Difficultly obtaining court records

[Moon&Stars 172]

We are expecting our NOA2 any day and are working to gather everything we will need at the interview stage. My fiance, the beneficiary, was arrested in South Africa years ago. He was a legal resident at the time, but no longer lives there. I'm not exactly sure on the terminology, of what happened. He went to court but he says they decided he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. When he pulls his police report, it's clean from SA. We are attempting to get a certified letter in advance saying he has no record in the court since we expect to need it for the interview and it will take weeks or even months to obtain.

 

He has called the courts and they say they don't have a record of him in the system. This week he called to ask for the letter stating that he had no record and they told him that he should call the police station to get the case number, then they could look it up. He called the police station where he thinks it was and after talking to at least 5 different people, either saying they didn't know how to do it, or that he would have to go there in person, they hung up on him. He can't travel there and doesn't know anyone in that town to go to the police station on his behalf.

 

Any ideas on what we should do?

 

 

[Esme2504 48]

On 8/24/2018 at 6:28 PM, Moon&Stars said:

We are expecting our NOA2 any day and are working to gather everything we will need at the interview stage. My fiance, the beneficiary, was arrested in South Africa years ago. He was a legal resident at the time, but no longer lives there. I'm not exactly sure on the terminology, of what happened. He went to court but he says they decided he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. When he pulls his police report, it's clean from SA. We are attempting to get a certified letter in advance saying he has no record in the court since we expect to need it for the interview and it will take weeks or even months to obtain.

 

He has called the courts and they say they don't have a record of him in the system. This week he called to ask for the letter stating that he had no record and they told him that he should call the police station to get the case number, then they could look it up. He called the police station where he thinks it was and after talking to at least 5 different people, either saying they didn't know how to do it, or that he would have to go there in person, they hung up on him. He can't travel there and doesn't know anyone in that town to go to the police station on his behalf.

 

Any ideas on what we should do?

 

 

Hi,

 

If that arrest is in his fingerprints he will have to find a way to get those court documents no matter what.  Even if his police clearance says no arrest the information is somewhere out there.  Hire an attorney to find it. I went through something like that and the CO did not care, we couldnt find it they wanted that document. Took us so many months probably over 7 months to finally get to the court document. 

[Moon&Stars 172]

On ‎8‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 3:42 AM, Esme2504 said:

Hi,

 

If that arrest is in his fingerprints he will have to find a way to get those court documents no matter what.  Even if his police clearance says no arrest the information is somewhere out there.  Hire an attorney to find it. I went through something like that and the CO did not care, we couldnt find it they wanted that document. Took us so many months probably over 7 months to finally get to the court document. 

Thank you. Hopefully we won't have that happen to us, but it's a scary possibility!

[stacyt 209]

On 8/25/2018 at 4:28 AM, Moon&Stars said:

We are expecting our NOA2 any day and are working to gather everything we will need at the interview stage. My fiance, the beneficiary, was arrested in South Africa years ago. He was a legal resident at the time, but no longer lives there. I'm not exactly sure on the terminology, of what happened. He went to court but he says they decided he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. When he pulls his police report, it's clean from SA. We are attempting to get a certified letter in advance saying he has no record in the court since we expect to need it for the interview and it will take weeks or even months to obtain.

 

He has called the courts and they say they don't have a record of him in the system. This week he called to ask for the letter stating that he had no record and they told him that he should call the police station to get the case number, then they could look it up. He called the police station where he thinks it was and after talking to at least 5 different people, either saying they didn't know how to do it, or that he would have to go there in person, they hung up on him. He can't travel there and doesn't know anyone in that town to go to the police station on his behalf.

 

Any ideas on what we should do?

 

 

They need police clearance certificates from all countries beneficiary has lived since age 16. So criminal record or not, he'd have to get the paper.

 

I faced a similar problem with China. I've lived there for a year and realized I needed a PCC. China doesn't issue it through consulates however other countries do. So I had a choice to fly there myself or have somebody help me. it's a long process in China so I found a company that handles it, got it for $600 in 20 days. So what I'd do is:

 

1. Check if consulate in his current country can issue it

2. Google if there are companies that do it

3. See if the police in SA accepts applications from abroad/through couriers 

 

 

[Moon&Stars 172]

Thanks @stacyt He has already submitted for his PCC from South Africa. From past experience we know that the police clearance comes back clear (and they run it against his fingerprints). I'm just trying to figure out how proactive we can be about the arrest he had in that country and how to document it when we are having such problems tracking it down. I would rather have it ready for the interview than wait & see if they ask for it and then spend months trying to find it. 

[stacyt 209]

Just now, Moon&Stars said:

Thanks @stacyt He has already submitted for his PCC from South Africa. From past experience we know that the police clearance comes back clear (and they run it against his fingerprints). I'm just trying to figure out how proactive we can be about the arrest he had in that country and how to document it when we are having such problems tracking it down. I would rather have it ready for the interview than wait & see if they ask for it and then spend months trying to find it. 

I don't see why would you worry about it if it comes clean. If you have problems tracking it down, so will they