An arrest disposition can come in several different formats from the traditional paper form to a CD-ROM. Although these documents are all of public record (unless a juvenile disposition), they must be handled confidentially.
Definition
A disposition of arrest is the final status of a criminal arrest. It states whether the arrested individual was convicted, acquitted or the arrest was dismissed.
Paper Forms
There are several official paper forms that can be used to document a disposition. The R-84 Final Disposition Report is the most commonly used paper disposition form. Court orders and computerized forms approved by the state in which the disposition was conferred are two alternates to the R-84. The standard R-84 form is free by request from the FBI.
Tape Dispositions
According to the FBI, only state agencies can submit dispositions via magnetic resonance disposition (MRD) tape. To submit dispositions via MRD tape, the state must meet the following requirements:
The State Criminal History Repository is the agency that sends in dispositions, expungement requests, corrections, deceased notices and consolidations and the State Criminal History Repository must be the point of origin for MRD submission. Only three media formats are allowed:; 3480 cartridge, 8 millimeter tape or CD-ROM.