Clinton County Felony Records Lookup

Clinton County felony records are kept at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Carlyle. Part of the 4th Judicial Circuit, Clinton County stores all criminal filings at the courthouse. Whether you want to search felony records by name or pull a specific case file, the Carlyle office is where it all starts. Online access is also available for free through Judici. Clinton County has about 37,000 residents, and every felony case filed here is part of the public record unless sealed by a judge.

Clinton County Circuit Clerk Office

Rod Kloeckner serves as the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Clinton County. The office on Fairfax Street in Carlyle is where all felony records are stored and maintained. You can walk in during business hours to search for cases, review files, and get copies. The clerk staff will help with name searches or case number lookups.

Clinton County shares the 4th Judicial Circuit with several other counties in south-central Illinois. Each county in the circuit keeps its own records at its own courthouse. If the felony happened in Clinton County, the records are in Carlyle.

Call the office at 618/594-6615 if you have questions before visiting.

Search Clinton County Felony Records Online

Clinton County participates in Judici, the free case search system used by 82 Illinois counties. You can look up felony records at https://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_search.jsp?court=IL027015J. Search by name or case number. The system shows docket entries, hearing dates, and case outcomes.

Full documents are not available through Judici. The Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy limits online access to docket summaries for circuit court records. You see what happened in the case, when hearings occurred, and the final result. But the actual motions, orders, and other papers require a visit to Carlyle or a mail request to the clerk.

The statewide re:SearchIL portal from Tyler Technologies is another way to search for Clinton County court records online.

Clinton County Felony Record Fees

Copy fees follow the Illinois standard. The first page is $2.00, pages 2 through 20 are $0.50 per page, and anything after that is $0.25 per page. A certified copy adds $6.00 for each certification seal. If you need the clerk to search for a case without a number, the search fee is $6.00.

Pay with cash or check at the counter. Mail requests should include a money order or certified check payable to the Clinton County Circuit Clerk.

Felony Classes in Clinton County Cases

Every felony case in Clinton County is assigned a class based on Illinois law. The Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5) defines the five classes and their sentencing ranges. Class X is the most serious, carrying 6 to 30 years with no probation. Class 1 is 4 to 15 years. Class 2 is 3 to 7 years. Class 3 is 2 to 5 years. Class 4 is 1 to 3 years.

The felony class appears on the charging document in every Clinton County case. It tells you exactly where the charge falls in the severity scale. A case file will also show the specific statute that was allegedly violated, such as offenses defined in the Criminal Code of 2012 (720 ILCS 5).

Clinton County and the State Criminal Database

Every felony arrest in Clinton County gets reported to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. This is required by the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630). Law enforcement sends fingerprints and arrest data to the ISP for every felony charge. So Clinton County felony arrests show up in both the local court records and the statewide criminal history database.

The CHIRP system (Criminal History Information Response Process) is how authorized agencies submit criminal history checks through the ISP. The general public does not have direct access to CHIRP. Instead, you can request a name-based conviction check for $10 electronically or $16 on paper under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635).

To see your own record, do an Access and Review at a Live Scan vendor. This is free. Results come by mail.

Expungement and Sealing in Clinton County

Certain Clinton County felony records can be sealed or expunged under Illinois law. The Office of the State Appellate Defender explains who qualifies and how the process works.

File a petition at the Clinton County Circuit Court in Carlyle. If the judge grants it, the ISP charges $60 to process the order. After that, the record is removed from Judici and other public databases. Expunged records are destroyed. Sealed records still exist but are hidden from public view.

Note: Not all felony convictions are eligible for sealing. Check the Appellate Defender's guide for specific rules.

Clinton County Court Record Resources

You can find the full list of Illinois circuit clerks at the Illinois Courts clerk directory. This official directory has phone numbers and addresses for all 102 counties.

The clerk directory is maintained by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts and is updated as contact information changes.

Nearby County Felony Records

Clinton County sits in south-central Illinois near the St. Louis metro area. These neighboring counties have their own circuit clerk offices for felony records.

Clinton County Cities and Felony Records

Carlyle, Breese, and Trenton are some of the main communities in Clinton County. None have a population over 50,000. Felony cases from all cities and towns in the county are filed at the Circuit Court in Carlyle.