Cook County, Illinois, is the second-most populous county in the US. According to the US Census Bureau, it has more than 5 million residents. The City of Chicago, the county seat, is the most populous city in Illinois.

Courts in Cook County

The Circuit Court is the apex court in Cook County. It is divided geographically into six municipal districts. Each Circuit Court in Cook County has eight specialized divisions, including Criminal, Chancery, Civil/Law, County, Domestic Relations, Domestic Violence, Probate, Pretrial, and Traffic Divisions.

Criminal cases such as armed robbery, murder, and assault are brought before the Criminal Division in a Circuit Court. Some Criminal Divisions may feature Problem-Solving Courts to provide support for veterans and mental health/drug treatment. The Chancery Division resolves cases regarding class actions, liens, and contract matters. Small claims and other civil cases involving monetary disputes above $10,000 are resolved at the Civil/Law Division.

Cook County also has more than 30 Administrative Adjudication Courts that handle matters concerning ordinance violations. These courts also conduct proceedings related to sanitation matters, zoning violations, parking tickets, and unlicensed businesses.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Cook County

Individuals can visit the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office to request public court records in Cook County. Examples of these court records include the following:

• Affidavits of witnesses
• Depositions
• Subpoenas
• Jury lists
• Indictments
• Verdicts or Dismissals
• Transcripts

Generally, each court in Cook County has a court clerk responsible for maintaining and disseminating public court records. Requesters can visit court clerks at courts’ locations to make in-person requests for physical copies of court records. The Circuit Court Clerk in Cook County also provides a centralized number (312) 603-5030 to reach the Customer Service Center and request public court records. Alternatively, individuals can search the Online Case Information to find Cook County public court records over the Internet.

Types of Public Court Records in Cook County

Court records in Cook County accessible to the public include:

• Civil court records
• Criminal court records
• Family court records
• Probate court records
• Traffic court records
• Small claims court records
• Adoption records
• Property and land records
• Court orders and judgments

Confidential Court Records

According to the Illinois Court Record And Document Accessibility Act, Cook County court records accessible to only the record holders are confidential. These records typically contain sensitive information and violate record holders' privacy rights. Examples of such records include:

• Medical records
• Mental health records
• Juvenile records
• Divorce records
• Financial records, such as bank account statements and tax returns
• Personal identification information, such as Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers
• Adoption records
• Trade secrets and proprietary business information

Record holders in Cook County may request the court to seal their records, thereby making them inaccessible to the public. To access sealed and confidential court records in Cook County, requesters must obtain court orders.

Juvenile Delinquency in Cook, IL

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Cook County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Illinois often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 5 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Cook County. Of that total, 80% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 4 court cases. Another 20% were dependency cases that accounted for 1 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Cook County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Cook County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Cook County, IL

https://www2.illinois.gov/

County Seat:	Chicago
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Home Rule
Year Organized:	1831
Total Square Miles:	1,635
2019 Population:	5,211,263
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Cook County, IL Courts