Lists Of Free Criminal Records

By Claire Dowell


New York is one of the states that have implemented the Freedom of Information Act which was approved in the year 1968. This law has mandated the local government to make all personal documents open to the public which includes criminal records. New York Criminal records are archived by the office of the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

The people of New York access crime-related files for several reasons. Conducting a background check is one of the number one reasons for requesting a criminal record. Many would check the criminal history of the people they work with such as their tutors, caretakers, neighbors and even relatives and friends. This allows one to be careful and be aware of any misconduct that an individual has done. Authorities also use the document in a criminal investigation. The record contains information that can be helpful to solve a crime and sometimes it can resolve the case.

One can find a lot of information on a criminal record in New York. It contains the basic information about the individual involved in the crime such as the name and the date of birth. Details about the conviction of the individual can be found such as the arrest information, sentence given, dispositions and misdemeanors. A physical description of the individual can also be found along with anybody markings such as scars and tattoos. It also indicates the names of the people which were involved in the incident.

The state of New York does not allow just about anybody to access criminal record of a certain individual. Only the individual whose name is on the document itself can request for his own file. Authorized individuals such as enforcing agencies are given the permission to access a certain file to aid them in their investigation. One has to remember to pay the $61.50 as the processing fee in order to obtain the requested document. Mail or phone order can also be done when requesting for the record but it will take a longer period of time in order to get the record.

The office of the Criminal Information Unit of the Department of Criminal Justice Services houses the New York criminal records. It is also where the fingerprint records of the individual are archived. The state police department is another place to obtain the document. The Internet is now the newest medium in order to know about the criminal history of a certain individual.

Using the Internet to retrieve a certain record is faster and a lot more convenient. There are websites that even offer a free public criminal record search; however, the result may be incomplete and inaccurate. Paid websites are still preferred by many because of the quality of results that you can get from it. The results of a paid search are ready to use and can even be used in a court proceedings.




About the Author: