Federal Civil Records Search
For Federally-Processed Civil Cases
According to United States Courts:
“A federal civil case involves a legal dispute between two or more parties. A civil action begins when a party to a dispute files a complaint and pays a filing fee required by statute. A plaintiff who is unable to pay the fee may file a request to proceed in forma pauperis. If the request is granted, the fee is waived.”
In short, a federal civil case is a dispute between two parties that is brought to the attention of a federal civil court. Federal civil cases differ from county civil cases in that they either breach a federal code of conduct, statute, or law, or the claimed damages are brought about in multiple states.
Common Questions
No. ‘Federal’ is not synonymous with ‘felony.’ As mentioned above, federal cases deal with breaches of federal statutes or crimes/misdeeds that cross state lines. Furthermore, while terms like ‘felony’ and ‘misdemeanor’ can be associated with civil cases, such charge types are more often associated with criminal cases.
Common examples of federal civil crimes are:
- Suing for civil rights violations or discrimination
- Bankruptcy
- Suing for first amendment violations of free speech, free expression of religion, etc
- Suing people for a loss they caused if they are from another state
Rarely. Federal civil and county civil cases are processed in two different places. Therefore the associated records don’t often overlap.
Federal civil records are found specifically in federal courthouses found in each of the 94 federal jurisdictions.
Most federal civil searches can be completed within one business day.
Knowing Your Hires
Because federal civil information usually deals with one party’s unfair or poor treatment of another, employers often include this search when hiring for upper-level positions within their organization. Such information tells a story and can be very useful in certain hiring situations and environments. For more information about this search or your background screening process as a whole, feel free to contact us.
