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“Do you think those booking reports are criminal histories? Since you seem to think they are, could you tell me how many times that first guy had been arrested? Convicted? Or found not guilty? In my state, they are so confidential, if a cop accesses a criminal history without an official reason to do so, he has committed a misdemeanor.”

Answer: No, but the question was are arrest records considered not public information. The fact that the sheriff’s department posts them online proves they are not.

I could go to the courthouse and pull someone’s criminal history. I could also pull the court records for adjudication.

Here are two states laws on criminal records:

Who Can Access Criminal Court Records?
Florida’s Sunshine law establishes broad access to public court records for every citizen, except where prevented by law, statute or court order. Almost any adult can view or request official copies of criminal records.

Missouri: Where Can I Access Public Criminal Court Records in Missouri?
Interested record seekers can access public criminal court records in Missouri by contacting the clerk of the court overseeing the criminal case record. In Missouri, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the custodian of court records, including criminal records.

These are two examples; a quick internet search indicates that pretty much all states have the same rules. I know it’s against the law for a police officer to run a check on a person for no reason, I do not know why given the above. Have you noticed that when someone is involved in an incident, like the guys Kyle shot or the guy who ran over all those people the other day, their “rap sheets” are almost immediately available online?

So, where am I wrong?