Court proceedings are a time taking process., While you try to fight for justice, you need to be patient and keep your calm. While the proceedings may be going on, the outside world will keep throwing new challenges at you. You may have a job interview lined up and it is important for you to show up because this is a one of a lifetime opportunity. What do you get to do in such a situation? Your first instinct should be to get hold of the copy of your court disposition or certificate of disposition from the court where the case is registered.
Getting a court disposition or certificate of disposition from court of law is very much essential and important. It is not just about the interview, which is lined up, the court disposition also acts a legal document which in short will brief about your court proceedings. Usually, court dispositions are available without any cost, but now it depends on state to state. There also maybe a very nominal fees involved for getting a court disposition.
This article will guide you with everything you would want to know about disposition and how to get a court disposition.
What do you mean by disposition?
A disposition is a court or legal document issued by the Government agency to confirm what had happened in a court case. The legal proceeding and argument of a case is not required here. The document only seems to inform in regard to the verdict of the court for the particular case in question.
The court disposition or certificate of disposition tells in brief about the crime you have had committed. It also tells about the verdict for the crime, the date of the verdict and what you were convicted of. This document has asked by job interviewers by a lot of time. The document seems to register, in short, the criminal case along with its proceedings and verdict. The document or certificate is verified with the stamp of the court.
What are the different types of disposition?
There are different types of disposition for criminal cases. Some are listed as under:
- Convicted – As per the verdict of the court, you have been found guilty of the criminal charges which were levied on you.
- Acquitted – When you are acquitted, you are free from any charges which were levied on you. In the court of law, it was proved you are not guilty and hence free to go.
- Dismissed – In such a scenario, the court has decided to let you know and not to drag the case any further. The case stands terminated.
- No charges filed/Charges dropped – When the prosecutor drops the charges levied against you and have declined to follow up with the case.
- Vacated – In such a scenario, you can always say that you were never convicted of the crime as the judgement was vacated or void.
- Sealed – This means that not all details of the public prosecution are available for the public. In case of juveniles this is valid.
- Expunged – This means complete removal of or deletion of the arrest data.
- Pending – This means the verdict is yet to be given. The case is still in pending status.
- Diversion/Deferred Prosecution – This can help reduce the sentence requirement. The court has delayed its verdict. Unless court gives verdict, the case is treated as pending.
- Suspended sentence – After you have completed a certain time period by doing community service or while in prison, at times, the court may issue a suspended sentence. Here the charges are dropped already. And till a sentence is declared, the case is considered to be pending.
Always remember Closed is not considered as a disposition, the verdict has to be given or the status will be considered as Pending.
Why is court disposition important?
Courts represent the law of the land. Their duty is to maintain and execute the law which has been laid down in the constitution. The constitution has given equal rights and opportunities to all citizens. If you feel challenged and your freedom and rights have been violated you can always approach the court of law. Civil and criminal courts both have given the provision where an individual will get a chance to express themselves and to explain their side of the story.
Courts are considered to be impartial and unbiased. Their verdict upholds the law of the land. They exist to practice justice, bestow equal rights and opportunities on all. Courts play a very vital role in upholding and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens of a country. And for this very reason the verdict of the court is considered to be final and important. In short, the court disposition is a particularly important set of paper which helps determine the verdict of your criminal case.
A certificate of disposition can help you get a job. If your verdict was not guilty, you are free person, and this piece of paper will prove exactly that.
Points to remember while getting a court disposition.
Most of the court records are public and have open access. You can even get a copy of your court disposition online. You may not always have to pay a fee to get the court disposition. However, even if you have to pay, the fees is very nominal.
You may also alternatively reach out to your court and request for a copy of your court disposition. While you are reaching out to your court to get your court disposition or certificate of disposition, you need to be very particular. Writing a letter may seem simple and easy, but there are pointers you cannot ignore and avoid. The pointers listed under are for your convenience. You should make use of these points while you are thinking of how to get a court disposition.
- Ensure to mention the subject of the letter right on top. This helps the recipient in understanding the contents of the letter and save a lot of time.
- Keep the letter professional, short and to the point. Avoid the use of jargon or ornamental words. Remember, you are writing a professional letter and not a personal one. Using appropriate words is equally important.
- Try To get the letter typed and printed. It is not that a handwritten letter will not be entertained. A typed and printed letter looks not only neat but also very much presentable.
- Always print or write the letter in A4 size of paper. Do not make use of any other size of paper as this is considered to be basic letter writing etiquette.
- Ensure to provide your contact information, your address, and your phone number. Where do you want the court disposition to be delivered? OR will you be collecting the certificate personally yourself. This has to be made clear in the letter.
- Always mention the Docket ID or Docket Number of your Case. This is a crucial piece of information, which you cannot miss out on. Without this ID or number, you will not be able to get the court disposition.
- You will also need to mention the date of arrest. This is again a crucial piece of information which cannot be ignored.
- You will also need to attach a copy of your valid Government issued photo id. The photo id can be your driver’s license, your passport.
- And you may also need to pay a nominal amount for getting the court disposition.
- Be professional in your approach while writing the letter. Do not exaggerate and keep the letter informative in regard to the concerned court case.
- Mention date in dd/mm/yy format only.
How to get a court disposition?
Now that you know the points you need to consider before sending a letter on how to get a court disposition, you will have to write one too. Writing a letter may not seem challenging but putting the right words is. You do not want the meaning of your letter to go haywire and be treated as hogwash by the department. So, it is important for you to be completely confident while writing a letter. Also keep the address of the county in question handy for the letter to be mailed at the earliest.
Template 1
Requesting for Court Disposition (subject right on top of the letter)
To
The Department of (mention the department name)
(complete address of the Department)
Date: dd/mm/yy
Dear Sir / Madam,
I am, your complete name, requesting for you to kindly share a copy of the court disposition for the given case id:
Docket ID: (mention the case Docket ID)
Date of Arrest: (dd/mm/yy)
Along with this letter, I am also attaching a photocopy of my Passport for your kind perusal.
Also do let me know when I can come back to collect the copy of the court disposition. Kindly let me know if any other information needs to be provided to get a copy of the certificate of disposition at the earliest.
Waiting for your positive response.
Thanks and regards,
(your name)
(your address)
(your cellphone number)
(your email id)
Template 2
Dear Sir / Madam,
I, your full name, am hereby requesting for a copy of the court disposition for the Docket ID: (ID number). Please make note of the following additional details for your kind perusal.
Date of Arrest:
Date of Release:
Place of Arrest:
Place of Release:
Photo ID issued by government: Driver’s License (Photocopy attached with mail).
Kindly let me know the complete procedure to get a copy of the certificate of disposition. Will you be sending across a copy of the document or should I come again after a few weeks to collect the same?
Kindly let me know how to procure the copy of the court disposition at the earliest. Looking forward to your positive response.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
(your name)
(your address)
(your cellphone number)
(your email id)
Template 3
Dear Sir / Madam,
Please make note of the below details for your kind perusal,
Name: (your complete name)
Docket Id: (your case number)
Date of Arrest: dd/mm/yy
Place of Arrest:
Valid Photo Id: US Passport
Please make use of the above-mentioned information to issue me a copy of the court disposition or certificate of disposition.
Also, will you be sending across the certificate or will I have to physically come to collect the certificate? Kindly confirm at the earliest.
Looking forward to your positive response.
Thanks and regards,
(your name)
(your address)
(your cellphone number)
(your email id)
Template 4
Dear Sir / Madam,
This is to bring to your attention that I, your full name, am appearing for a couple of job interviews in the coming weeks. And they have requested for a copy of my court disposition. Please make note of the below points for your kind perusal.
Docket ID:
Date of Arrest: dd/mm/yy
Place of Arrest:
Photo Id: Passport (mention the expiration date)
Please let me know if the certificate will be issued and send over to my address below. Or will I need to come to the office to collect my court disposition certificate.
Looking forward to your positive response.
Thanks and regards,
(your name)
(your address)
(your cellphone number)
(your email id)
Template 5
Dear Sir / Madam,
This is to bring to your kind attention, that I have been acquitted from the criminal charges being levied on me. However, I would need a copy of the court disposition. Please make note of the below information for your kind perusal.
Name:
Docket Id:
Date of Arrest:
Place of Arrest:
Photo id: (mention the photo id attached with the email along with the expiration date)
Kindly confirm if the document will be sent to my home or do I need to collect the same from the office.
Looking forward to your positive response.
Thanks and regards,
(your name)
(your address)
(your cellphone number) (your email id)
