As a Nashville attorney, sometimes I’d like to know a little more information about a person, including but not limited to any criminal offenses they may have pending or have been charged with in their past. If they are from Nashville, there are a number of free resources I use as an attorney in Nashville which would be helpful for most to know – whether you’re a father wanting to check up on your daughter’s boyfriend, his parents, his uncles, etc…or just being nosy.

  • The Basics: The first resource is through the Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk’s office which provides public case information for criminal offenses in Nashville. You only need to know their name and date of birth to determine whether they have faced any criminal charges, such as DUIs, in Nashville.
  • More effort, but still Basic: Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office – take a visit to their office on the 3rd floor of the courthouse and possibly find out more information than you wanted about this new ‘match.com’ date you’re meeting for drinks later. (Note: If you’re an attorney in Nashville, consider subscribing to the caselink system for $35/mo)
  • Google, Bing and Yahoo – search the person’s name in a variety of ways – with the name in quotes, without quotes, include the city they are from (John Doe Nashville, TN OR “John Doe” Nashville). You may discover a facebook or myspace page which potentially uncovers things you may or may not want to see.

These are a few basic tips for obtaining information on people and putting together basic background information. As a Nashville attorney who handles criminal defense, DUI’s, personal injury and car accidents – performing at least a cursory search is on my list of to-do’s before getting too far with a case. (Like the potential client who claims to have a serious and devastating knee injury – yet brags about finishing in the top 10 in the Boston marathon on his facebook page)