Criminal Law - Guide to Criminal & Penal Law

One of the last things convicted criminals usually think about is whether or not they will have a record when they get out of jail for their crime(s). Sure, they know they will have one, but not many of them think that through to its final conclusion - that everyone with a computer will be able to find that out.

Offenders who are hoping to land a job usually have that one telltale question on the application forms that asks about a criminal record. While it might be seriously tempting to lie and say no, the risks aren't worth it. If the prospective employer runs a criminal record check and finds out you have a checkered past, you've not only lost the chance at that job, but compounded the problem by fibbing about it. Word gets around in small towns. Be honest and see what happens.

If you're a prospective employer and want to run a check on a job applicant you need to know their full name, not just the first and last name, unless it's highly unusual. Searching for Joe Blow will get you hundreds of hits and no further ahead than when you started. Searching for Joe Erasmus Windsor Blow will likely find you a whole passel of information, if there is any to be had.

A social security number is a good thing to have, and it's handy to cross reference the person you're checking. This would be helpful if the applicant said they'd committed car theft as a teenager and you found out instead they were actually convicted of arson within two years of applying for your vacant job. You may not want them working in a hardware store full of flammable chemicals.

Don't rely totally on what you get back on a criminal record search because each county in Ohio keeps their own records and updates them when it suits them. This means if the person you're checking was just arrested and charged for theft within the last two months, you might not find out about it if the county you're searching only updates records quarterly.

If you want to match a name to a face, accessing the Ohio Department of Corrections files will accomplish that. They fingerprint and take pictures of everyone who has been behind bars. Their sex offender's database is also pretty comprehensive. Don't forget to search the Department of Motor Vehicles for driving records, particularly if you are hiring a truck driver or cabbie. You get pictures on these files and a criminal record as well.

If you need to search databases often enough because you hire people on a regular basis, you can actually set up an account and be billed on a monthly basis. It never hurts to check out the people you want to hire for sensitive positions.