| Public criminal records are those criminal records at | | | | cases of public criminal record. Usually, criminal records |
| the national level which can be obtained by any | | | | include the statements of victims and witnesses and |
| private citizen without any form of government | | | | other highly sensitive personal information. Once all |
| authorization either via internet or fee-based | | | | this information has become part of the public criminal |
| systems.Public access to the state criminal records is | | | | record, the identities of the witnesses are revealed |
| not possible in most of cases because they are kept | | | | and their personal safety can be at risk sometimes. |
| in state depositories. In contrast, Non-Public records | | | | Further, if there any errors in the records, they will |
| are held by the government and are accessible only | | | | have a highly negative consequence on the |
| to criminal justice firms and other agencies that have | | | | reputation of the individuals.Government agencies and |
| been granted statutory authority to access the | | | | court systems limit accessibility of the information |
| records. Public records include government contracts | | | | they have posted online or offline to reduce the risks |
| with businesses, birth, marriage, and death records, | | | | involved in the public accessibility of the criminal |
| court files, arrest records, property ownership and | | | | records. These agencies have to pass on a regulation |
| tax information, minutes of meetings of government | | | | stating that investigative reporters and researchers |
| entities, driver's license information, occupational | | | | are required to enter into a confidentiality agreement |
| licenses, and Securities and Exchange Commission | | | | with the court not to publish the personal |
| filings. Almost all the local, state, and federal courts | | | | identification information for having the accessibility of |
| and government agencies have been increasingly | | | | the full text of the record on the payment of certain |
| making public criminal records available on web sites | | | | prescribed fee. |
| since the mid-1990s.There are some limitations in | | | | |