Possible to obtain information about this case?

[satoshi]

Hi,

A guy I know was arrested and charged with arson about two years ago, then released on bail. He was an adult at the time with no prior criminal record (that I'm aware of).

I am curious to know what the outcome of his trial was (I assume he had one), if he ever was convicted, if he was fined and how much the fine was, if there was a plea bargain, etc.

Is this public information? I searched my county's inmate website that lets you look up inmates and he wasn't in there. Also tried the state inmate lookup, same thing.

It's possible he wasn't found guilty, I have no idea.

How can I go about finding this? Would I need to do a FOIA request at any point, and if so, can he find out that I did the request?

Thank you.

[PapaBear]

In total actuality, it is none of your business. You may have a desire to know, but do you have a need to know? That is the basis of the FOIA. A need to know. The answer is, No! You do not have a need to know.

[retdetsgt]

It's all public record. You can go to the courthouse of the county he was convicted in and get a copy of the judgement. It might cost a few bucks, but not much.

FOIA doesn't come into play, it's not required.

Coming back after thinking about it, it would cost more, but there are Internet sites that will obtain criminal records on individuals and sell it to you.

[Kimble]

It's all public record. You can go to the courthouse of the county he was convicted in and get a copy of the judgement. It might cost a few bucks, but not much.

In addition to what retdetsgt stated, many state court systems are online, and you can pull conviction info and other court records online (may be free or may have a charge, depends on the state). Without knowing what state you're in, do a google search and see what's available.

[Piggy]

+1 retdetsgt

Before you head to the courthouse though, do a quick google search on the name of the court where you believe the case was heard. If you get lucky, some courts post dispositions online.

The idea behind public records laws is that the Government is publicly funded, therefore ever citizen has the right to know how their funds are being spent. There are a few exceptions depending on the state, but generally court dispositions are public record in every state that I am aware of. If you want to find out for sure, here is link pertaining to every public records law in the US.

State sunshine laws - Sunshine Review

In Ohio for example, it is public record. When you request the disposition for the court you do not have to identify yourself, tell them why you need it, or make the request in writing. They are required to provide the information or face a fine. The max they can charge is 5 cents a copy.

[Piggy]

In addition to what retdetsgt stated, many state court systems are online, and you can pull conviction info and other court records online (may be free or may have a charge, depends on the state). Without knowing what state you're in, do a google search and see what's available.

Doh! You beat me to it.

[retdetsgt]

In addition to what retdetsgt stated, many state court systems are online, and you can pull conviction info and other court records online (may be free or may have a charge, depends on the state). Without knowing what state you're in, do a google search and see what's available.

You have to remember, I'm from the days that records were kept on 3 X 5 cars......

But yeah, I suspect a lot of courts now do have that info on line. IMO, they should. I don't think a convicted criminal has a particular right to privacy regarding their background. And screw a need to know, if I'm curious about my next door neighbor or have any reason at all to wonder about someone, I should have a right to check.

[satoshi]

thanks everyone