Lawrence County Felony Records Lookup

Lawrence County felony records are managed by the Circuit Clerk's office in Lawrenceville, Illinois. This county is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit and has around 16,000 residents. If you are trying to look up a felony case, check a court date, or get copies of criminal case documents, the clerk's office is the primary source. Online search tools are also available for Lawrence County felony records. This page covers how to access these records, the costs involved, and what Illinois law says about who can view them.

Lawrence County Clerk Information

Cheryl Winkles serves as the Circuit Clerk for Lawrence County. The office at 1100 State Street in Lawrenceville handles every felony case filing that goes through the county court. Staff members process new cases, maintain records of court orders, and manage bond and sentencing documents. Call 618/943-2815 to check on a case before visiting.

The 2nd Judicial Circuit covers several southern Illinois counties besides Lawrence. These include Jefferson, Marion, Wayne, Richland, White, Wabash, Edwards, Hamilton, Franklin, Washington, and Gallatin counties. Each one has its own clerk. If you are not sure where a felony was filed, ask the Lawrence County clerk. They can tell you if the case was charged in their court or somewhere else in the circuit.

Searching Lawrence County Felony Records Online

Lawrence County is part of the Judici case search system. This tool covers more than 82 Illinois counties and holds over 100 million records. Pick Lawrence County from the court list, type in a name, and the system shows matching felony cases with docket entries and charge details. There is no charge for basic searches.

The re:SearchIL statewide document repository is another option. Run by Tyler Technologies, it serves as the official system for Illinois courts. Some Lawrence County documents may be available here. Keep in mind that under the Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy, full case documents cannot be viewed remotely. Online tools show docket summaries only.

Fees for Lawrence County Felony Records

Copy fees follow the statewide schedule. The first page costs $2.00. Pages two through nineteen run $0.50 each. After page twenty, each page is $0.25. Certified copies add $6.00 per seal. These are the same fees at every circuit clerk office in Illinois.

Mail-in requests are accepted. Write a check or money order to the Lawrence County Circuit Clerk. Include the case number or the full name of the defendant so staff can find the right file. Add a return envelope with postage if you want the copies mailed back. For in-person requests, you can pay at the counter and get copies the same day in most cases. Older files may take longer if they have been moved to storage.

Note: Always call ahead to confirm the total cost before sending payment by mail.

Felony Classifications in Lawrence County

Every felony case in Lawrence County follows the classification system from the Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5). Class X felonies are the most serious, with sentences from 6 to 30 years in prison. Class 1 carries 4 to 15 years. Class 2 is 3 to 7 years. Class 3 is 2 to 5 years. Class 4, the least serious felony class, brings 1 to 3 years.

When you pull up a Lawrence County felony record, the case file will list the felony class next to each charge. This tells you how severe the charges are. Case numbers with "CF" are criminal felony cases. On Judici, the docket entries typically show the charge description and its class.

State Records for Lawrence County Felonies

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification collects criminal history records from every county. Under the Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630), law enforcement in Lawrence County must report all felony arrests to the ISP. Fingerprints and arrest data go into a statewide database. The BOI in Joliet stores over five million fingerprint files.

Anyone can request a name-based conviction search through the ISP under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635). The cost is $10 electronically or $16 by paper. No consent is needed from the person being searched. Results include only convictions, not arrests without disposition.

To challenge your own criminal history on file with the ISP, you need to complete an Access and Review. This involves going to a Live Scan vendor, getting fingerprinted, and having the results mailed to you. There is no fee for this personal review. The Live Scan vendor locator helps you find a location near Lawrence County.

This tool from the Illinois State Police lets you search for a Live Scan fingerprint vendor near Lawrenceville or anywhere in the state.

Expungement in Lawrence County

Some Lawrence County felony records may qualify for sealing or expungement. Not all do. The rules are in Section 5.2 of the Criminal Identification Act. Class 3 and Class 4 felonies may be sealed in some cases. Expungement removes the record completely. Sealing keeps it hidden from public searches but law enforcement can still access sealed records.

File a petition with the Lawrence County Circuit Court to start. There is no filing fee for the petition. Once a judge approves the order, the ISP charges $60 to process it. Visit the expungement and sealing information page for a step-by-step guide. You can also email ISP.Expungement.Unit@illinois.gov for help.

FOIA Requests in Lawrence County

Courts in Illinois are exempt from FOIA (5 ILCS 140). You cannot use FOIA to get court records. However, the Lawrence County Sheriff and local police departments do fall under FOIA. Send them a written request for arrest reports, incident reports, or other law enforcement records tied to a felony. The ISP FOIA page also takes requests for state-level records.

Counties Near Lawrence County

Lawrence County borders several other counties in the 2nd Judicial Circuit area. Each county has its own clerk and case files.