Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court

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Case Types:	Criminal Misdemeanor, Felony preliminary hearing
Dates:	Last ten years
Courts:	First Municipal

Content:

Content generally includes: The First Municipal Criminal Case files usually contain an arrest report, a Criminal Complaint, bond information, and, if applicable, a Prisoner Data Sheet.

Illinois Code of Criminal Procedure – 725 ILCS 5/

Illinois Supreme Court Rules

Circuit Court Rules and Orders

Illinois Criminal Offenses – 720 ILCS 5/

Circuit Court of Cook County – An Informational Guide

Criminal and Traffic Expungement Guidelines and Forms

Criminal and Traffic Sealing Guidelines and Forms

Identity Theft/Factual Innocence Guidelines and Forms

Clerk of the Circuit Court Criminal Department Forms

Clerk of the Circuit Court General Forms

Cook County Sheriff’s Office – Department of Corrections

More information regarding the Expungement and Sealing Process can be obtained by contacting the office of the State Appellate Defender.

Information regarding Criminal History Searches can be obtained by contacting the Illinois State Police.

Domestic Violence Resources and Advocates

Official Court Reporter’s Office
2650 South California Avenue
773-869-6065

Adult Probation Department
2650 South California Avenue
773-869-3351

For additional assistance to people representing themselves (pro se litigants), please visit the Clerk of Circuit Court Self Represented (Pro Se) Resources page.

1) Filing of Motions

2) Filing of Criminal Misdemeanor Appeals

3) Reviewing Court Files

4) Obtaining Certified Copy of Disposition

5) Obtaining Criminal History Search

6) Processing a Bond

1. Filing a Motion

To motion a case back into court, it is called the motion process.

Generally the motion will be heard in the last court branch before the same judge, although this is not always the case. If a case is still pending, a person may file a motion in the Criminal Branch Court location where the case was heard with the Court Clerks. Otherwise, a person may file a motion in the Clerk's Office, located at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006, Chicago, IL 60602 for both inactive and pending cases.

The person wishing to file a motion must provide the case number or defendant name. The Clerk will then research the case and provide the person with a motion form to be completed by the customer. The customer will complete the motion form, indicating the reason that the motion is being filed with the Court. After the customer completes the motion form, the clerk will set a court date in which the case will be heard. In the Criminal Department, motions are generally heard at 9:00 a.m. in the particular Branch Court location.

2. Filing of Criminal Misdemeanor Appeals

A person may file an appeal of a final order from a judge. A person has 30 days from the date of the judge's final order in which to file an appeal. If a guilty plea was entered, the defendant has 30 days in which to file a motion to vacate his guilty plea. If the presiding judge denies the motion, the defendant has 30 days in which to file an appeal of the denied motion, including any previously imposed sentencing order. This can be done at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006, Chicago, IL 60602.

If a person would like to file an appeal after 30 days from the final order, then he or she may file a Late Notice of Appeal with the Illinois Appellate Court at 160 North LaSalle Street, 14^th Floor.

The person wishing to file an appeal is obligated to complete the sentence imposed by the judge, even throughout the appeal process.

3. Reviewing a Court File

A person wishing to review a court file should go to Room 1006 in the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street to the Court File Request Counter. If the case was filed within the past seven years, the file is on-site and can be viewed on the date of request, unless the file is pending in court. The person requesting the file must provide a valid photo I.D. card in order to view the file.

If the case were filed later than seven years ago, the customer would make a request for the file by listing the cases on a Warehouse Request Form. The files would then be ordered by our Record Center and be available for viewing within three to five business days.

4. Obtaining a Certified Copy of Disposition

In order to obtain a certified disposition of a case, the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County needs the defendant's name, date of birth, and date of arrest. Our office provides dispositions for Chicago cases only. If the case occurred in one of the Suburban Districts in Cook County, you might contact or visit that particular Suburban district to obtain case dispositions.

There is a fee of $9.00 for each certified disposition. (Fee Schedule)

5. Obtaining a Criminal History Search

There are three ways in which to request a Criminal History search

1. Criminal Department counter

2. Mail Request

3. Governmental Agency fax request

If the arrest occurred before 1985, you must provide a rap sheet from the Chicago Police Department.

If a person was arrested and released without being charged, the person must provide an arrest report or a rap sheet that indicates that the person was released without being charged. This information may also be obtained at the Chicago Police Department.

If a person is out of state and the arrest occurred in Chicago, arrest information may be obtained by contacting the

Illinois State Police
Division of Administration
Bureau of Identification
260 North Chicago Street
Joliet, Illinois 60432
(815) 740-5160

6. Processing a Bond

If the bond slip was not surrendered in the courtroom, the bond slip or bond number may be brought the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006, Chicago, IL 60602. A receipt of the transaction will be provided to you for your records.

Normally, the processing period is 21 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the date when the bond is presented to the Clerk's Office. Refund checks are mailed to the address indicated on the bail bond form.

If a person requests to change the address for the bond refund, a valid piece of identification and a piece of mail indicating the address where you wish to have the bond check sent is required. The Clerk's Office will complete a Change of Address Affidavit at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington, Room 1006 based upon the information provided.

The Criminal Department of the Clerk of the Circuit Court is the keeper of the records of all criminal court proceedings Misdemeanor Criminal cases that occur in the City of Chicago - First Municipal District. The Criminal Department is a 365-day a year operation. The Criminal Department Branch Courts handle Misdemeanor Criminal Cases, Preliminary Hearing Felony cases, Domestic Violence cases and out of county and Cook County Warrants. Central Bond Courts handles Felony and Misdemeanor Bond hearings.
Cook and Other County Warrants	Any criminal case which originates in another county, a warrant has been issued and the defendant has been placed in custody here in Cook County.
Domestic Violence	Any criminal case of a domestic nature in which a dispute is resolved. Domestic Violence cases involve domestic dispute and cases in which an Order of Protection is requested and/or obtained. All Domestic Violence cases must be accompanied by a criminal complaint.
Felony-Preliminary Hearings	Any criminal case which is punishable by over one year in state prison, or over $1,500.00 in fines. Preliminary Hearings are heard to determine if in fact a case has enough evidence to be prosecuted in the Criminal Division.
Misdemeanor cases	Any criminal case, which is punishable by one year or less in jail, or up to $1,500.00 in fines.
Cook and Other County Warrants: Any criminal case which originates in another county, a warrant has been issued and the defendant has been placed in custody here in Cook County.

CCG-0603A & CCG-603B , Effective 1/3/2006 (705 ILCS 105/27.2(a))

Municipality Fees (705 ILCS 105/27.2)

Court Forms

Each of the Divisions provides access to official court forms. There are several ways to obtain the forms. In the office, forms are also available from staff at each of the Division’s public service counters. The public can also access court forms on this website.

Filing a Criminal Expungement Petition

Criminal Expungement Packet

Filing a Criminal Sealing of Record

Criminal Sealing of Record Packet

1) How do I find out my next court date?

2) If I am late or if I miss my court date, how do I reschedule my court date?

3) How do I process my bond and how long does it take to get my bond refund check in the mail?

4) How do I change the address for my bond refund?

5) How can I find out if I have an outstanding warrant?

6) Can I get a certified disposition of my case?

7) How much does a certified disposition cost?

8) How can I do a background check on an individual?

9) How do I order case files for viewing purposes?

10) Can I get copies of court documents?

11) How do I check to see if a person has been arrested?

12) How do I file an expungement?

13) How much does it cost to file an expungement?

14) If a person has a conviction, can they still file an expungement?

15) How long does the expungement or sealing process take?

16) Can I file an appeal?

17) When I file an appeal, do I still have to complete my sentence that the judge entered on my case?

1)      How do I find out my next court date?
You may find out your next court date by providing our office with your name(s), alias(s), date of birth, year of arrest(s), and charge(s). The Clerk�s Office will be able to locate the customer�s case(s) with this information.

2)      If I am late or if I miss my court date, how do I reschedule my court date?
You may reschedule your court date by filing a motion.�If the case is still pending, you may file a motion in the Criminal Branch Court locations on the same day with the Court Clerks.�Otherwise, you may file in the Clerk�s Office located in the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006 for both inactive and pending cases.

3)      How do I process my bond and how long does it take to get my bond refund check in the mail?
If you did not surrender your bond slip in the courtroom, you may bring the bond slip or the bond number(s), to the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006.�A receipt of the transaction will be provided to you for your records.
Normally, the processing period is 21 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) from the date when the bond is presented to the Clerk�s Office.�Refund checks are mailed to the address indicated on the bail bond form.

4)      How do I change the address for my bond refund?
A valid piece of identification and a piece of mail indicating the address where you wish to have the bond check sent is required.�Our office will complete a Change of Address Affidavit at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, Room 1006 based upon the information provided.

5)      How can I find out if I have an outstanding warrant?
If you provide your name or case number the Clerk�s Office can conduct a search of our system.

6)      Can I get a certified disposition of my case?
Yes.�The Clerk�s Office needs your name(s), alias name(s), date of birth, date of arrest, and charges to search for the appropriate case(s).�The Clerk�s Office provides dispositions for Chicago cases only.�If your case occurred in one of the suburban districts in Cook County, you must contact or visit that particular suburban district (Districts 2 through 6) to obtain case dispositions.

7)      How much does a certified disposition cost?
Each certified disposition costs $9.00.

8)      How can I do a background check on an individual?
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is the keeper of court records.�The Clerk�s Office maintains a name index that may be searched for public records.�You may utilize our public access computers in order to perform a search of the name index.�The Clerk Of The Circuit Court does not provide background check services.

9)      How do I order case files for viewing purposes?
Our office can assist you with case files for immediate viewing, if you would like to view a case from 1997 to the present, unless the case file is still pending in court.�If you would like to view files from the years 1986 through 1996, you may list the cases in our office on a Warehouse Request Form. Those files will be available for viewing within 3 to 5 business days.

10)      Can I get copies of court documents?
Yes, you may obtain copies of court documents that are within the case files.�The cost of copies depends on the number of pages. The first page is $2.00; the next 19 pages are $.50 per page; and any pages after the 19th page are $.25 per page.

11)      How do I check to see if a person has been arrested?
You may check by contacting your local police department.�The Clerk�s Office maintains the records for individuals who have been arrested and where charges have been filed.�There are circumstances in which the police may conduct an arrest but not actually file charges.�In those cases, the Clerk�s Office would not have a record of the arrest event.

12)      How do I file an expungement?
Expungements may be filed if the final disposition on a case is classified as a non-conviction.�Information packets complete with forms and instructions are available at the Clerk�s Office located at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington, Room 1006, Chicago, Illinois 60602 or at 2650 South California Avenue, Room 526A, Chicago, Illinois 60608 or on the Clerk�s Office website www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.

13)      How much does it cost to file an expungement?
The fee (Fee Schedule) is to be paid upon filing for an expungement.�This is payable by cash, check or money order to the �CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT.�

14)      If a person has a conviction, can they still file an expungement?
A person with a conviction may not qualify for an expungement, but may qualify for a Petition to Seal.�The information packets are available in the Clerk�s Office located at the Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1006, Chicago, Illinois or at 2650 South California, Room 526A, Chicago, Illinois or on the Clerk�s Office website www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org.

15)      How long does the expungement or sealing process take?
A person�s criminal history may be expunged between 90 to 180 days, which may vary. Each petition is on a case-by-case basis.�The Petition to Seal process requires a period of not less than 90 days.

16)      Can I file an appeal?
Yes.�A person has 30 days from the date of the judge�s final order to file an appeal.�If a guilty plea was entered, you have 30 days to file a motion to vacate your guilty plea.�If the presiding judge denies your motion, then you have 30 days to file an appeal of the denied motion, including the previously imposed sentencing order.

17)      When I file an appeal, do I still have to complete my sentence that the judge entered on my case?
Yes, you are still obligated to complete the sentence that the judge entered, even throughout the appeal process.�Completion of a sentence is dependant upon the appeal bond that is set.�If an appeal bond is not posted then the sentence imposed must be enforced.

Title:	Court Forms
Content:	Each of the Divisions provides access to official court forms. There are several ways to obtain the forms. In the office, forms are also available from staff at each of the Division’s public service counters. The public can also access court forms on this website.