publicly-available data easier to access and utilize. There is now a whole host of popular databases for Americans to use that provide extensive data about people and places. However, many Americans are unaware of the extent to which their personal data is being collected and made available. Indictment records are just one example of this.
What Are Indictment Records?
Anyone who has ever been convicted of a crime in the United States will have an indictment record. There are a number of policies and processes in place to ensure that local and federal governments are properly recording crime statistics and maintaining accurate and complete indictment records. Every court in the US is able to access a database of indictment records. In fact, this database is publicly accessible.
No matter how small or large the crime in question might be, anyone who is ultimately convicted of a crime will be added to the indictment records database. Because of the significant social stigma attached to crimes, many people who are convicted will choose to keep their conviction to themselves. However, there is nothing they can do to prevent it from being added to the main database.
Indictment records are made publicly available in order to provide a degree of transparency to the judicial process. Anyone can access your indictment records if they want to, and you have the ability to access anyone else’s. These records can be accessed at any time and there is no obligation for anyone to tell you if your records are accessed or searched for.
Indictment records are different from a background check. You cannot use an indictment record as a justification for denying someone a job, loan application, etc. If someone wants to use the information gleaned from indictment records for any of the above purposes, they will need to ensure that they are FCRA compliant.
Indictment records are publicly available and there are a number of services you can use to search them. For example, you can search for indictment records at publicrecordsreviews.com. Public Records Reviews enable users to instantly search for and access a range of public records, including indictment judgments.
Will Indictment Records Show in a Background Check?
In short – yes. However, it should be noted that not all arrests will cause the person to end up with an indictment, and not every indictment entails an arrest. Many cases that result in an indictment will never see the inside of a courtroom, whereas others require a significant amount of courtroom time to resolve. Indictments are generally only used when they are absolutely necessary, which is in order to determine probable cause.
Any indictment records against your name might show up if someone runs a background check – but only if the indictment has been approved. Even following the approval of your indictment, most indictments will disappear from background checks after a period of 7 – 10 years. If an indictment is still making its way through the court system, it won’t show up on your records until it has been resolved and approved.
How to Find and View Indictment Records
You can use an online service to search for your own, or anyone else’s, indictment records. If you are uncertain as to whether you have any indictment records against your name or what you should do about them, performing a search for your own records will quickly reveal the truth to you. Of course, this ease of access to records is both a blessing and a curse – anyone can peer into your life if and when they want to. You don’t need any special position or status to be able to view indictment records online.
Even if you were to legally change your name, your indictment records would be updated accordingly and will continue to show in search results for your new or old name. The only bits of information that you need to perform an indictment records search are a first and last name. If you have more information, such as their last known address, you can narrow down your search easily and hone in on the right individual. Fortunately, there is federal legislation in place to protect you from having your indictment records used against you arbitrarily. The information from an indictment record check can only be used by potential employers, lenders, and others if they are FCRA-compliant.
Indictment records are just one type of publicly-available record that you can search through at your own leisure. There are numerous federal and state records and databases that contain data about us all, most of them we are largely unaware of. You can search for your own records online quickly and easily if you want to know who knows what about you.
