The Criminal Division handles all warrants of arrest for the Circuit Clerk's office.  Necessary documents are prepared and transmitted to the Illinois Department of Corrections preparatory to prisoner transfers.  The Criminal Division also conducts record searches, and clerks in the courtrooms for, criminal and misdemeanor cases.

Criminal Division clerks manage case files, and set dockets for trials preliminary hearings.  Visitors need to understand that these skilled clerks are NOT attorneys and are PROHIBITED by law from providing any legal advice.

The Criminal Division of the Circuit Clerk's office is where criminal charges are filed and processed. Filings initiated by the State’s Attorney, Attorney General, or a Grand Jury on behalf of law enforcement agencies, establish the following case types:

                        Criminal Felony (CF)

Felony case numbers are assigned when at least one count charges a felony crime.

                        Criminal Misdemeanor (CM)

Misdemeanor case numbers are assigned when the most serious charge carries a penalty of less than one year imprisonment.

                                Juvenile (J)

Juvenile case numbers are assigned to proceeding involving young people, not yet  adults for purposes of criminal law.                  

Juvenile and Neglect (JA)

Juvenile and Neglect case numbers are assigned to cases of a neglected or abused minor.  (If the case contains multiple counts, including delinquency, the case is assigned a JD case number).

Juvenile Delinquency (JD)

Juvenile Delinquency case numbers are assigned to all cases involving a delinquent minor.

The State’s Attorney and private citizens may apply for an Order of Protection. It is the following case type:

Order of Protection (OP)

Order of Protection case numbers are assigned to cases  of  abused and abusive persons. The State's Attorney's office may issue a Criminal Order of Protection, and should be consulted regarding criminal protection.

Municipalities and other local governments may file proceedings for an Ordinance Violation. It is:

Ordinance Violation (OV)

Ordinance Violation case numbers are assigned to cases when a violation of local ordinance is charged. (With the exception of violation of a traffic ordinance, this would have a TR or DT case number).           

 These types of cases are filed in the Circuit Clerk's office. It is the responsibility of the employees to enter the data into the computer, prepare all files for court hearings, update files after court hearings, file pleadings into case files, and take payments from defendants.