It’s no surprise that the news is filled with bias, opinion, and often speculation based entirely on fiction rather than facts. But did you know that you can find out the actual nitty-gritty details of various news stories by consulting court records?
What are Court Records?
Court records are files, documents, and accompanying items that pertain to any civil or criminal case. The court clerk typically manages them. Each court file may contain a legal brief, the names of all parties involved, the dates and times of court rulings, motions, pleadings, and other interesting information.
Court records are vast and may include civil lawsuits, divorces, child custody battles, driving violations, criminal charges, business formations and dissolutions, and domestic abuse cases.
Court records fall under the heading of public records, and many are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
How to Find the Real Truth
You may have heard on the news that Broncos’ linebacker Bradley Chubb was recently arrested for failing to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge. Most people wouldn’t even know about it if it weren’t for court records.
The thing is headlines are often skewed to get readers to click and read the entire article. Often though, the story may be positioned in a way that obscures the actual details.
However, if you consult court records, you can find out the exact truth about what is going on with your favorite sports stars, Hollywood actors, or even government public figures. Court records don’t lie; they simply contain the facts without any commentary.
The great news is that it is easier than ever before to access court records in this digital age. Many states/courthouses have them online, and you can search for whatever you need by name, docket number, or other details.
The federal government also has a website where you can look up Appellate and Supreme Court cases to read the details that the media left out.
Examples of Court Records Holding the Real Story
Along with the story about Bradley Chubb, this week alone, media outlets covered things like a Mississippi attorney who exploited her position to help her father. The precise details of that case found in court records are probably more interesting than what we read on the news.
Another top story this week was about a teen shooting incident in Crown Point, New York. The teen attended Hammond Central High School and was arrested for shooting and wounding two students last month. However, in this case, the most interesting tidbit was that the court records revealed that police had this youth on their radar already due to numerous other infractions.
In Wichita Falls, Texas, a domestic disturbance issue erupted into violence, and a woman and child were taken into protective custody. The woman was beaten with a metal object. Initially, the woman was charged with endangering the child, but police later dropped the charges, something you may not know unless you consult the actual court case through court records.
Regardless of where your interests lie, you could find out a lot about any criminal and civil cases involving your favorite artist, musician, sports figure, or even just the man who paints your house. It’s often essential to look deeper into someone’s history before hiring them to do work for you or trust them with a loved one. A thorough background check, including court records, is key to that peace of mind.
How to Lookup Court Records
The problem with court records is that they are individually maintained by each court, county, town, and state. So, therefore, if you wanted to find court records across the country pertaining to a single individual, you would have to contact many court clerks or visit archive buildings. Often, this is not possible or even practical. Although many courts now have current files online, you may have to visit the court in person to access older documents and case files.
However, there is a much better solution, InfoTracer. The InfoTracer search system combines millions of public records from various public and private sources into a single, easy-to-use search engine. You can access court records from every state just by typing in someone’s name. Not only do you get access to court records but dozens of other public records such as criminal records, arrest records, police reports, marriages, divorces, birth and death records, liens, bankruptcies, driving records, social media images, and feeds, dark web details, and more. You can also look up property records and assets to determine who owns that plot of land you are interested in buying. You could also see mugshots and might be surprised to find out who has spent some time in jail or prison.
Court records contain a wealth of information and might be just the place to go when you want the actual true story and just the facts.
