A Felony case number shall be assigned when a complaint, information , or indictment is filed in which at least one count charges a felony crime.

A Misdemeanor case number shall be assigned when a case is filed in which the most serious charge carries a penalty of less than one year imprisonment.  (this does not apply to OV cases, which are defined elsewhere.)

An Ordinance Violation case number shall be assigned to any case in which violation of a local ordinance is charged. (With the exception of violation of a traffic ordinance which would receive a TR or DT case number.)

A Juvenile case number shall be assigned to any proceeding involving a young person who has not yet attained the age at which he or she should be treated as an adult for purposes of criminal law.

A Juvenile and Neglect Case number shall be assigned to all cases involving a neglected or abused minor.  (if the case contains multiple counts and any of the counts are delinquency, then the case shall be assigned a JD case number.)

A Juvenile Delinquency case shall be assigned to all cases involving a delinquent minor. (For example, a minor who is caught shoplifting a department store, runs away from home, engages in indecent conduct, or is habitually truant from school, etc.)

An order of Protection case number shall be assigned to any case where individuals have suffered some type of abuse against a spouse, former spouse, parent, children, stepchildren, and other person related by blood or marriage, persons who have or had been dating or engagement relationships, persons who share or formerly shared a common dwelling and person who have or allegedly have a child in common, or a personal assistant to a person with disabilities or a person who has responsibility for a high-risk adult with disabilities.  The Order of Protection provides them with legal protection against the person performing the abuse.  If you do not meet any of the above criteria, you must contact the State's Attorney's office for a Criminal Order of Protection.

Once the above 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. 

The Criminal Division also handles all Warrant of Arrest for the Circuit Clerk's office.  They prepare all paperwork to send defendants to the Department of Corrections.  They also prepare record searches, and clerk in the courtrooms for various types of criminal cases and court hearings.