People all around the country are always concerned with whether a person has any record of arrest. Carrying out a quick online check is common because people always want to know more about who they are dealing with. Usually, they want to make sure that the person was not convicted, and if there was a conviction, they need to consider how that might affect their relationship with the person. It might be a coworker, family friend, or even just a new acquaintance.
Oftentimes, the report that comes back from the courts must be interpreted but several designations are common:
- A pending case. This simply means that the person was indeed arrested and charged, however, the case has not gone to trial yet.
- Arrest with No Conviction. Just as it reads, this person has indeed been arrested but the charges brought against him or her have been dismissed or that the person ended up not being guilty of the crime.
- Arrest with Conviction. Not only was this person arrested, but he or she was also prosecuted and ended up being found guilty of committing the offense.
A criminal record is not just for cases that are considered major, but even for minor offences. It is because of this that more than 70 million Americans find themselves with a criminal record. In fact, by the age of 23 years, close to 50% of African American males and 38 per cent of males of Caucasian origin have been arrested according to a paper submitted to the Sage journals on Demographic Patterns of Cumulative Arrest Prevalence by Ages 18 and 23.
Some of the information that can be listed in a criminal record that has been made public include:
- Conviction of possessing marijuana, even a small bag of it.
- An arrest that led to a verdict of not guilty
- A minor charge in which one pled guilty, whether or not he or she committed the crime
- A bar fight arrest
- An arrest for traffic violations or even late payment of traffic tickets.
Other Reasons to Look People Up Online
Here are several other reasons why you would want to review arrest records:
- To protect your children and entire family. Sex offenders do not have a label on their foreheads that automatically alerts you to their presence. By searching public records and the sex offender registry, you are able to find out if there is any living close by or even interacting with members of your family as teachers, coaches and more.
- To find out if the person you are dating is a fraud. Most people put their best foot forward when dating, but when the person is too good to be true, it’s time to check them out. You should carry out a search to ensure that you are dating an honest person.
- Search Police records, arrest and criminal records. Ignorance may be bliss but finding out more about the people who enter your life can save you from loss and heartache. Find out if the people you are coming into contact with have any records of felonies, misdemeanors, police records, traffic offences and more. This should include carrying out a search of your neighbors and the neighborhood.
- Even though these are not criminal records, you will do well to search the divorce and marriage records of those that you consider dating. Since this information is in the public domain, you can save yourself a lot of heartache in the future by doing a simple search.
If you are truly concerned about the people that you know, and who know you, you will be happy to find out that you are allowed to use the information you gather online. And when it comes to making your decision as to whether or not you want that person in your life, the arrests to consider are those that have happened in seven years or less.