- 1). The simplest way of finding criminal charges is to call the prosecutor's office of the given locality and ask for the information. Make sure to have the first and last name of the person you are inquiring about and a middle initial if possible. Office officials can usually check their systems for charging records and may be able to fax the information.
- 2). Visit the courthouse. If searching for more than one person, it might help to go to the county courthouse yourself instead of calling. Many courts have computer systems that the public can access to search for names and criminal records. The Freedom of Information Act allow citizens to make copies of anyone's criminal backgrounds and charges. Computer systems will generally show if a person has been charged, what type of class the offense falls into, and if the case is yet resolved.
- 3). Check online. Some localities, especially those with higher populations, put charging information online and generally allow anyone access; some may charge a fee for access. To find out if the locality where you are searching has an online system, check with the courthouse or prosecutor's office.
- 4). Pay for a private service. There are online companies that find criminal charges and other public records of anyone in the U.S. This option may be the most convenient when searching for charging information in a faraway destination. However, private sites can become expensive especially when searching for multiple people. Companies generally charge per person search or offer months to year-long subscriptions.
- 5). Other options to find criminal charges include calling the police in the given locality and inquiring about specific arrests that ended in prosecution. Phoning a locality's jail is another way to obtain a quick summary of a person's criminal history. Most police and jail facilities have public information officers who handle record requests such as these.
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