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Many people assume that public records refer only to things like arrest records. However, this is really not true at all. Arizona public records refer to the files and information which the government keeps on citizen interaction, corporations, property, legislative and judicial activities. Much of the business world relies on public records to do their job well, or at all. There are literally hundreds of different professionals who use Arizona public records on a regular basis. Learning how to access these records efficiently and quickly can reduce the time and cost, while increasing the efficiency of many types of Arizona business. As mentioned above, criminal based Arizona public records are probably the most commonly discussed form of public records. "Criminal records" is a broad term which actually covers a wide variety of sub-records. To begin with, every time a police officer is dispatched to a location a record is made. This record will include the contextual information such as time, location and impressions upon arrival. In addition the record will include the narrative of the police's experience during the event. If somebody is arrested that will be added to their arrest record, which is different from a criminal history report. In terms of Arizona public records, a criminal history report will list the conviction history of an individual. This means that the record shows all crimes for which the subject has been arrested, tried and found guilty. Peripheral to criminal records is the voluminous body of Arizona court records. Criminal cases are meticulously recorded and preserved. There are no public activities which are more carefully recorded than criminal trials, because of due process considerations, appeals and public interest in the outcome. The record will include any transcripts of hearings, along with copies of any pleadings and rulings made by the judge regarding evidence and procedure. Generally a researcher will be able to find information on past arrest records and receive a copy of a limited criminal history report in a criminal trial public record. The other half of the judiciary in Arizona is equally important, although less often discussed. Civil trials are cases brought by one citizen or business against another citizen or business. There are no criminal punishments attached to civil trials. Instead the results usually involve money or a legal injunction. The Arizona public records which arise from civil trials are similar to criminal records. Throughout the trial attorneys and parties will exchange a great deal of paperwork. Discovery is the process through which parties exchange information to achieve the most amounts of facts possible. For this reason, civil trial records are arguably the largest volume of public records available in Arizona. The world of Arizona public records does not stop there. There are hundreds of other types of public records which are available. Real estate generally involves a significant amount of public records. For example, when a piece of vacant property is purchased there must be a record of the mortgage and deed in the local recorder's office, which is available to the public. If the new owner wants to develop the land he or she will need to apply for permits from various city and state government entities. All applications, along with approvals or denials, will be immortalized in the public record. Further, every year the assessor will appraise the value of privately owned real estate. The purpose of this assessment is to find an accurate basis upon which to tax the property. This assessment is made public and generally will be available for free on the internet for anybody who is interested. This list only covers a fraction of the public records available.
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