- 1). Determine what level of court heard the case for the first time. State courts located in cities and counties keep civil and criminal case records regarding violations of state statutes and city ordinances. Typical cases include ones dealing with traffic violations, small claims, family law and interpersonal violence. Federal courts hear cases concerning federal laws. They may deal with taxes, bankruptcy, civil rights or constitutional questions.
- 2). Search for the court's records website. Federal courts, including U.S. District, Bankruptcy, and Appellate courts, post case information on a unified public assess website. Each state also maintains a website. Some websites, such as the federal one, require registration, but many require only that the user read and agree to limitations on the information. There is no need to use third-party organizations that charge for searches.
- 3). Navigate to the search screen and fill in as much information as possible. Often, you will only need to provide the last name of one of the parties. Your search should yield the history and any judgments in the case.
- 4). Use other information, such as which county or court heard the case, to find the case number. If a number of cases for a last name come up, try to narrow the search by entering the first name, age of the party or type of case. Birth dates are not disclosed in most records.
- 5). Take the case number to file an open records request at the court. Open records request filings must include your name, the material you are requesting and, in some cases, the reason behind your request. Depending on the amount of material you request, you may be allowed to view the material at a time agreeable to you and the court or pay for the material to be copied for you.
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