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What Are Civil Records?
Definition Civil records document non-criminal legal disputes brought by individuals, companies, or governmental entities seeking monetary damages or other remedies. These cases involve allegations of harm, breach of contract, property disputes, or violations of civil rights.
Where They're Stored
Civil records are maintained at multiple jurisdictional levels:
• County courts - Lower and upper civil divisions (differentiated typically by dollar amount thresholds) • Federal courts - Cases involving federal statutes or constitutional rights
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Research Challenges
Limited Identifiers Civil records frequently lack
County-Level Insights At the county court level, civil records reveal a subject's participation as a defendant or plaintiff in litigation proceedings, disputes over contracts, personal injury claims, property matters, and small claims.
Federal-Level Significance Federal civil litigation records provide critical insight into alleged violations of federal statutes, civil rights infringements, employment discrimination, securities fraud, and other matters of national jurisdiction.
comprehensive identifying information such as dates of birth, Social Security numbers, or physical descriptions, requiring investigators to conduct additional verification research.
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