Adams County Felony Records

Adams County felony records are kept by the Circuit Clerk in Quincy, Illinois. As one of the larger counties in western Illinois with a population near 67,000, Adams County processes a steady volume of felony cases through the 8th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office at 521 Vermont Street holds all case filings, docket sheets, bond records, and sentencing documents tied to felony charges. You can search these records online through the Judici platform or visit the courthouse in person. This page covers how to find felony records in Adams County, the fees you will pay, and what Illinois law says about public access.

Adams County Circuit Clerk Office

Lori Geschwandner serves as the Circuit Clerk for Adams County. Her office handles all criminal case filings, docket entries, bond paperwork, and court orders for felony matters heard in the county. The courthouse is at 521 Vermont Street in Quincy. Call 217/277-2100 to ask about a case or find out what you need to submit a records request.

Adams County is part of the 8th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Brown, Cass, Mason, Menard, Pike, Sangamon, and Schuyler counties. Each county keeps its own files. Quincy is the county seat and by far the largest city in the county. Most felony cases in the circuit that come from Adams County are tied to Quincy or surrounding areas. If you think a case was filed in a different county in the circuit, you will need to contact that county's clerk.

Search Adams County Felony Records Online

Adams County participates in Judici, which is a free case search tool used by many Illinois counties. You can look up felony cases by name or case number. The site shows docket entries, hearing dates, charge details, and case status. Pick Adams County from the list, type in a name, and results come up fast.

Another option is re:SearchIL. This is a statewide document repository run by Tyler Technologies. Some Adams County court documents are available there. Keep in mind that neither platform gives you the full case file. The Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy limits what can be viewed online. For complete records, you need to go to the clerk's office in person.

When searching on Judici, use four-digit years in case numbers. For example, type 2024CF0050 rather than 24CF0050. This gets you more accurate results.

Fees for Adams County Felony Records

Copy fees are the same in every Illinois circuit court. The first page costs $2.00. Pages two through nineteen run $0.50 each. After page nineteen, the price drops to $0.25 per page. If you want a certified copy, add $6.00 per certification seal.

If you do not have a case number, the clerk can run a name search for you. That costs $6.00 per year searched. For mail requests, send a check or money order payable to the Adams County Circuit Clerk. Be sure to include the case number or the defendant's full name and date of birth. A self-addressed stamped envelope helps speed things up. Walk-in requests at the counter are taken during normal business hours.

Illinois Law and Adams County Felony Cases

Every felony arrest in Adams County gets reported to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification in Joliet. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) requires this. Fingerprints and arrest data go into a central state database. The ISP holds over five million fingerprint records.

Felony classes in Illinois are set by the Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5). Class X felonies carry 6 to 30 years. Class 1 is 4 to 15. Class 2 runs 3 to 7. Class 3 brings 2 to 5 years. Class 4 is 1 to 3 years. These sentencing ranges appear in Adams County felony records along with the specific charges and final outcome of each case.

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification homepage shows options for requesting records at the state level, including conviction history searches and Access and Review requests.

This screenshot shows the ISP Bureau of Identification landing page, which serves as the central hub for statewide felony record searches and fingerprint submissions.

Statewide Conviction Search

You can request a statewide conviction report through the ISP under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635). The electronic version costs $10. A paper search costs $16. You do not need the person's consent. Only conviction data shows up in the results, not arrests that did not lead to a conviction.

This is useful when you need records from more than just Adams County. The ISP database covers the entire state. Keep in mind the turnaround time can vary. Electronic requests are usually faster. Results come by mail or through the ISP's online portal, depending on how you submit.

Sealing and Expungement in Adams County

Certain Adams County felony records can be sealed or expunged. Sealing hides the record from the public. Police and prosecutors can still see it. Expungement destroys it. Not every felony qualifies. Some Class 3 and Class 4 felonies are eligible for sealing after a waiting period.

To start, you file a petition with the Adams County Circuit Court. There is no filing fee for the petition itself. If the judge grants the order, the ISP charges $60 to process it. The Illinois expungement and sealing page has step-by-step instructions. You can also email ISP.Expungement.Unit@illinois.gov with questions.

The Judici participating courts page lists all counties that use the Judici case lookup system, including Adams County.

This list confirms Adams County participates in Judici, which allows free online access to docket information and case status for felony filings.

FOIA Requests for Adams County

Courts in Illinois are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). Court records follow rules set by the judiciary, not FOIA. But law enforcement agencies in Adams County, such as the sheriff's office and Quincy police, are subject to FOIA. You can send a written FOIA request to get arrest reports, incident logs, and police records from those agencies.

The Illinois Courts circuit clerk directory has contact info for every clerk in the state. Use it to reach out to Adams County or any neighboring county clerk's office.

Counties Near Adams County

Adams County is in western Illinois along the Mississippi River. Several nearby counties handle their own felony cases through separate circuit clerks.