County Criminal Court Records

A 7 year felony & misdemeanor search at the county seat court is our default search product. 

 

General Information: Searching the counties of residence or employment are obvious choices; however, it may be prudent to search additional adjacent counties. There is always a possibility that crimes have been committed in a county other than that of residence or place of work. Also, some cities straddle two or more counties, requiring a thorough search to include records in both counties. Our default search goes back seven years; however, additional years can be searched for a nominal fee.

Record Contents: The rules vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction regarding record contents. Each state has a unique court system; some are radically different in organization. There seems to be no standard for recording plaintiff, claimant, and conviction information. Often, only a name and physical description are available. Social security numbers are not consistently found in most court records.

The records furnished are designed to establish the existence of the records only. We do not normally provide transcripts or full records. Our information is typically limited to the court location, date of the offense or filing, description of the offense, disposition, and case or file number.

All counties in the United States, about 3200, may be searched for felony and misdemeanor convictions. Be aware that some states restrict the use of certain types of information, especially misdemeanor and non-convictions records. Also, it is not unusual to have records sealed, or reduced down to a lesser crime. The only limitations regarding access to county criminal information have to do with turn-around time. Does the county use computers; are the records searched by clerk only; are they staffed with sufficient personnel; are the records kept on-site?
 

State Repository Search

Many states provide criminal information covering the whole state. A handful of states either do not have a statewide repository of criminal data or have statutes or policies restricting access to that information by non-law enforcement entities. 

There are some state repositories that, although quick to return results, do not have contributions from 100% of their counties. Also, some statewide searches present felony convictions only, thus eliminating a possibly significant share of an individual's criminal history. Although a substantial number of states do offer statewide searches, it has been our experience that most are not viable resources due to limited level of information, speed of return, completeness, and county participation. Some clients find it beneficial to use statewide information (when available) before looking for more detail at the county level. However, most clients prefer to use counties as the turnaround time is often considerably shorter and reports are more detailed.

 

We do not endorse the use of, nor in any way guarantee the accuracy, availability, or thoroughness of information provided in a statewide repository search conducted through any state sponsored agency.  Statewide repository searches are available for those clients that wish to take advantage of this broad based source of information, but with the caveat that this office has no control over scope, content or quality of information returned from these agencies.

 

Federal Criminal Court Records
Federal criminal court records are searched by federal district, as opposed to by county.  Federal district courts are found in all 50 states and DC.  States may have anywhere from one to four federal disctricts.  These courts contain records of federal level crimes, such as bank robbery, wire fraud, mail fraud, and drug trafficking to name a few.

 

In addition to searching the Federal U.S. District Court, Achievement Tec also searches Federal Incarceration records at no charge. This search will identify any individual who has been incarcerated in a Federal facility for a Federal crime at any time since 1982. An added benefit to the incarceration search is that it is nationwide in scope; you do not need to know in which U.S. District Court the charge originated.

 

The types of cases rely heavily on fingerprint identification. In most cases, we can search these records by name only. Any further identification must be verified by fingerprints.

 

 

EXTENDED CRIMINAL HISTORY
The revised Fair Credit Reporting Act allows employers to access criminal history more than 7 years old, where available by law. This is an extension from the previous FCRA. The turn-around time may be extended, and extra fees are required in most cases.

What is the difference between state and federal level crimes?

Most criminal matters are dealt with in state courts unless:

   ·  The crime occurred on federal property

   ·  Federal employee committed the crime

   ·  The criminal activity affects interstate commerce, such as drug trafficking

 

State crimes are violations of State and local statutes or ordinances. They are prosecuted in either Municipal or Superior Courts in the county in which the charges are filed, by either City Attorneys or District Attorneys. Typical examples of State crimes include:

·  Murder

·  Embezzlement

·  Rape

·  Child abuse / molestation

·  Fraud

·  Sex crimes

·  Drug transportation

·  Drug sales / distribution

·  Domestic violence

·  Assault and battery

·  Robbery / theft

·  Controlled substance possession

·  Under the influence
 

Federal crimes are crimes defined by or mentioned in the U.S. Constitution or those defined and/or punished by federal statute. Such crimes include treason against the United States, piracy, counterfeiting, crimes against the law of nations, and crimes relating to the federal government's authority to regulate interstate commerce.  Other typical examples of Federal crimes include:

 

·  Smuggling controlled substances

·  Internet & computer crimes

·  Large quantity drug & narcotic conspiracy cases

·  Bank robbery and bank fraud

·  Pornography case

·  Mail fraud / theft from the mail

·  Bribery of public officials

·  Crimes committed on federal land

·  Interstate crimes

·  White collar fraud

·  Serious gun charges

·  Conspiracy

·  Kidnapping

·  RICO violations (racketeering)

·  SEC violations and securities fraud

·  Tax Crimes

How do I order state level criminal records?

Our county criminal court records search and state repository search are both based on state level criminal records.  Our recommendation is to check by county, but you may also want to add the statewide repository search as a supplement.  To search by county, we suggest you order any counties where your applicant has lived, worked or attended school for the last 7 years. 

How do I order federal level criminal records?

Our federal criminal court records search is based on federal level criminal records.  To search by federal district, our online system alows you to provide a city/state or ZIP code and you will be provided with the corresponding federal district.  Again, if you decide to check federal criminal records, we suggest you order all districts where your applicant has lived, worked or attended school for the last 7 years.

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CIVIL COURT RECORDS

County Civil Court Records
Civil cases include disputes between private citizens, corporations, governmental bodies and other organizations. These records concern: employer-employee conflicts, property, personal rights, personal injures, liability suits, contract disputes, landlord-tenant conflicts, evictions, divorce and probate. Care must be taken by employers to use this information only when it is relevant to a specific job function and it is backed by appropriate policies and procedures. The use of civil information without proper policies in place is strongly discouraged.

Federal Civil Court Records
Federal civil courts have records of major civil suits unresolved at the state level, as well as suits involving violations of federal statutes or constitutional rights.
 
Bankruptcy Records
Court records of bankruptcy are found at the federal level. A credit report is an alternative source of bankruptcy information.

Civil court reports are used less often in the employment situation as they seldom fall within hiring guidelines and can lead to discrimination if not handled within strict company policies.

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DRIVING RECORDS

According to the courts, an employer is negligent when hiring drivers without checking driving records. If you send employees on errands, whether in company or private vehicles, you are legally exposed.

Record Contents
Reports contain state driving record information back at least three years, possibly up to seven years, depending on state policies. Some states make any infraction involving drugs or alcohol a permanent part of a driver's record. Reports may contain physical description, license information, infractions, home address, and possibly previous driver's license numbers. Some states no longer supply some of this information due to restrictions.

If a DWI/DUI offense is the target information, it will usually appear in a criminal record, and not always on a driving record after 3 years.

To Order a Driving Record
Full name, date of birth (DOB), and driver's license number are required by most states. Name and driver's license number alone are adequate for a few states. Since the minimum data required is constantly changing, please include all three identifiers. Many states are very specific with this data. Any error in name, SSN or DOB will result in "Driver Not Found." Please be very accurate and ensure legibility if faxing in orders.

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EMPLOYMENT CREDIT REPORTS

Credit Reports describe an individual's credit history over the most recent seven years. These reports differ from standard credit reports in that they are designed specifically for the employment environment. They will not include credit-worthiness ratings and account numbers are disguised for security.

We have direct access to credit reports compiled by TransUnion. They are one of the 3 major credit reporting bureaus collecting information on Americans over the age of 18.

Use of Credit Reports
Employers use credit reports for those situations where employees may have access to cash, equipment, or other people's property.  In these situations an employer's knowledge of the applicant's credit history is prudent.

NOTE: Credit information used for employment requires a written policy delineating unacceptable criteria. High potential exists for discrimination and arbitrary selection if such a policy is not used in the decision.

Credit reports of any kind leave tracks. A record of your inquiry will appear on the applicant's credit report. The individual will be able to determine when, why, and by whom a credit report was ordered. However, it will denote it was for employment purposes only, and therefore will not be a factor in calculating credit-worthiness ratings.

General Information
All 'end users' must be identified to the credit bureau and issued a subscriber number before credit reports can be ordered. Achievement Tec reserves the right to verify the existence and authenticity of any company requesting employment credit reports. This will include, but is not limited to, verification of bank and trade references and a physical inspection of the client's permises. We will not sell or give credit information to detective agencies, private investigators, security services, or attorneys, except in the nature of their internal employment needs. Achievement Tec will not knowingly sell these reports for skip tracing, lending or other non-employment purposes.  Specific End-User application forms, required by TransUnion, can be found elsewhere on this website.

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SSN TRACE

Are your applicants who they claim to be? This is a special report that will provide you with identity variables. We will check credit headers and published listings for the names and addresses of individuals using the SSN your applicant provided.

Reports will typically show

• If the social security number has been validly issued (only the Social Security Administration can CONFIRM the number belongs to a given name)
• Year in which the SSN was issued (red flags should fly when a 21-year-old applies for a job using a 35-year-old SSN)
• If that number belongs to someone deceased
• Addresses used in the last seven years or more
• Aliases
• Date of Birth
• Other SSN's used
• Other people using the same SSN
• Spouse's name

This report is a valuable tool in directing the criminal history search. Often applicants will fail to list all previous addresses, hoping you will not find the history they are attempting to hide. The SSN Trace will often reveal cities and states they wish would remain buried, along with their criminal records.

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REFERENCE CHECKING

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
PERSONAL REFERENCES

MILITARY RECORDS

Reference Checking Works: Here are our statistics where the rules are followed:

• 5% of the references are bogus; they never existed
  
• 20% are "stretched" to cover other unlisted periods
  
• 100% of the time we get dates of employment and job title...if it is a real employer
  
• 80% of the time we get salaries and reasons for leaving
  
• 60% of the time we get additional questions answered

When submitting information for employment verification, review the application and resume thoroughly. Keep in mind, resumes alone do not supply all the information needed, and are often 'doctored' to meet your advertised needs. Many past employers will only verify information we can supply. Therefore, it is important that the information we receive is complete, up to date, and accurate.

Remember, this is verification -- the more information you can supply, the more we can verify.

Self-employment, temporary assignments and working for family are not considered viable employer references. We find information from these sources to be non-existent or biased.
 
Requirements To Order:

We will need:

1. Complete name of each employer (initials and abbreviations are not sufficient);
2. City and state of each employer;
3. Location of branch or satellite office where they were assigned;
4. Telephone number with area code;
5. Dates of employment.

Additional information is helpful, such as:

1. Name of immediate supervisor;
2. Title;
3. Salary;
4. Name changes, such as maiden names;
5. Reason for leaving.

It is suggested that a signed release containing the applicant's name, SSN, DOB, and home address be faxed to us. When we offer to fax this release to former employers, cooperation improves and the turn-around time decreases. Our release has been found to be very effective in securing employment verifications.

We Attempt To Obtain The Following:

EMPLOYMENT REFERENCE INFORMATION	a	PERSONAL REFERENCE INFORMATION
Dates of employment		How long they have known the individual
Job Title		In what capacity they know the individual
Reason for leaving		Reliability, Trustworthiness
Individual's character		Recommendation for hire
Notice given
Recommendation for hire
Salary
Rehire eligibility
Punctuality / Attendance
Performance
Strong / Weak qualities

Additional Questions: For specific industries or positions, we can develop additional screening questions. If you are interested in this service, please contact our office directly.
 
Default Search Product: For customers using fax in service, if you submit a completed application or resume, we will review the employment history and attempt to retrieve a reference on all viable employers within a five year history.

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MILITARY RECORDS

If an applicant's work history includes service in a branch of the military, our suggestion is that you ask the applicant for a copy of their DD214. This military exit form lists dates of service, duties held, and type of discharge. It provides all the information you may need for military verification.

If you need additional information, we must have the name and phone number for the applicant's direct supervisor.

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EDUCATION CONFIRMATION

DEGREE VERIFICATION
PROFESSIONAL LICENSE VERIFICATION

Most applicants are eager to supply college or continuing education information. This information may be misrepresented in order to receive more favorable consideration. Look for words like "attended" or "completed course work", which implies possession of a degree when, in fact, this may not be the case. Surveys indicate that 30% of all job applicants lie about degrees received, institutions attended or dates of attendance. Vocational training, certification and professional licenses are often misrepresented.

Degree Verification
Our default search product is the highest degree earned or last institution attended. However, we will gladly confirm all degrees earned and all institutions attended when you specify this on your release. High School Diploma verification is also available, as is GED completion. Academic transcripts, GPA, or grades are not typically available.

With the growing popularity of the Internet, it is becoming easier to obtain fraudulent degrees from online “diploma mills”. To guard against the proliferation of bogus accrediting agencies and fraudulent degrees/diplomas, the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation publishes a list of recognized accrediting agencies. If a college or university claims to be accredited by an agency not listed as recognized, further investigation is warranted.

For each post secondary education verification, Achievement Tec will also provide you with the agency that accredits the school at no extra charge.

Requirements for ordering:

1. Full name of campus (initials are not sufficient);

2. City and state of campus the applicant actually attended;

3. Major course of study;

4. Degree level obtained;

5. Dates of attendance, to reduce the search criteria.

Credential & License Verification
If the position requires an individual to have received specialized training, certification, or a professional license, we can confirm the information an individual provides. We typically get license type, issuing authority and dates of validity.

Requirements for ordering:

1. Full name of issuing agency or organization;

2. Level of association or license type;

3. Identifying license or registration numbers, if any;

4. State where license was earned.

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WORKER'S COMPENSATION

Worker's Compensation records contain abbreviated information taken from state government documents, including first reports of injury, court contested claims, medical awards, lost time claims, compensable claims and privately contributed data. The amount of information available varies from state to state. Only the most recent seven years (or less as noted) is available.

Some states do not allow public access to Worker's Compensation Claim information. In that case, at your request, we can search civil court records for claim information. Therefore, the search will not contain information on claims filed, but only claims that reached the courts.

Workers Compensation reports will typically have:

1. Date of the incident
2. Time lost
3. Employer during the incident
4. Type of injury
5. Body part injured
6. Disposition

When any state W/C report is ordered, a pool of 8 million proprietary records from 40 other states are searched at no additional charge.

Exceptions: Worker's Comp reports are not available in all states. This may change as laws and guidelines are adjusted at the state level. Many states require a standard signed release for this search; some require special forms that must be obtained from the state. Several require notarization.

Workers' Compensation Reports are legal to use and fair to all parties. These reports meet the strictest interpretation of the ADA, when they are used after the job offer to confirm work injuries during the medical review process. We suggest you delay your W/C requests until the job offer has been made, then use it in conjunction with the medical review outlined in your job descriptions/company policies.

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SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY SEARCH

This is a search of state and nationwide repositories for known sexual offenders. Rules vary from state to state regarding the dissemination of this data. Information returned may include: offense and disposition, as well as subject's name, date of birth, social security number, address, race, sex, height, weight, hair and eye color, and alias(es).

HEALTHCARE SANCTIONS SEARCH

This product will search a database of adverse actions against individuals in the healthcare industry. The search includes the OIG and GSA exclusions list, along with other 800 other sources, including federal and state agencies. The HHS Office of the Inspector General imposes exclusions on health care providers, individuals and businesses. The OIG search identifies those individuals and entities currently excluded from receiving payment from Medicare, Medicaid and all Federal health care programs. The General Services Administration Excluded Party List contains information on those parties excluded throughout the U.S. Government from receiving federal contracts or certain subcontracts and from certain types of federal financial and nonfinancial assistance and benefits.