Terms/Acronyms for Background Checks

Listed on this page are commonly used terms and acronyms associated with background check information.

Arrest: A person has been taken into custody and detained by law enforcement.
Background Review: A status of Background Review occurs when information is revealed during the background check process that may constitute immoral conduct or incompetency and which requires further investigation and review.
CCAP: Consolidated Court Automation Program. This website, also called the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA), provides access to certain public records of the circuit courts of Wisconsin. The information displayed is an exact copy of the case information entered into the CCAP case management system by court staff in the counties where the case files are located. The court record summaries are all public records under the Wisconsin open records laws. However, not all Wisconsin counties provide information to CCAP.
Charge: A criminal charge is an official accusation or allegation that a person engaged in a certain criminal act.
CIB: "Crime Information Bureau." Within the Wisconsin Department of Justice, the CIB functions as a central repository for criminal arrest and conviction records within Wisconsin. Only incidents that were submitted to the CIB accompanied by fingerprints are contained in the database.
Conviction: A criminal conviction is a finding of fact by a court that a person committed a criminal act.
Criminal Complaint and Information: Official court documents outlining and explaining the crimes of which a defendant has been accused.
Denied: A status which occurs when an application for licensure is denied. Wis Admin Code § PI 34.35(7)(8)
Deferred Prosecution: An agreement entered into by a defendant, the prosecutor and the judge. The agreement usually lists conditions that a defendant must fulfill within a set amount of time. If the defendant completes the agreement successfully, the judge agrees to dismiss charges against the defendant.
Dismissed: Charges are dropped, and the case is not pursued.
Disposition: The outcome of a case.
DOJ: (Wisconsin) Department of Justice.
Expunged: The contents of the court record are purged. This often happens as part of an agreement when a person is sentenced - if the person completes certain conditions, the court agrees to “expunge” the records of the case. Note: Only the court records are expunged. Law enforcement records remain available.
Felony: A felony is a crime for which the penalty is more than one year in jail.
Immoral Conduct: Conduct that is contrary to commonly accepted moral or ethical standards and which endangers the health, welfare, safety or education of any pupil. The DPI may deny licensure to an applicant if the background check indicates that a person has engaged in "immoral conduct." Wis Admin Code §: PI 34.35(2)(a)
Misdemeanor: A misdemeanor is a crime for which the maximum penalty is not more than one year in jail.
Ordinance Violation/Forfeiture/Non-criminal: non-criminal violation of the law, usually a county or city ordinance. The disposition of these charges typically involves a fine or forfeiture.
Sentence: A consequence imposed by a judge after a person has been found guilty of committing a crime.

For questions about this information, contact Courtney B. Spitz (608) 264-9339

Last updated on 7/8/2008 1:18:41 PM