I was a newspaper reporter for years. Sometimes I checked up on people myself, and sometimes, if it was really important, my editor would approve the use of a background check service. Let me tell you, every single time, the background check company turned up a ton of records that I would never have found on my own.

Going with a professional wins hands down every time.

Of course, there are a lot of background check companies out there, but not all of them are equal. Some of them pay to keep their civil and criminal records databases updated regularly; some don't. The one that I've found to be the most thorough is www.Courtrecords.org.

To test them I ran my own name and found the only court records that exist on me - my divorce records, which are more than a decade old - and in a different state than the one I live in now!

I also looked up the names of half a dozen convicted criminals that I'd written about as a reporter - and not only were they all there, but there were a ton of records on them.

So go check out www.Courtrecords.org if you want a thorough and accurate criminal background check.

The person you're dating
A fiancee
Someone that you want to hire
A business partner
A prospective tenant
Your teenager's boyfriend or girlfriend
Your babysitter

There are many reasons that it would be smart to do a background check on someone.

Here are some of the things that you can find out by running a criminal background check:

If you are dating someone, or your teenager is dating someone, you might find out that they've been convicted of assault, burglary, stalking, domestic violence, or fraud. You might find out that they've done time in state or federal prison or county jail.

If you are getting ready to hire someone, you might find out that they have been convicted of harassment, stalking, workplace violence, theft, fraud, or any number of other crimes. Will they be driving the company vehicle? If they have prior DUI convictions, you might want to rethink that.

If you are getting ready to rent a home to someone, and they have been convicted of fraud or theft or vandalism, you may want to think again.

Background checks can tell you a lot, but you can't rely on them one hundred percent. There are a number of reasons for this.
For one thing, every state has different laws regarding what records are public. Some states have very strict privacy laws which, frankly, give convicted criminals a lot of protection. Even if people have been convicted of a crime, their records may not be publicly available.
And for another thing, the entry of civil records and criminal records is done by humans, and humans make errors. On occasion, a person's civil or criminal record may not make it into the system.
And finally, of course, a criminal background check is just one step in protecting yourself and your family against potential harm. It's not a substitute for vigilance and common sense.

However, if you pay for a national criminal records check, odds are pretty good that you will turn up what you are looking for. And if you DON'T run a background check on your babysitter, your prospective tenant, your new boyfriend or girlfriend, the person you're thinking of going into business with...then you will never know what crucial information could be out there.