Q. How do you gather criminal records?
A. InfoCheck's criminal investigations are conducted through direct access to court information systems and our nationwide network of court researchers who check for records at the court in person. This method is proven to be the most current and accurate way to obtain court record information. InfoCheck, Inc. does not use third party databases, as they are often not updated regularly; offer a greater opportunity for error; and can require additional costs to check a case when records are found.
Q. How do we know what counties to check?
A. An effective method is to search all areas of residence listed by the candidates Social Security Track. Additional information can help define other locations in a criminal search area such as residence or employers addresses listed on the applicants resume. The most effective way is to combine these two methods.
Q. Do you show pending cases?
A. InfoCheck reports pending as well as disposed (sentenced) cases but suggests that you consult your legal department as to using pending cases in your hiring process. We do not report dismissed cases or those for which a Pre-trial Diversion has been completed.
Q. What % of applicants can I expect will have a prior criminal record?
A. Criminal record hits an average approximately 8 to 13% of applicants checked.
Q. What types of criminal records are available & where are these records kept?
A. Felony (Superior) and Misdemeanor (Municipal) records are kept in the county courthouses. Federal records are housed in federal district courthouses. Federal records show crimes against the Federal Government or committed on Federal property and will not appear in other court records.
Statewide registries are kept by state agencies; Child Abuse, Adult Abuse and Sex Offender registries are offered in some states. The Dept. of Health and Human Services OIG Search is a nationwide search of excluded individuals or entities on the Office of Inspector General's List (this search is very important for the healthcare industry)*.
Q. What could delay a court record?
A. Court records could be delayed in a variety of ways. Many courts still use archaic ledgers and paper index filing systems which make it difficult to keep files readily available. When common names with multiple files are searched or files are archived it may take the court several days to make them available to the researcher. Some courts have a standard 3 to 5 day waiting period to obtain files.