What is criminal record, its usage?

Criminal Record request

What is criminal record, its usage?

A criminal record or police record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record and the existence of a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country. In most cases it lists all non-expunged criminal offences and may also include traffic offences such as speeding and drunk-driving. In some countries the record is limited to actual convictions (where the individual has pleaded guilty or been declared guilty by a qualified court), while in others it also includes arrests, charges dismissed, charges pending and charges of which the individual has been acquitted.

A criminal record—or “rap sheet"—is a record of a person's criminal history. Often, the criminal record includes a compilation of local, state, and federal criminal information.

Aside from criminal history information, the record also includes the person's: 

• Name and known aliases.
• Date of birth.
• Address.
• Photograph.
• Fingerprints.

Depending on geographic location and the law enforcement or other government agency responsible for the record, a criminal record can include more than just misdemeanor or felony convictions.

Other items on a criminal record may include:

• Past arrests.
• Warrants.
• Current pending charges.
• Dismissed charges.
• Acquitted charges.

However, criminal records typically don't include expunged records. 

Using Criminal Records

Many agencies and organizations request criminal records or run background checks for a variety of reasons, including: 

• Employment.
• Some businesses are required to run background checks on prospective employees, including:
• Government agencies.
• Medical professionals.
• Companies or organizations where workers handle large amounts of money.
• Usually, privately owned businesses can use their own discretion when deciding whether to run a background check.
• School admittance.
• Most commonly, colleges for law and medical professions check an applicant's criminal record.
• Property rental.
• Military service.
• Security clearance.
• Purchasing firearms.
• Under federal law, felons can't purchase or own firearms; however, depending on the situation, some felons can apply to have their gun rights restored.
• Adopting or fostering children.
• Certain types of licenses, such as applying for a CDL.
• Voter registration.
• Not all states allow residents with felonies to vote; however, some states restore voting privileges after the person has met all penalty requirements (i.e. jail time, parole, or probation).
• Purposes related to visas, immigration, naturalization, and international travel.
• Law enforcement purposes, such as compiling possible suspects for a criminal investigation.

As you can see, a criminal record can affect many areas of everyday life, but understand that having a criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify you from things you need (for example, having a criminal record doesn't mean you can't go to college at all). 

The best way to determine how your criminal record will affect a certain aspect of your life is to speak with a criminal attorney (preferably one local to your area) or someone directly related to the event (such as a military recruiter). 

Accessing Your Criminal History

Generally, when a person is convicted of a crime, it becomes public record; in fact, sometimes searching a person's criminal history is as easy as visiting the courthouse or checking another public database. This is often the case for people who are looking into their own criminal records. 

However, depending on someone's situation and just how deeply you want to search a person's criminal record, you might have to officially request access—and, depending on who you are and your purposes, you could be denied access altogether. 

Request a Criminal Record

again, requesting a person's criminal record can get tricky, depending on who's requesting it and why.

Of course, you can request your own criminal record with no problem; however, other agencies might have to get your permission or prove their legal rights.

Setting aside all the cautions mentioned above, you may be able to request criminal records through one of the following: 

• Your county's courthouse or sheriff's department.
• Typically, you'll be able to access only crimes committed within that county.
• State government offices.
• These include your state's Department of Public Safety, State Police Department, and State Bureau of Investigation.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Criminal histories provided by the FBI often are much broader than others and might require fingerprints.
• The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System works for Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders who need criminal and background checks for potential firearms buyers.

Also, you can search for options on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) website; however, the FOIA does state:

• You're more likely to gain information if you have the person's consent or can prove the person is deceased.
• You can be denied information if it's deemed disclosing the information is an invasion of the person's privacy.

Article Source : wikipedia.org and dmv.org

Image Source : diversifiedriskmanagement.com

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