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Good evening, SF. I'm helping a friend do some research on a few court cases in our area, and we've run into a snag. In this particular case, we know the accused's name and the county with jurisdiction over the case. We have the case number and can get from that a description of the charge. What we'd like to have now is more detail about the accusation. That is, we want the specifics on the case: what, specifically, was the defendant accused of (not just the generic charge title), and what more can we learn about it. Seems Virginia court case info is largely online, but once we get to the case number and the generic charge, we run into a bit of a dead end. Is there a way to find more detail about the case? Thanks, all. God bless America. | ||
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| Member |
FOIA the police report from the arresting agency. That would probably give you the best possible information. There will be a cost for that, and sometimes if the case is pending they will refuse to give it out. http://law.lis.virginia.gov/va...-of-information-act/ Otherwise your best bet would be to order a transcript of any hearings where actual testimony was taken (again, at a cost). Worst case - call the DA's office and ask to speak with the person handling the case. They may tell you nothing, but they may give you more detail than you can find online. I am not actually located in Virginia, but the above advice should be fairly universal. | |||
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| Member |
The case appears to have been closed about three years ago. How does one get a transcript? County courthouse? God bless America. | |||
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| Member |
Sorry was editing my post as you posted. Yes, at the courthouse. But if it's a closed case you should be able to get the reports from the PD through FOIA with no problem as well. | |||
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| Member |
Would the PD be able to find the report by the county's case number? (This seems to be getting easier! Thank you!) God bless America. | |||
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| Member |
Likely not, but they should easily be able to find it just by name and approximate date. Sometimes a court's online system will even show you the exact incident date. | |||
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| Do No Harm, Do Know Harm |
I will add that not all courts are transcribed. If it was a low-level misdemeanor held in a lower Court, there will probably be no record except for what was entered as judgment. Knowing what one is talking about is widely admired but not strictly required here. Although sometimes distracting, there is often a certain entertainment value to this easy standard. -JALLEN "All I need is a WAR ON DRUGS reference and I got myself a police thread BINGO." -jljones | |||
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| Member |
It's a cruelty to animals charge. I'm not sure if that fits the low-level misdemeanor description. God bless America. | |||
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| Member |
In some states that would be a felony. The statute seems to have different levels, some being misdemeanor some being felony: https://vacode.org/2016/3.2/V/65/9/3.2-6570/ I agree with Chongo that there might not be (probably won't be) a transcript already on file. But the parties must have gone on the record in court at some point. Meaning that there is a verbal record of what transpired, and any member of the public would have the right to order that transcript. It will probably be easier to start with the police report, then try the DA's office, and then try to get a transcript as a last resort. | |||
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| Member |
Sounds like we get to visit the PD this week. Hm. Now I have to figure out if this was town PD or county Sheriff's Department activity. God bless America. | |||
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| Member |
I'm not sure how advanced your Court's computer docket system is. If I tried to look up a case in my local court's computer system it would tell me the arresting agency and the incident date. | |||
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| I believe in the principle of Due Process  |
Is it that the online info is just date, number, names? The clerk of the court will have a paper file with the complaunt, motions, etc. A reporter's transcript isn't public. If there is one, you have to buy it from the court reporter, in Whackyland. Luckily, I have enough willpower to control the driving ambition that rages within me. When you had the votes, we did things your way. Now, we have the votes and you will be doing things our way. This lesson in political reality from Lyndon B. Johnson "Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible." - Justice Janice Rogers Brown | |||
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Res ipsa loquitur |
If your state is all electronic, go to the courthouse and use the public computer system to look the case up. It should have the information you are looking for. If they are still paper, ask to look at the file. I would NOT order a transcript as that is very expensive. Ask to get an audio copy of the hearing(s) that you want to review. That is generally just a few dollars and will tell you what you need without having to pay a transcriber. __________________________ | |||
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Online I can get the case number, the charge (listed as a misdemeanor, interestingly), the code section, the offense date, and final disposition (guilty). No time served, but a heck of a fine! God bless America. | |||
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| Member |
Typically make a public records request directly to tthe agency for any records related to (your case no., the name of the defendant, the address, etc.) At a minimum, the offense report is a publci record (at least in Ohio it is). | |||
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| Little ray of sunshine  |
If your courts keep paper files, you can go down to the courthouse and ask to see the file. It is a public record. If not, you may have to get a subscription from the County Clerk (or whatever your local official in charge of the court records is called) and look it up online. The big counties in Texas are all electronic now, but the smaller ones (and some of those are still big) still keep paper files. You will be able to see anything filed in the court - charging instrument, motions, rulings, verdict forms, judgment, etc. Court records are public. The fish is mute, expressionless. The fish doesn't think because the fish knows everything. | |||
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