Accessing Police Records in Cook County

 Posted on August 10,2018 in Criminal Defense

There are a number of reasonswhy a person might want access tohis or her police records.He or she maywant to make sure any criminal charges are accurately depicted, orhe or she maywant to make sure that a certain charge or conviction is no longer listed onhis or her record. Whatever the reason, in Cook County a person has the ability to accesshis or her police reports.

The Uniform Conviction Information Act passed in 1991 requires that a person’s criminal record and conviction information must be made public. This act was passed in an attempt at full transparency and to give those that needed this information the avenue and opportunity to seek the information that they required. An individual’s criminal record will contain arrests, convictions, and other data about contact that the person has had with the Illinois criminal system.

Reasons to Access a Criminal Record

As mentioned above, there areseveralreasonswhy a person would want or need to accesshis or hercriminal record. The following are the more common reasons:

• Expungement – If a person is trying to have something onhis or her criminal record expunged,then he or she will likely need to look at the record to see exactly what crime should be expunged and the way in which is it presented on record. Not every crime can be expunged, so a person must examinehis or her record thoroughly to determine how to go about receiving an expungement.
• Pending Litigation – For a defendantwho is facing charges, obtaining a copy ofhis or hercriminal record could be helpful in building a defense to the current charges.
• Checking for Accuracies – A person might want to checkhis or her record just to make sure thathis or her criminal history is correct. Potential employers or landlords often run criminal background checks on prospective employees or renters. Therefore, it is important to know what exactly it ishe or she will be seeing upon request of the record.

Who Can Receive the Record?

It is not just an individualwho has permission to obtainhis or her own record. There are many parties who might have an interest and include the following:

• Victim – The victim of a crime has the right to view and obtain a copy of a person’s criminal record. Usually, a victim is presented with copies of the report after the charge is filed.
• Defendant – The person of whom the record is for can request a copy ofhis or her own record.
• Third Parties – Employers, landlords, or members of the community are able to obtain a copy of public record. The Freedom of Information Act gives anyone the right to view or obtain copies of documents that are a matter of public record.

We Can Help You Today

If you have questions about your criminal record, contact a dedicated Rolling Meadows defense attorney at The Law Offices of Christopher M. Cosley. We can answer any questions you might have and inform you of any options you have regarding you record.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=351&ChapterID=5