criminal docket search shows a record of the proceedings of a particular court case. Do keep in mind that a docket can change greatly depending on what jurisdiction you are searching in. This means that the information that is within a docket in detail can be different depending on your location. Once again depending on where you are located, you may be able to find dockets for free online, or you may have to visit the courthouse in-person to gather the data your looking for.
How to read a docket
The below images are from a docket from the Supreme Court of the United States. It highlights the sections and explains how to read a docket. Typically a docket will include the following pieces of information:
- Party names
- case names
- case and or docket numbers
Why do a criminal docket search?
The most common reasons a criminal docket search is done is to find information on a particular case. The criminal docket can have the following information:
- Parties involved
- Judge on the case
- Attonryeys
- events of the case
- And more…
How to find criminal dockets online
The below information will be broken down to the types of courts. Federal Appellate Courts, Federal Trial Courts, and State Courts. We will provide important information on the best places to search for dockets online from the comfort of your home.
Federal Appellate Court Docket Search
If you are looking for United State Supreme Court dockets you can find them from the year 2000 and forward. To perform a U.S. Supreme Court docket search hereF
Use Pacer to Find Dockets
PACER is used to search for electronic cases directly online. Anyone that has an account can search and locate all types of case data online. You can find the following types of case files:
- Appellate
- District
- bankruptcy court cases
- Docket information
Paper files
If a case was created before 1999 then it will be maintained only in paper format. Users can access these paper case files by going to the court where the case was filed. Users can also try and access data from one of the Federal Records Centers
State Court Docket Search
State courts or trial courts docket search can be free to find online in certain states. However, with that said, some states require a subscription do perform a criminal docket search. With that said there are certain ways to search for state docket information online. They are as follows:
Google is your friend, so use it wisely. Type in the following search combinations: “New York case search” Just change the state to your state.
Clerk of courts
If you know where the court case took place then you can always call the clerk of courts to find the data your looking for . Clerk of courts are responsible for many things, one being is to take care of public record data and storing this information for future use. The clerk will help you find this data.
Search service to find perform a criminal docket search
Search services that specialize in public record data can be used to help locate dockets from any state around the United States. All that is needed is a first and last name to search for records. Its a cost effective way to find docket information and much more right online from any device. For a small fee users can search unlimited amount of times.
[…] below information will explain what the MNCIS system is and how you can use it to access trial court docket information to find criminal and civil court cases information directly online. This cost-effective method is a […]