Massachusetts Legal Developments Blog

"Will This Go On My Record?" Understanding CORI Access

I am frequently faced with clients trying their best to understand the potential consequences of a criminal charge, and what the outcome might mean for their future.  For such people, the question will often arise -- "is this going to show up on my record?"  It is an absolutely legitimate question, and it feels like one that should have a yes or no answer.

Unfortunately, the answer is always "kind of."  You see, every time a person is charged with a crime in Massachusetts, that fact is recorded in the Criminal Offender Record Information system, referred to as CORI.  This is maintained by the Criminal Justice Information Services division of the Executive Department of Public Safety and Security.  There are other "records" that you might want to worry about, like your interstate criminal record which is compiled by accessing various states criminal records, but access to this information is very limited.  Ordinarily, when an employer runs a person's background, what they are checking is the CORI system.

Employers, individuals, government agencies and corporations all have different levels of access to CORI information, which is what makes it hard to answer the question "will it show up on my record."  The answer is -- it depends on who is running your record.  If, for example, someone is charged with larceny, and that charge gets dismissed at their first pretrial hearing, police and courts will see that the person was charged, and that the charge was dismissed, but so will assisted living facilities, camps, local counsels on aging, day car centers, in-home care organizations, nursing homes, Massachusetts schools, Religious organizations, but only when they are checking records for people applying for employment or offering to volunteer.  Other employers will only see offenses that resuled in a conviction, or which are currently pending.

With that in mind, you can find all the details by taking a look at this chart, published by CJIS explaining the various levels of access to CORI information following the recent CORI reform law.  You can also call my office to discuss your concerns and find out what can be done to keep your record as clean as possible.