Published: 09/01/2024By: Toby Jacob
People are arrested for many reasons, and understanding the circumstances surrounding that arrest can help you make a better judgment about them. Whether you’re running a background check, or you want to learn more about a potential love interest, having the right tools at your disposal can help you find out why they were arrested.
While you used to have to contact courts or travel to the county clerk’s office, this is no longer the case. Plenty of online databases are available to help you find out why someone was arrested for a crime.
As long as the records weren’t expunged, you shouldn’t have any issues finding the information. That said, the outcome of the court hearing and whether or not the person was released can also play a role.
While this may sound overwhelming at first, don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read on to learn how to find out why someone was arrested.
What Are Arrest Records?
Arrest records are a type of criminal record. They become available throughout the court process and can be viewed after a case concludes. Typically, arrest records can be sourced from the police agency that made the arrest or from the court where the trial was held.
Arrest records focus on the specific details of the arrest. This means that you can usually find the following:
- Why someone was arrested
- Whether or not someone was booked
- The type of charge (felony, misdemeanor, violation)
- The type of crime
- Parties involved in the crime
- Where the crime took place
- The time of day the crime was committed
While arrest records may be public, it’s important to note that they don’t mean someone is guilty.
Are Arrest Records Public?
Arrest records tend to be public, like most criminal records. While they might not be available during the proceedings of the case, in some states, you’ll find that arrest records become public after the case is resolved.
In some cases, arrest records might not be public if someone gets the case expunged or if they were proven innocent.
Do Arrest Records Show Up on a Background Check?
Arrest records may or may not show up on a background check. This is because it depends on state law. In some states, arrest records are public until the individual or organization is proven not guilty.
However, other states have laws in place that prevent records from being viewed while a case is in progress. Always check with your state’s laws to determine if arrest records will show up on a background check.
How to Find Out Why Someone Was Arrested With US People Search
The best way to find out why someone was arrested is with one of our people search tools. With our people search tool, you can enter someone’s first and last name, city, and state to learn more about their public records. This includes anything from arrest records to civil court records and anything in between.
In fact, when you run a search on someone you can find the following:
- Full name
- Relatives
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Address
- Property liens
- Criminal records
- Civil court cases
- Marriage and divorce records
- Phone number
- Social media accounts
- Dating profiles
- Death certificates
Overall, you can find anything that’s publicly available when you run a search with US People Search. Plus, even if we can’t show you specific records about a case, we can at least point you in the direction of the appropriate state database.
For these reasons, we always recommend starting your search with us.
Other Ways to Find Out Why Someone Was Arrested
We offer a great way to help you start your search, but you can dig deeper and learn more about arrest records using sheriff, county, and jail databases. These resources can give you more details down to the exact minute of an arrest.
You can visit many of these databases in person or online, so make sure you check with their website to see if these organizations have one.
Luckily, most criminal records are housed in databases that the public can view. That said, make sure you factor in the cost. For example, it can cost more than $90 to view certain records in New York, and other states have similar fees in place.
Contact the Police Station That Made the Arrest
One of the best ways to find out why someone was arrested is to contact the police station. Since the police are the ones who likely made the arrest, they tend to have the most information about the arrest.
You can even get lucky and get your hands on this information before a case goes to trial. If someone is being held at the police station you can also find out by reaching out to them.
Depending on the police station you may have to make a phone call or take a trip there in person. Some police stations also have websites that host databases for this information. If you don’t know where to start or where someone could have been arrested, you can use one of our people search tools to help you get started.
Contact the Courthouse Where the Trial Was Held
You can also contact the courthouse where the trial was held. If someone has already gone through the court system and there has been a conviction, you shouldn’t have any problems finding a record. You can call the court or go in person, and some courts have the information available online for you to view.
When you want to view court records you might have to pay a small fee. So, check with the state you’re in to determine if you have to spend any additional money to view specific parts or portions of court records.
Contact the Jail Someone Was Sentenced To
Police stations and courthouses are great places to start, but one of the best ways to find out why someone was arrested is to contact the jail they’re being held in. Whether it’s jail or prison, checking the prison’s records will help you determine why someone was arrested. You may not find all of the specific details, but someone can tell you why they’re being held.
Some jails may also have online databases. You can leverage them to find more information about why someone was arrested along with other court records. If a jail or prison does have this information, you shouldn’t have to pay as much for it.
Search With Google
You can also search with Google and see if anything comes up when you run the search. Google is a great tool to use because even if it can’t help you find the exact reason for someone’s arrest, there’s a good chance that Google can point you in the right direction.
On the other hand, if someone was arrested in a high-profile case, you should be able to find all of the details about the arrest online – at least most of them. This also applies to celebrities and other people who may have been arrested, so keep this in mind.
If you’re not coming up with anything on Google, you can also try an advanced search. Google allows users to run an advanced search, which allows you to add more keywords to the query. This can help you narrow the search or find the right database.
Hire a Private Investigator (PI)
If you want to find out why someone was arrested, you can always hire a private investigator (PI). They’re individuals who can research for you, so you don’t have to worry about going online yourself. Most PIs can find criminal records, court records, social media profiles, and much more.
That said, hiring a PI is costly and can end up running you a few hundred dollars before they find any information. Make sure you’ve exhausted your other options before you consider going this route; it can save you time and money.
Find Out Why Someone Was Arrested Today!
It’s never been easier to find out why someone was arrested. While you previously had to make your way down to a courthouse or police station in person, you don’t even have to leave your couch anymore. All you need is a reliable criminal arrest records search tool, like our people search tool, and you can start to find out why someone was arrested today.
Even if we can’t help you find out the specific details of a trial or arrest, we can always point you in the right direction. Then, you can try court databases and other public records databases. As a last resort, you can always work with a private investigator or even reach out to the person or their family if remaining anonymous isn’t important.
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