Definitely excellent advice. The County court clerk sites will yield the most accurate and up-to-date information in many counties for free.
Additionally, some counties will charge you a fee to search their court records online.
Unfortunately, far too many counties (Cook County aka Chicago for example) are not equipped for online searching of court records.
Personally, I believe that every county should provide for free online search of court records for one important reason: To protect the rights of individuals that have been acquitted of charges. For example: When someone is arrested and that arrest is covered/sensationalized by the news media, it is rare that the media publishes a follow-up detailing the outcome of that arrest. Since the media didn't report the acquittal or exhortation, when someone Google's your name the sensationalized damning news report of your arrest will be prominently featured.
