Richland County Felony Records

Richland County felony records are kept by the Circuit Clerk's office in Olney, Illinois. This southeastern Illinois county has a population near 15,000 and belongs to the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The clerk's office at 103 West Main Street maintains all felony filings, docket entries, court orders, bond records, and sentencing documents. This page explains how to search for Richland County felony records through online tools and in-person visits, what the fees are, and what Illinois law says about public access to these criminal case files.

Richland County Circuit Clerk Office

Zach Holder is the Circuit Clerk for Richland County. His office handles all criminal case filings, docket records, bond paperwork, and court orders tied to felony cases. The office is at 103 West Main Street, Suite 21, in Olney. You can call 618/392-2151 to ask about a specific case or to check on what paperwork you need for a records request.

The 2nd Judicial Circuit includes Richland County along with several neighboring counties in southeastern Illinois, such as Wabash, Lawrence, and Crawford. Each county in the circuit maintains its own case files and has its own clerk. If you are unsure where a case was filed, the staff at the Richland County office can often point you to the correct county.

Search Richland County Felony Records Online

Richland County uses Judici for online case lookups. This free tool lets you search by name or case number to find docket entries, charges, case status, and hearing dates. Just pick Richland County from the list and type in what you know. Results come up right away.

You can also try re:SearchIL, the statewide court document repository run by Tyler Technologies. Some Richland County documents might appear there. Neither system gives you the full case file, though. The Illinois Supreme Court's Electronic Access Policy limits document access to in-person visits at the courthouse.

The Judici system lets you search across many Illinois counties at once through the multicounty search feature.

This screenshot shows Judici's multicounty search tool, which lets you look up felony case data from Richland County and other participating Illinois courts at the same time.

Richland County Felony Records Fees

Copy fees are set by state law. They are the same at every circuit court in Illinois. The first page costs $2.00. Pages two through nineteen run $0.50 each. From page twenty on, the cost drops to $0.25 per page. Certification adds $6.00 per seal.

ISP name searches cost $16 by paper or $10 electronically. That is per name. Mail requests to the Richland County clerk should include a check or money order payable to the Richland County Circuit Clerk. Put the case number or the defendant's full name on your request. A self-addressed stamped envelope will speed things up. In-person requests are handled at the counter during business hours.

Illinois Law and Richland County Felonies

Every felony arrest in Richland County is reported to the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) requires all law enforcement agencies in Illinois to submit fingerprints and arrest data. The ISP maintains a central database in Joliet with over five million records.

Sentencing for Richland County felonies follows the Unified Code of Corrections (730 ILCS 5). Class X carries 6 to 30 years. Class 1 is 4 to 15. Class 2 means 3 to 7 years. Class 3 brings 2 to 5 years. Class 4 is 1 to 3 years. Those ranges appear in Richland County felony records alongside the charges and final disposition.

Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), anyone can request a statewide conviction search from the ISP. It costs $10 electronically or $16 on paper. No consent from the subject is required. Results only include convictions.

The ISP Bureau of Identification page is the main starting point for statewide criminal record searches that may include Richland County felony data.

Sealing and Expungement in Richland County

Some Richland County felony records may qualify for sealing or expungement. Sealing removes the record from public view but lets law enforcement and prosecutors still access it. Expungement destroys the record entirely. Whether someone qualifies depends on the felony class and their full criminal history. Certain Class 3 and Class 4 felonies can be sealed.

To start, file a petition with the Richland County Circuit Court. There is no fee for the petition itself. If the court grants the order, the ISP charges $60 to process it. The Illinois expungement and sealing page has a full walkthrough. You can reach out to ISP.Expungement.Unit@illinois.gov with questions.

FOIA Requests in Richland County

Illinois courts are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). Court records fall under separate judicial rules. Law enforcement agencies in Richland County are covered by FOIA, though. That includes the Richland County Sheriff and local police departments. Arrest reports, incident logs, and other documents can be obtained by sending a written FOIA request to those offices.

For contact details on any circuit clerk in the state, check the Illinois Courts circuit clerk directory. It lists the Richland County clerk and all others across Illinois.

Counties Near Richland County

Richland County is in southeastern Illinois, near several counties that handle felony records through their own circuit clerk offices.