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14 days in jail… because of a database error

April 06, 2026 posted by Steve Brownstein

A man spent 14 days in jail… because of a database error.

Not because of a confirmed crime.

Not because of a verified court record.

But because of a database error.

Michael Brewer spent 14 days in jail.

Law enforcement relied on information from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) that showed a prior felony. The problem?

---The felony had already been reduced to a misdemeanor.

---The database was never updated.

---No one verified the court record.

And just like that—

A “hit” became an arrest.

An arrest became 14 days in jail.

This is the industry reality:

Anyone can return a clear.

Databases are full of them.

But when a “hit” appears—

That’s where the real work begins.

Because a hit is not the answer.

A hit is a question.

--Is it accurate?

--Is it current?

--Is it the right person?

--What is the actual disposition?

In this case, none of those questions were properly answered.

This isn’t just a law enforcement issue.

It’s a background screening issue.

Because too many systems still treat database results as fact—

instead of what they really are:

---Unverified indicators

The difference >

Anyone can get the clears.

It’s the hits we pay for.

And more importantly—

It’s what you do after the hit that defines the quality of your search.