Federal crimes are prosecuted in United States district courts, which are trial courts. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state and one in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Federal crimes are fairly uncommon, but there are an estimated 4,500 crimes in federal statutes. The majority of these crimes are securities and tax law violations, immigration, weapons, interstate drug crimes, civil rights violations and civil cases filed at the federal level as well as criminal activity that was on federal land.
A federal criminal record search is recommended for the pre-employment background screening report for employees with access to financial information, executives and CPA’s although, employers should be aware that positive identification can be difficult due to the lack of identifiers in federal court files.
Approximately 5 percent of criminal records in the U.S. are for federal offenses. A search of federal court records is needed to locate records of federal criminal prosecution. Federal Criminal Records Checks extend research for potential criminal activity from the state level to the federal level and provide an additional element in the defense against negligent hiring claims.
Employers have a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe work environment. Knowing whether a potential employee has been involved in criminal activity (such as drug or substance abuse, reckless behavior, dishonesty, theft, or dangerous and violent behaviors) allows employers to determine if an applicant is appropriate for the job and work environment.
