help Family Watchdog inform the public

FamilyWatchdog.us believes the public is entitled to all public safety information available. We also believe all offenders should be treated fairly, and there are registered offenders and other interested parties who would like the opportunity to fully disclose the circumstances under which offenders were convicted.

FamilyWatchdog.us is adding public court documents to the offender information we already collect from the states. We want you to have enough information about registered offenders, and the circumstances of their convictions and offenses, to make an informed decision whether a you believe a specific offender is a potential threat to you and your family, or is just a person who simply made a mistake and presents little or no risk.

Documents that are submitted will be viewable by all FamilyWatchdog.us visitors at no cost.

If you want to submit documents to this program, we need the following information:

Offender's name, address and state of registration
Certified true copies of the following documents:
    Charging and probable cause documents
    Indictments
    Trial records
    Evidence
    Plea bargain agreements
    Conviction records
Other documents may be accepted on review by FamilyWatchdog.us.

The name, address, phone number, and email address of the person submitting the documents. This information will be remain confidential. We will only contact you if we have questions.

Send documents to:
    FamilyWatchdog.us
    1950 Greyhound Pass
    Suite 18-352
    Carmel, IN 46033

Below are some questions and answers about this program.

Who can submit court documents to FamilyWatchdog.us?
Victims, offenders, law enforcement, courts or any other interested party. In other words, anyone.

I want people in my community to know what offenders have done. I am willing to go get records from my local courthouse for all offenders. Can I gather and send them to FamilyWatchdog.us?
Yes, as long as you follow all the other guidelines posted.

What will FamilyWatchdog.us accept?
We will accept certified court documents for publicly disclosed registered offenders.

What are court documents?
Charging and probable cause documents, indictments, trial records, evidence, plea bargain, and conviction records are acceptable. Other documents may be accepted on review by FamilyWatchdog.us.

What does certified mean?
Each page of every document submitted must be stamped and certified by the court clerk or prosecutor as being a true and original copy of the court record. Copies or non-certified documents will not be accepted.

My lawyer has all the documents. Can I get them from her/him?
As long as any documents submitted are certified by the court clerk or prosecutor as true and original copies.

Who decides what information will be displayed?
FamilyWatchdog.us will make the final determination what will be presented on the FamilyWatchdog.us site.

Are the states participating in this program?
This is a FamilyWatchdog.us initiative. No states are currently participating.

What information will you not display?
We will redact (black out) victim and witness names.

Any information (for example evidence photographs containing child pornography) that is illegal for us to distribute.

Any information we determine to be too offensive or obscene for our visitors.

What will you reject?
Information about an offender (or alleged offender) not on a state public registry will not be processed.

Copies of documents that are not stamped or signed

Statements about an offender (or alleged offender) not offered in probable cause documents or trial proceedings.

Can I email you the documents?
No. We must have original documents.

Where should I send them?
You can send them to:
    FamilyWatchdog.us
    1950 Greyhound Pass
    Suite 18-352
    Carmel, IN 46033

Will you send the documents back to me?

We will retain all documents submitted. We will not return any documents, so if you need a copy, please make a copy for yourself prior to sending to us.

Will FamilyWatchdog.us pay any fees associated with gathering these documents?
Any court or copying fees will have to be paid by the person submitting the documents.

Is there a cost to use this service?
There is no fee for any Family Watchdog service.

Is there a fee to view the documents when uploaded to FamilyWatchdog.us?
No. We will provide this service free of charge.

I have a question. How do I contact you?
Please address any questions you have to our customer service group at c.s@familywatchdog.us.