public records?

[T.COTE]

hey again,
    I have a question for the leo's on the board. Is someones criminal record a matter of public record? I know if a known sex offender moves into a neighborhood with children that the police will post signs of that person. But what if I just wanted to know about someone that hasn't really done anything wrong. For example a doctor, a dentist or a coach for one of my sons teams. If this is a matter of public record does anyone know of a web sight.
    Don't get me wrong, I'm not paranoid or anything, but I bought my wife a gift certificate for a massage therapist when she was pregnant. The advertisement looked very proffesional in the paper and they seemed ok on the phone. When I asked to put the charge on my credit card they said they only accepted cash and personal checks, so I stopped in. When I arrived I found a note in the mail box saying they had to be out of the office but to leave the check and just take the gift certificate. This immediately made me relize that this was a small operation. Then I wondered if the whole thing was safe. It looked like an office run out of an apartment building. My wife hasn't gone yet and I'm not certain if I want to send her with out a little bit more knowledge about the guy. Any feed back would be appreciated.


Thanks
T.cote

[Charlie]

T.cote--Generally, depending upon your state and local laws, criminal records in various forms are subject to being accessible to the public.

A couple of avenues to check on this information is available on the internet. There are several sources or "services" that have fees you can possibly subscribe to on the internet. Each source may vary with regards to terms, conditions, and how much information you'll get in return for that fee. AND, it also depends upon THEIR source of information as well. Example: Does the source, for eample, only cover local records? Why is this a concern? Well, what if the person you want to know about is from out of state and possibly has an out of state record?

Some local governments also have publicly accessible data bases available through the internet. I know in my area, there is a variety of data available via the internet from the county offices.

Find out what's available to you in your area. Perhaps a service via the internet might be your best bet to possily find what you're looking for. ;D

I would also suggest that you check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and see what they can maybe tell you about the company you're dealing with? Usually they can tell you if they've ever had any complaints about them too. I suspect the BBB likely has a web site with a link to your area BBB. Do a search on it. 8)

Hope that helps.

Charlie

[T.COTE]

Charlie,
    Thanks again for your help.

T.cote