Criminal & Arrest Records
Search criminal court records by name
Search Criminal Court Records
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What criminal court records are
When a prosecutor files charges, a criminal case is opened in court and each step is recorded: the charging document, the arraignment, motions, the plea or verdict, and sentencing. Criminal court records are kept by the clerk of the court that handled the case, usually a county or district court for state charges.
Following a case from filing to outcome
A disposition is the outcome of a charge. Common dispositions include dismissed, not guilty, guilty, deferred adjudication, and nolle prosequi, meaning the prosecutor dropped the case.
- Charges filed, which may differ from the arrest charges
- Arraignment and plea
- Hearings and motions
- Disposition and sentence
Reading charges and offense levels
Charges are often listed by statute number with a short description, sometimes with a degree or class that signals seriousness. Felonies are the more serious category, misdemeanors are lesser offenses, and some states also have violations or infractions. Charges can be amended during a case, so look at the final charge and disposition rather than the first entry.
Questions
Before you search
- How is an arrest record different from a criminal court record?
- An arrest record comes from the agency that made the arrest. A criminal court record begins only when charges are filed and shows what the court did with them.
- What does “nolle prosequi” mean?
- It means the prosecutor chose not to continue with the case. It is not a conviction.
- Can a closed case change?
- Yes. Probation violations, appeals, and post-conviction motions can add new entries to a closed case, which is one reason to check the court’s current docket.
- Are federal criminal cases included?
- Federal charges are heard in federal district courts, separately from state courts. A report includes either only where available from the sources used.