If you were to do a criminal search in 2006 on Orenthal James Simpson, Michael Joseph Jackson or Robert Blake, you would not find records for murder, homicide, or child molestation. Why? None of these parties have been found guilty in a criminal court on these charges. Our legal system is set up that the innocent remain innocent until proven guilty, and these parties were never proven guilty. Therefore, even though many of you may have viewed the various media circuses that resulted in these charges, the people who were tried were never convicted and therefore not guilty.

If you were to run civil searches on Orenthal James (OJ) Simpson, Michael Joseph Jackson and Robert Blake, you might find a different story. Mr. Simpson has been ordered to pay millions of dollars for the wrongful death of his wife and her partner. Michael Joseph Jackson has been named in multiple civil suits including a settlement out of court for $20 million, a foreclosure on a loan for a small “ranch” he owns, a small $900,000 settlement from 2006, and a $48 million claim for unpaid fees and breach of contract. Mr. Blake has been named in a $30 million wrongful death civil suit as well, prior to his bankruptcy filing.

Of course, chances are none of these individuals are going to apply for a position with your company. However, you still need to be aware that civil searches can and will show information that you may not find in a criminal record.