| A Cup of Tea, Coffee, or Something Else
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| | more important subjects, or crimes with
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| investigating an individual or business,
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| | stiffer penalties (such as armed robbery,
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| one of the most basic checks is for
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| | cases of gross malpractice, and often
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| lawsuits, criminal charges, and
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| | divorce). Lower courts will deal with
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| bankruptcy filings. But how do you
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| | misdemeanor crimes and small money claims
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| research the court system? Is there one
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| | (ie, small claims court). In criminal
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| simple site to go to where you pop in a
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| | cases of all sorts, the prosecutor is
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| name and are rewarded with a listing of
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| | usually the United States government
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| all court filings across the country
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| | (from the State's attorney office), and
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| pertaining to that individual? No such
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| | the case will be lised as The State of
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| luck ... yet, anyway! To understand court
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| | Wherever V. Lastname.Upper and lower
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| research, you first need to understand a
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| | courts are relatively simple to
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| bit about the USA's court system.There
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| | understand -- big money cases or cases
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| are two major separate court entities in
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| | involving serious crimes go the upper,
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| the USA, the State court system and the
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| | and everything of lesser importance to
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| Federal court system. The Federal court
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| | the lower, but don't forget that most
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| system is divided into three branches,
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| | divorces are tried in the upper court!
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| the federal criminal, civil, bankruptcy,
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| | Unfortunately, the State court system
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| and appeals courts. These courts are not
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| | doesn't stop there, but also includes,
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| 'single entities' -- there are a number
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| | depending on the State, a variety of
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| of federal courts scattered across the
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| | other courts such as the municipal court
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| United States, each covering a certain
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| | or traffic court, which handle matters
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| geographic district within a 'circuit'.
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| | specific to their speciality (ie, argue
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| For a map of the circuits, see example,
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| | traffic tickets in traffic court). There
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| there is a Northern Mississippi district
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| | are also appellate courts, for dealing
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| court, as well as a Southern. Cases are
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| | with appeals.So, now that we understand
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| prosecuted by US Attorneys, who are
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| | the court system a bit better, how do we
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| elected, or Assistant US Attorneys, who
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| | go about finding court records? For
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| are government employees. Regarding
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| | Federal courts, this is a relatively
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| federal law, federal statutes are divided
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| | simple matter: The majority of records
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| into sections called Titles. Title 11,
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| | are accessible through a system called
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| for example, deals with bankcruptcy, and
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| | PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic
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| under that Title you will find Chapters,
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| | Records). PACER allows searching
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| such as Chapter 7 regarding liquidation
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| | different courts by a variety of fields,
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| of a business. All personal and business
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| | including name. You as a citizen can sign
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| bankruptcies fall under federal statutes
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| | up for PACER with a credit card at --
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| and are dealt with in federal court, and
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| | the service isn't free, but only charges
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| bankruptcies make up nearly 70% of all
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| | a few dollars for good documentation on
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| federal court cases. This makes
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| | most cases. Note that some districts
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| researching whether an individual has a
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| | still aren't in the PACER system (for
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| history of bankcruptcy a considerably
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| | example, the Alaska district court) -- in
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| simpler matter, since only the relevant
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| | this case, you can always pay a visit to
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| federal court needs to be searched.Title
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| | the nearest district federal
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| 18 contains the majority of the criminal
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| | courthouse.Every district has one, and
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| statutes for the federal criminal court.
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| | the records should be open to the public
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| Note that in many cases it can be decided
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| | for free. Feel free to drive there and
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| for an individual to be tried in the
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| | peruse! If the district court is further
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| federal rather than State court system,
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| | than you want to travel, there are
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| under federal-question jurisdiction
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| | courthouse researchers across the country
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| rules, for a variety of reasons. For
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| | who make a living looking up court
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| example, in a recent case where two teens
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| | records for those to far away from the
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| burned a cross in a black family's yard,
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| | court to visit in person.State records
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| it was decided to prosecute them in
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| | are somewhat more complex. To access
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| federal rather than State court -- the
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| | these records over the Internet, not only
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| penalties that could be imposed by the
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| | should the State records be online, but
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| federal court system were greater.
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| | also the individual county in question.
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| Likewise, cases involving citizens from
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| | Most State higher court and appellate
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| different States will be tried in Federal
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| | courts are online with free searching,
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| courts if the monetary amount involved in
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| | but many lower (county) courts are not,
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| the case is greater than $75,000. There
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| | only offer some records, or charge high
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| are a number of other types of cases that
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| | fees. Of course, if you're only
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| are likewise defaulted to federal court,
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| | interested in researching cases in your
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| including cases involving patents or
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| | area, all you need to do is drive to your
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| copyrights, cases challenging State laws
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| | local county courthouse, where the
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| (usually for Constitutional reasons), and
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| | records are, by Federal law, public
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| cases involving federal agencies.The
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| | access. Your county courthouse should not
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| State court system is somewhat more
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| | charge you a fee to access these records,
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| complex in its terminology, since this
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| | they should be free to peruse.Charging a
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| terminology differs from State to State,
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| | fee online is for 'electronic access',
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| but in the end the terminology resolves
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| | not for seeing the actual documents
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| into a system of 'upper' and 'lower'
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| | themselves. Once again, if the county is
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| courts in civil and criminal matters. The
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| | outside your area you can hire a
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| State civil court was an 'upper' and
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| | courtresearcher to do the job for you. To
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| 'lower' court, as does the State criminal
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| | find county court researches and county
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| court. In some States, these are referred
| |
| | State courts on the Internet, simply do a
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| to as the 'supreme' and 'county' courts,
| |
| | search engine search for 'Countyname
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| or the 'superior' and 'justice'
| |
| | county court', and follow the links from
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| courts.The upper courts tend to deal with
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| | there.
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