Page 44 - September2019_BarJournal

COLUMNLEGAL RESEARCH & WRITING

RESEARCHING OPPOSING

PARTIES, WITNESSES, AND CLIENTS

Kathleen M . Dugan, Esq ., MLS

ue diligence in preparing for private. Today however, free and fee-based the Ohio Attorney General (AG) and the
trials has always included databases make it a lot easier for lawyers to Cuyahoga County Sheriff both maintain sex
researching both the relevant discover ostensibly personal information offender registries. Nationally, the Federal
legal facts and personal facts which is actually in the public domain. As a Bureau of Prisons maintains a database of the
Drelating to opposing parties, result, this article will cover the best individual location of federal inmates who have been
key witnesses, and even your own clients. sites and data aggregators for investigating the incarcerated since 1982, and both the FBI and
However, before the Internet, it was difficult opposition, witnesses for both sides, and your the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintain
to research divorces, bankruptcies, property own clients. separate, national sex offender registries.
ownership, education, employment history,
criminal convictions, prior litigation, and Free Web Licensure
other information people traditionally kept To quickly confirm an address, phone Ohio’s eLicense portal provides a free
number, or email, lawyers might initially search engine for contact information
try a good search engine such as Google or and disciplinary records for many Ohio
PHIL WEAVER Yahoo, or even a small handful of free online professionals, including accountants,
engineers, doctors, and nurses. Lawyers are
directories. Blogs and social networking, sites
MEDIATION such as YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, LinkedIn, searchable by name through the Ohio Supreme
Court’s free online Attorney Directory.
Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr can be gold
mines of information that people post about
UNIQUELY BALANCED themselves without thinking. Real Property
45 years plaintiff and defense Cuyahoga County’s Fiscal Office (formerly
Court Cases Auditor) offers an online search by name
Lawyers can search relevant state court for real property ownership, including
dockets individually for marriages, divorces, transfer history and deeds, certified values,
personal injury, foreclosures, and civil and criminal litigation, land descriptions, building information,
wrongful death, and name changes are searchable at the improvements, permits, and taxes. In addition,
commercial, Cuyahoga Probate Court’s web site. For the Fiscal Office (formerly Recorder) offers a
auto, truck, federal cases, PACER’s name search is the name search that provides information on
home, fire, gateway to civil, criminal, appellate, and deeds, mortgages, leases, mechanic’s liens,
products,
medical, bankruptcy cases. An easy method for notices of commencement, and various liens.
construction searching numerous courts together is an
online docket database on Lexis, Westlaw or Personal Property
Bloomberg. Make sure to check their verdict FAA aircraft ownership is freely searchable
and settlement databases as well. by name online, but cars and boats can
only be searched by title number, VIN or
Incarceration ID. In addition, a fee-based database called
The Ohio Department of Corrections OpenOnline is searchable by name for motor
maintains an online gateway for information vehicle ownership and recent citations.
about offenders who are currently
incarcerated, registered sex offenders, and Military Records/Civil Servants
parole violators at large. Vinelink.com also Lawyers who need to confirm active military
(440) 243-4994 offers a statewide offender search by name or status may be able to submit a request at the
pjw@smithmarshall.com
offender identification number. In addition, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act website.
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