With the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in New York, the criminal records New York keeps have been made open to the public. This means that the local residents of the state can request for a copy of their personal criminal record anytime they find it necessary.
An important use of a criminal arrest record is for background check. Checking on the background of the people is very important for employers. They regularly do this to make sure that the people who are working for them have clean records. By doing this, the business would go smoothly without experiencing any problems caused by the wrong person working for the company. Aside from businesses, ordinary residents of New York would also look into the background of the people they see every day. This helps them to make sure that the people around them have good intentions. The document is also one of the sources of information when investigators investigate a criminal case.
A criminal record in New York would contain information about the crimes and violations that an individual has committed. The charges and the sentence that the person has received are indicated on the document. The document would not be complete without the personal details of the one involved. One would know the complete name of the individual involved as well as the birth details. Details of one\'s physical features are also indicated on a criminal record.
A fingerprint scan is necessary in order to process the retrieval of a copy of a criminal record in the state of New York. The state of New York only releases the document if the one who requested it is the person whose name is on the file; otherwise a special court order is needed in order to proceed with the request. One has to prepare a $60 processing fee to have the document that you requested. It is also important to provide the contact details of the one who filed the request.
All of the criminal files of New York are archived at the office of the Division of Criminal Justice Services. One can go to this office first to request for a copy of such document. There are times where the state office does not have a copy of the criminal record that you requested; in such cases the county court office can provide the criminal record as long as it has been recorded in the county\'s jurisdiction. A mail request can also be sent to the state office but results can be obtained after a few days only.
The government uses the Internet as a tool to deliver information to the public. The Internet has helped speed up the retrieval process. One can get the document even without leaving home and the results are delivered in just seconds instead of days. One good thing about doing the search online is that there are free criminal records free to public access available through websites that offer such services.