how can i find public records of sentencing for a crime?

K

KaNdEbUtTaHfLy

Bluelighter
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Aug 21, 2000
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Sorry... This sounds kind of vague... But i was wondering if there was any way i could look through public records somehow, and find a specific person (i have first and last name) and see what kind of sentence they recieved for their crime? this particular incident happened awhile ago, i was just discussing it with a friend. when i was in high school a fellow student was murdered, and i was wanting to find out what sentence her killer recieved.... is this possible? i tried asking jeeves, and googling, and scrolling through the newspaper... but nothing conclusive... can any of you brilliant legal minds point me in the right direction? thanks in advance!
 
Go to your state's website, and find their site for the Department of Corrections. There is usually an inmate search option, which tells you what offense the inmate was convicted of, their scheduled and max release dates.

This only works if the person is in jail, if the person recieved probation or is in a mental institution, they probably won't be in this database.
 
Is there a similar method to find inmates in the Federal system? Or persons who were inmates and may have been released by now?

Thanks all ..
 
First, did you check the newspaper? Find the site for the paper local to the case. Chances are there was at least one article if not more related to the case when it happened. The last article would mention sentencing in the case and may give you leads to follow in finding out how much was served, when early parole might be available, etc.

Depending on how up to date the court system is that you need to probe, a lot of court records are available over the net, usually by county (though, I'm not sure for a federal crime). I have heard of some people charged with drug related crimes (federal? I don't recall) and I was able to go to the clerk of courts for that county and access they complete case file online. Second to that, the clerk of the court site will provide a phone number you can call and they are generally helpful in pulling a file on any closed case and reading you what it says (if it is off-line, but still available). They'll even fax/mail you copies of any of the pages if you need (for a small fee).

Was the convicted person a minor? If so, then the case would probably be sealed and you couldn't access it any way as a criminal record for a minor is not public.

Hope it helps.
 
In Florida, you can call the clerk of courts and get that type of information over the phone as its public record. Maybe, the same applies in arizona but I have no idea.

If you realy want to know, I would be very surprised if you could not get that information by going to the courthouse, and asking 4 the clerk of courts. Also could try contacting the state attys office and asking someone there.
 
Last edited:
SHIT!

TLB i didnt even think of that... as far as i know the person was 16... but shouldnt there at least be a way to find out the punishment at least? what if they were tried as adults (they were).... :/
 
If they were tried as adults, then the record should be public, unless there was some kind of deal made where the charges were expunged after certain criteria were met. This might be the case, since I was able to find criminal case information via the previous link, using a common name (Scott
Jones). You can try the Arizona Dept. of Corrections http://www.adc.state.az.us/ISearch.htm and see if they are listed as active or inactive inmates.
 
ADC Inmate Number: #####
Status: ACTIVE
Last Name:
First Name:
Middle Name:
Date of Birth: 09/01/1982
Sex: MALE
Ethnic Origin: CAUCASIAN
Hair Color: BROWN
Eye Color: BROWN
Height (inches): 67
Weight (lbs): 140
Maximum Term (yyy/mm/dd): 20/00/00
Admission Date: 04/19/1999
Agency Institution: ASPC - LEWIS
Currently on Supervised Release: N
Date Released From Custody:
Currently Escaped/Absconded:
Historical Escaped/Absconded:
Date Escaped/Absconded:

Credit Earned Release Date is provided for guidance. Confirmation can be sought by contacting ADC
or by calling 1-900-226-8682 (Toll Call).
Details of inmate offenses can be accessed by reviewing the case file at the Office of the Clerk of the Court where the case was adjudicated.
Click to expand...
wow... im pretty sure i found him, name edited for obvious reasons... but where it says maximum term, does that mean its 20 years? can i find out if hes eligible for parole?

*edit* i did a little digging, and through the "alises" link, i have all the confirmation that i need to know its the same person... seriously creepy :/

forgotten- thank you soooo much. i appreciate your help so much!
 
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