Montana Criminal Records

Once a crime has been committed, it is classified. It will generally fall into a category of a misdemeanor or felony. The punishment for the crime is determined based on the extent of the crime itself. A misdemeanor is not judged as harshly as a felony, and a person can usually redeem themselves by paying a fine. Occasionally, a short jail time is required. Speeding, for instance, does not usually send a person to jail in Montana unless they were driving recklessly and may have placed other lives in danger. A short jail stay is generally at a local Montana county jail.

A felony conviction means that a criminal has performed a serious crime. Some examples of serious crimes are murder, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. A criminal committing a felony is sent to a Montana state or federal prison and can plan on spending a few years to life there, depending on the severity of the crime.

There are times when it is necessary to look up a person’s Montana criminal records. This could be a requirement of a background check for a job, or a person may wish to research someone who may be a potential babysitter for their child. You may be trying to find the location of a current inmate. Many Montana legal records are open and available to anyone. The key is in knowing how and where to find them.

If you already know which court in Montana houses the Montana criminal records information that you are seeking, you may contact that court and request a copy. There may or may not be a fee involved.

A quick and easy way to locate information about Montana’s current or past inmates is to do an online check. The Montana Department of Corrections has a free website that makes it easy. By entering the first and last name of the person, you will usually have an answer in seconds. If that doesn’t work, there are steps you can take to perform a more detailed and advanced search. This is also the best place to check for sex and violent offenders. The Sexual and Violent Offender Registry is updated regularly and the list is the most current for the entire Montana area. Having access to valuable information is important, and knowing how and where to find it is key.