How To Remove a Court Case From Public Record

This guide will show you how to remove a court case from public record so you can protect your online reputation.

We’ve all made mistakes in our lives. Sometimes, those mistakes include getting arrested or doing something that lands us in court.

If you’ve ever been arrested or sued, it’s surprising to learn that your court records are relatively easy to find online. Nearly any legal documents with your name in them may appear in public records databases, data broker sites, or other Google search results.

That leaves many people wondering: How can you remove court records to protect your privacy and online reputation?

Our guide below will explore proven strategies to help you find public court records and remove them from web search results.

To speak with a content removal expert immediately, contact our team at 844-230-3803.

What are Public Court Records?

Court records are any records generated from a court case or other legal action. In the United States, court records may include the following:

• Arrest reports
• Mugshots or booking photos
• Tax liens
• Divorce records
• Dockets
• Court minutes
• Jury records
• Lawsuits or legal claims
• Settlements or judgments
• Criminal records, including both felony and misdemeanor case records

The legal system produces millions of records each year. Every court record is filed with the local county clerk or a similar organization and entered into the public record.

The Importance of Knowing How To Get Public Records Removed Online

Court records — the legal information used and stored by courts nationwide — may contain private information like your Social Security number, address, and full name. If criminals gained access to this information, they could compromise your privacy or safety.

These are the biggest concerns when it comes to having your court record information available online.

Privacy Risks

Criminals often use the information from public records, including court and other legal documents, to create false identities using your name. With those false credentials, they may be able to open fraudulent financial accounts, file taxes in your name, or commit many other types of fraud. Identity fraud costs individuals and business owners billions of dollars in losses each year.

Reputational Risks of a Criminal Record

Identity fraud is not the only risk associated with public court records being available online. Your reputation may also be at risk. Several factors may contribute to this risk, including what information is available and the websites where it’s posted.

This is particularly concerning if you’re applying for a home or vehicle loan, a business loan, or some other financial service. Many financial firms use the web to gather information about you to determine whether you pose a reasonable risk.

The same applies to school applications, job applications, and even interactions on dating sites. Whether you realize it or not, people use search engines like Google to locate information about you.

Any negative information, such as criminal records, can damage your reputation, and a background check may still surface case details unless the record is sealed or expunged. Sealing generally hides records from the public, while expungement removes or destroys them. After all, people immediately form opinions based on the information they find in Google search results.

Can you afford to miss out on new opportunities in your personal or professional life because embarrassing court records, including old court cases, are online?

If the answer is no, online reputation management firms can help you remove court and other public records. Speak with an expert today by calling 844-230-3803 for a free consultation.

Why Are My Court Records Available Online?

Have you ever searched for your name on Google or another popular search engine? If you have, it’s shocking to see the information that appears in search results. How did your information and images get on the web anyway? There are three primary sources for public court records:

Public Records Databases

Court records — including arrest reports, criminal cases, and mugshots — are posted by government offices as a legal obligation to make these records available to the public. These obligations are sometimes referred to as open public records laws.

Typically, civil and criminal records are collected by federal, state, or local court systems to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. The general public gains access once civil or criminal court records become part of the public record.

Basically, any time you deal with a government agency, official records of that interaction may become part of the public record.

People Search Sites

Once public court records and other information are posted to the web by government agencies, they tend to spread quickly. The culprits in this viral spread of sensitive information are people search websites, sometimes called data brokers or aggregators. Data brokers use automated tools to scrape publicly available records from government databases and republish them on their websites.

There are hundreds of these third-party sites that help users find information about someone they meet in person or online. However, they can also be used by people with malicious intent to gather personal information and commit cybercrimes.

Mugshot Sites

Mugshot sites act like data brokers by reposting public information — such as criminal, court, or online arrest records — from government databases.

These websites have become incredibly popular. Many started by posting celebrity mugshots, then expanded their offerings to include criminal charges for every average person arrested or detained by law enforcement.

Some websites just post mugshots, while others include a person’s criminal history, arrest and court records, or personal information. To make matters worse, if one site gets your booking photos, they may suddenly appear on multiple websites.

These sites get so much traffic daily that your mugshot or arrest details may appear at the top of search engine results. They rank highly due to the tremendous traffic they receive.

Imagine if a prospective employer or loan officer stumbles across these embarrassing records. Wouldn’t you want that information removed?

Contact us today at 844-230-3803 to discuss our content removal services and protect your privacy online.

Public Court Records Covered Under State or Federal Law

Generally speaking, a court record is created whenever you deal with a court in a legal action. This applies not only to local courts but also to state and federal courts.

Under state or federal law, records produced by legal cases are available to the public. Public knowledge of a court order or case record is mandated because this information is in the public interest.

Public databases catalog millions of court documents from local, state, and federal authorities. These databases make it all too easy to reveal an embarrassing, outdated, or no-longer-reflective court record when conducting a legal search.

How to Get Public Records Removed From Google

Now that we’ve learned what a court record is and how it becomes available to the public, it’s time to dive right into removing court records. There are five strategies to remove public records from the internet. Let’s go over them.

1. Speak to Your Local Clerk of Courts

The first strategy is to visit your county clerk’s office. You may make a removal request here, but the clerk may instead direct you to file a motion to seal the records rather than remove the file outright.

Getting certain types of information removed by the county clerk’s office can be challenging. In most cases, the clerk will not honor a removal request unless there is a valid court order. A judge must approve it, and you usually need a compelling reason. That can limit public access to the court file, but it does not automatically destroy it.

If approved, the judge signs an order to seal or destroy records. Sealing typically applies to certain convictions that remain accessible to law enforcement agencies, while expungement destroys or removes them. Sealed records are accessible only to specific individuals such as the defendant, their attorney, court staff, law enforcement, and sometimes the victim or petitioner involved in the case.

You must provide a compelling reason to seal a record, and a judge reviews the petition to ensure it meets all legal requirements. Sealing a record does not automatically destroy it; rather, it keeps the record out of public view while allowing limited access. Expungement typically applies to cases that were dismissed or resulted in acquittals, restricting public access to criminal records.

In Maryland, for example, you can file a one-time petition to shield up to 12 specific convictions under certain circumstances. This petition can be filed only once in your lifetime and only in one district or county court. In Arizona, sealing a criminal case requires specific conditions to be met, and expungement applies only to marijuana-related cases. New Hampshire requires separate petitions for each removal for conviction, and waiting periods vary by the seriousness of the offense, with Class A felonies requiring a 10-year waiting period for annulment.

Many jurisdictions require you to meet all sentencing requirements before petitioning and may require a waiting period after a case is dismissed before you can file. Some states also require notice to the prosecutor when filing for expungement or sealing. Filing fees may apply to these petitions, and a hearing may be scheduled if the petition is opposed. The court may take up to 30 days to issue a ruling on petitions.

A judge’s decision on record removal is often based on considerations of public welfare, balancing the defendant’s rehabilitation with public safety. Certain offenses cannot be annulled under some state laws, and you may need to apply for a certificate of eligibility before filing in some states.

2. Opt Out of Data Broker Sites

You can prevent data brokers from sharing your records once and for all by completing an opt-out request on each site that has your info.

Most sites have some form of opt-out process. Follow the directions on each website until your records are no longer visible in search results.

Generally speaking, it may take several days or weeks to remove information after an opt-out request is made. Many websites update their records on a schedule. Ultimately, though, your information should no longer appear in Google’s search results.

3. File for Public Records Expungement

Expungement is the court-ordered process of removing a person’s arrest report, criminal records, or mugshot images from public records, so an expunged case is no longer visible to the public. It is often available when charges were dismissed or the person was acquitted.

You usually must file a petition asking the court to seal or destroy records, and a judge reviews whether you are eligible under state law based on the case outcome and jurisdiction. You may need official court papers showing the outcome, may have to pay a filing fee, may have to wait before filing, and generally must complete all sentence requirements first. An attorney may be needed to assist you with filing for expungement.

4. Hire Legal Professionals

If you have difficulty removing your court records from publicly accessible databases, an experienced lawyer can help. An attorney can also provide assistance with finding the right forms on state court or law enforcement websites and help you submit them correctly. Attorneys familiar with records laws often have several strategies they can employ, including:

• Sending Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices.
• Filing a legal court order based on state expungement law. For example, this may be possible if you have not been found guilty of a crime or if the charges were dropped.
• Addressing website Terms of Service (ToS) violations.
• Providing legally compelling reasons for removing your personal information to protect your privacy and safety.

Some courts also require notice to the prosecutor and may set a hearing if the request is opposed.

Many attorneys offer free consultations, helping you understand the process behind legal removal requests. If relief is granted, the judge signs an order for sealing or expungement. The attorney-client relationship is a valuable tool as you work to restore or preserve your internet reputation.

5. Take Advantage of Online Reputation Management Firms

If a Google search turns up embarrassing details about your past, you may have tried a wide range of options to get the information removed. Even when some states have clean slate laws and certain records are automatically sealed or expunged, outdated search results or reposted pages may still require separate removal work. Even a single court case available in search results can devastate your current and future goals.

Online reputation management firms can help. These content removal professionals use search engine optimization (SEO) strategies, legal requests, and content suppression to manipulate search results based on your name. Reputation management teams remove content and replace it with content showcasing your best attributes.

Your new content will rank highly, and the fresh, positive content will effectively push down any negative details you can’t remove through conventional court records removal methods.

Reputation management is a set of processes designed to influence search results in your favor. With a strong reputation, you’re ready to succeed personally and professionally.

Don’t let an old court case damage what you’ve worked so hard to achieve — speak with a reputation management company today to learn how they can restore your online reputation.

Contact OnlineReputation to Learn More

When it comes to removing public records from online searches, there’s a lot to know.

OnlineReputation is a leader in the online reputation management (ORM) services industry. As the best brand reputation management company, our team has worked with thousands of clients, helping them remove embarrassing internet records from search results, including arrest reports, mugshots, and criminal records.

Web search results can make or break your online reputation. With our help, you can protect the reputation that means so much in the digital environment. We remove personal information using a proven process that eliminates court records from the internet.

To learn more about our wide range of online reputation services, including powerful content removal and content suppression solutions, contact our team at 844-230-3803 for a free reputation analysis.