Find Ford County Felony Records

Ford County felony records are on file with the Circuit Court Clerk in Paxton, Illinois. The county belongs to the 6th Judicial Circuit and is home to about 13,000 people. Looking up a felony case here can be done online through Judici or by visiting the clerk's office at the courthouse. Criminal filings, docket entries, and court orders for Ford County felony cases are public records held by the clerk. You can search by name or case number online, or request copies in person or by mail. The clerk's staff can walk you through the process if it is your first time.

Ford County Felony Records Online

Judici is the main way people look up felony records in Ford County from home. Ford County is one of more than 80 Illinois counties that participate in this case search system. You type in a name or case number and get results right away. It does not cost anything for a single case search. The system has over 100 million records from Illinois courts. Use the full four-digit year when entering a case number, like 2024CF1234.

What Judici shows you are docket entries, court dates, and case status updates. Actual case documents are another matter. The Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy went into effect in April 2004. It limits online access to docket summaries only. You cannot view or download the full case file from home. For that, you need to visit the Ford County clerk's office in Paxton or send a written request.

The re:SearchIL statewide document repository might also have some Ford County filings. Tyler Technologies runs this system for the Illinois courts. Coverage depends on the county and the type of case.

Ford County Circuit Clerk Details

Kasi Schwarz is the Ford County Circuit Clerk. The office at 200 W. State in Paxton is where all felony records for the county are filed and stored. Call 217/379-9420 to ask about a case or to check what the process looks like for getting copies. Walk-ins are welcome during business hours. The staff can search for a felony case by the defendant's name or by case number and print copies on the spot.

Under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630), law enforcement in Ford County must send fingerprints and arrest data for every felony arrest to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. The ISP holds that data in its statewide database. But the court records themselves, including filings, dispositions, sentencing orders, and docket sheets, stay with the circuit clerk in Paxton.

Fees for Ford County Felony Records

Ford County charges the standard Illinois rates for court record copies. A name-based search costs $6.00. Skip this fee if you already have the case number. Copies run $2.00 for the first page, $0.50 per page for pages two through nineteen, and $0.25 for each page after that. Certification costs $6.00 per document.

For in-person visits, you can pay with cash, check, or money order. Mail requests should include a check or money order made out to the Ford County Circuit Clerk. Do not send cash. Include only the $6.00 search fee at first. The clerk will let you know the total once the search is done and you can then pay the balance for copies.

Note: Certified copies carry more weight with courts and other agencies, so request certification if you plan to use the records officially.

Ford County Felony Case Types

A felony case in Ford County begins with an arrest by local police or the sheriff's department. The State's Attorney reviews the case and decides whether to press charges. Once charges are filed, the clerk assigns a "CF" case number and the file enters the 6th Judicial Circuit Court system.

Illinois law classifies felonies into five levels. The Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5) sets the sentencing ranges. Class X felonies are the most serious at 6 to 30 years with no probation. Class 1 is 4 to 15 years. Class 2 carries 3 to 7 years. Class 3 is 2 to 5 years. Class 4 is 1 to 3 years. When you look up a Ford County felony record, the class of the charge is on the docket. This tells you the severity of the offense. Most felony cases in a county this size involve Class 3 or Class 4 offenses, though more serious charges do come through the Ford County court from time to time.

Illinois State Police and Ford County

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains criminal history records from every county, including Ford County. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), anyone can submit a name-based search to get conviction data. It costs $16 by paper or $10 electronically. Only convictions show up. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction are left out. You do not need consent from the person being searched.

A fingerprint-based search costs more but gives a fuller picture. The paper rate is $20 and the Live Scan rate is $15. Check the ISP fee schedule for all the details. The BOI office in Joliet requires an appointment. Call 815-740-5160.

The Illinois Courts clerk directory lists contact info for every circuit clerk in the state, including Ford County.

The ISP fee schedule page shows what you will pay for name-based and fingerprint-based searches that may include Ford County felony data.

Expungement of Ford County Felony Records

Some Ford County felony records may qualify for expungement or sealing. Expungement destroys the record. Sealing hides it from most public view, though law enforcement keeps access. Section 5.2 of the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) lays out the rules. Not every felony conviction can be sealed. Class 3 and Class 4 felonies have the best chance of qualifying.

The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a free step-by-step guide at osad.illinois.gov. File the petition with the Ford County Circuit Court. The ISP charges $60 to process the court order after a judge signs it. The petition filing itself is free. Contact the ISP Expungement Unit at ISP.Expungement.Unit@illinois.gov for questions. Courts are exempt from FOIA (5 ILCS 140), but local police agencies are not, so you can request arrest reports through a FOIA filing if needed.

Counties Near Ford County

Ford County is surrounded by several other Illinois counties. If a felony was filed in a neighboring jurisdiction, you will need to contact that county's clerk.