How to Obtain the Court Docs on a Conviction

Court documents include every pleading filed pertaining to a case.

Criminal convictions are handled by state and federal courts, rather than lower courts. Criminal convictions are matters of public records, and therefore, all the court documents related to a conviction are made available to the public. There are some exceptions to this rule, for instance, if the convicted defendant is a minor or if records have been sealed or expunged. Sometimes, conviction records for drug offenses are expunged if the convicted person does not get into any more trouble with the law. Once records are expunged, they can no longer be accessed by the public.

Instructions

1. Obtain the case number or civil action number. If the conviction occurred in state court, the matter will be assigned a case number; if the conviction occurred in federal (district) court, the matter will be assigned a civil action number. To obtain the case number or civil action number, review the order of conviction.

2. Perform a search for convictions in state court on the state court's website using the case number, if the court offers electronic access to records. Many, but not all, states publish court records online. Alternatively, visit the clerk's office to request a copy of all the pleadings filed in the case. The pleadings will include record of initial charges filed, any motions filed, any judicial orders pertaining to the case and the order of conviction. Pay any applicable fees for search and retrieval of records and for copies of pages.

3. Register for a user name and password for Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), if the conviction occurred in federal court after the year 1999. All federal court records, regardless of venue, are made available to the public through this online service, but you must first register to access the records. When you register, you will be required to submit billing information, as there is a fee of $.08 per page viewed. Search for the court records by inputting the civil action number. For court records related to convictions prior to 1999, visit the clerk's office of the courthouse in which the conviction occurred.

References

• United States District Court: Court Records
• Wayne County Courts Public Access: General Inquiry
• Wayne County: Wayne County Courts Public Access
• Public Access to Court Electronic Records: Home