I’ve been talking about ChristieLegal teaching a basic class regarding using free, online resources to research folks for romantic and business relationships for a few months. I’m still working on making this happen.

In the meantime, I want to make sure that everyone has these basic tools and info. for researching folks online:

1) Research the person on the Minnesota District (state) Courts website, https://www.mncourts.gov/Access-Case-Records.aspx – click on district case records; click on MPA Remote; accept the terms; and then, ….

a) criminal background check – choose criminal; complete the security puzzle; choose defendant; enter the prospective date / employee’s name and, if possible date of birth; if you know the person’s date of birth or age, then you’ll be able to more effectively sort through the results; and/or

b) civil background check – choose civil; complete the security puzzle; choose party; enter the prospective date / employee’s name and, if possible date of birth; you could find out that the person was recently evicted from an apartment or his/her house was foreclosed upon, so he/she is more likely to need a place to live.

c) Google ALL words that you don’t understand.

d) In order to research people who have spent part of their life in another state, some, but not all, states have easy to use district (state) court databases that function in mostly the same way as Minnesota District Court’s database does. In Wisconsin, go to https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. For the other states, google the state’s name and “district court” or “state court”. If a state’s court system doesn’t have an easy to use online database, then, during the state court system’s business hours, call any of the district courts and ask how to research a person’s criminal and financial background records that are in the state court docket (database).

2) Research the person on all of the social media websites; you could find out that a man / woman has an unhealthy attitude towards women / men because he / she has derogatory posts about women / men on Facebook; you could find out anything about a person that he/she or another person posted on 1 of the websites.

3) Google the person’s name to find out what you could learn; you could find out that he/she owns a business or volunteers for Second Harvest Heartland.

4) Keep notes of everything that you learn. Organize your notes into topics, such as social activities, to make it faster for you to locate specific info. later.

5) Ask yourself if this is the type of person who you want to be in a romantic or business relationship with. Past behaviors don’t necessarily predict future behaviors, but they sometimes do. Ask yourself if it’s worth the physical, emotional, and/or financial risk.

I hope that you use this knowledge and skill to protect yourself from physical, emotional, and/or financial harm!!!

Christie is alignable.com’s Woodbury Business Owner of the Year for 2023!