Part I General Provisions

1-3.01 Authority

A. Electronic filing and access of court records is undertaken and conducted in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, in compliance with the Electronic Filing Standards and Principles established by the Supreme Court of Illinois, M.R. 18368, effective January 1, 2013 or as may be amended in the future and access to the electronic records will be in compliance with the Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts dated April 1, 2004.

B. The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit seeks to provide for electronic access to court records in a manner that provides maximum accessibility to court records; promotes governmental accountability; supports the role of the judiciary, court clerk and staff; protects individual privacy rights and interests; protects proprietary business information and minimizes reluctance to use the Court to resolve disputes.

C. These Rules shall become effective upon filing with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and remain in effect until further Order.

Back to the Top
 

1-3.02 Definitions

A. Basic Access- An electronic system provided by the Circuit Clerk that allows remote users access to basic court information and records that is otherwise available at the courthouse, without cost or pre-registration. This system, complies with the requirements set forth in the Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts, effective January 1, 2003 and revised April 1, 2004.

B. Basic Court Record- The basic record as defined under Part 1 of the Manual on Recordkeeping or law.

C. Bulk Dissemination- A request for all, or a significant subset, of the information in court records that is maintained in electronic form, as is and without modification or compilation.

D. Compiled information- Information derived from the selection, aggregation or manipulation of court information from more than one individual court record, including statistical reports, and information that is not already available in an existing record or report.

E. Court Rule- Any Rule of the Supreme Court of Illinois and any local rule or administrative order established as provided by Supreme Court Rule 21.

F. Electronic Access- Inspection of the electronic court record can be made through the use of technology, such as the internet, direct dial, KIOSK, etc., as provided by local rule.

G. Electronic Court Record- Includes information related to the indexes, calendars, record sheets, pleadings, complaints, orders, dispositions, and other case information which are maintained by the clerk of the court in electronic form and not excluded under Sections 23.04 and 23.08 of this policy, by court rule, order of court, or law.

H. Enhanced Remote Access- An electronic system provided by the Circuit Clerk that allows subscription access to compiled and bulk dissemination of court records. This system involves a subscription fee, pre-registration and setup, and complies with the requirements set forth in the bulk dissemination and compiled records exceptions of Section 4 of the Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts, effective January 1, 2003 and revised April 1, 2004.

I. In Electronic Form- Information in a court record "in electronic form" which includes information that exists as:

A. electronic representations of text or graphic documents;

B. an image, including a video image, of a document, exhibit or other thing; or

C. data in the fields or files of an electronic database.

J. Law- Any federal or state statutes passed by the U. S Congress or the Illinois General Assembly. 
 
Back to the Top
 

1-3.03 Availability of Court Records

A. These Rules do not limit or expand access to the official court records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Access to the record is governed by the Supreme Court's General Administrative Order on Recordkeeping in the Circuit Courts and applicable laws. The official court record held by the Clerk of Court is available for inspection during regular office hours for that office.

B. Electronic court records will be available for access subject to unexpected technical failures,  or system maintenance.

C. Except as provided in LCR 1-3.04 and 1-3.07 of this Part, the electronic court record is an exact representation of the official court record.
  
Back to the Top
 

1-3.04 Destruction of Court Records

A. The General Administrative Order on Recordkeeping in the Circuit Courts provides for the destruction of certain court records. Any record which has been approved to be destroyed pursuant to those provisions may no longer be available for inspection in electronic form. 

B. Pursuant to the General Administrative Order on Recordkeeping in the Circuit Courts, the Clerk of the Circuit Court may elect to continue to provide access to all or part of the electronic court record where approval has been received to destroy the basic record of the case. 

C. A court's case management system may necessitate that portions of the electronic court record be removed from or not be made available by electronic access. 
 
Back to the Top
 

1-3.05 Fees for Access

A. There shall be no additional fee for electronic access to the court record as provided for in these Rules. However, this does not limit a Clerk of the Circuit Court from charging fees for copies of documents filed with the clerk, regardless of the form, format, or medium of the exchange of those documents.

B. This Rule does not apply to contractual relationships for the provision of any service under the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program or as allowed by Court Rule or law. 
 
Back to the Top
 

Part II Basic Access to Court Records

1-3.06 Basic Access to Court Records

Every member of the public will have the same electronic access to court records as provided in these Rules except as provided in LCR 1-3.04 and 1-3.07. 

A. "Public" includes:

1. any person and any business or non-profit entity, organization or association;

2. any public governmental agency for which there is no existing Court Rule, Order, or law defining the agency's access to court records;

3. media organizations; and

4. entities that gather and disseminate information for whatever reason, and regardless of whether it is done with the intent of making a profit, without distinction as to nature or extent of access. 

B. "Public" does not include:

1. court or clerk of court employees;

2. people or entities, private or governmental, who assist the Court in providing court services;

3. public or governmental agencies whose access to court records is defined by another Court Rule, Order or law; and

4. attorneys of record who may be allowed greater electronic access to their specific cases by Local Court Rule, dependent upon the capabilities of the case management system on which those records are stored. 

C. Electronic records listed under the Basic View Field List per the Attachment to LCR 1-3.00 will be available under the Basic Electronic Access Program.

Back to the Top
 

1-3.07 Limitations to Electronic Access

A. Certain Electronic Court Records are excluded from public access as follows: 

1. Information that is impounded, sealed, or expunged pursuant to law or by Court Rule, Order of Court, or pursuant to the Manual on Recordkeeping shall be excluded from public access in electronic form. Access and inspection of this information is governed by the existing Court Rules and laws for public access of the official court record. Requests for inspection of this information must be made in person at the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court.

2. Information that is excluded from public access in electronic form pursuant to Supreme Court Rules 15 and 138, unless access is provided at the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court through the use of a computer terminal which does not allow information to be downloaded or exported and only if such access is not otherwise prohibited by these Rules. Information that is excluded in electronic form is: 

a. Financial information that provides identifying account numbers of specific assets, liabilities, accounts or, credit cards, first five digits of social security numbers, or P.I.N. numbers of individuals or business entities; 

b. Proprietary business information such as trade secrets, customer lists, financial information, or business tax returns;
 

c. Information constituting trade secrets, copyrighted or patented material or which is otherwise owned by the state or local government and whose release would infringe on the government's proprietary interests; 

d. Notes, drafts and work products prepared by a Judge or for a Judge by court staff or individuals working for the Judge related to cases before the Court; 

e. Names, addresses, or telephone numbers of potential or sworn jurors in a criminal case; 

f. Juror questionnaires and transcripts of voir dire of prospective jurors; 

g. Wills deposited with the Court pursuant to the Manual on Recordkeeping; 

h. Arrest warrants (at least prior to the arrest of the person named).

B. Requests for Bulk Dissemination of bulk information in electronic form is not permitted for court records, except as provided for in Part Ill of these Rules, Court Order, or other law.

C. Dissemination of compiled information in electronic form is not permitted, except where explicitly provided for in Part Ill of these Rules, Court Order, or other law. 
 
Back to the Top
 

1-3.08 Additional Court Records

A. The following information in court records will be made electronically accessible through the basic access system if it exists in electronic form, except as provided in LCR 1-3.04 and 1-3.07:

1. Indexes to cases as provided in the Manual on Recordkeeping;

2. Calendars of court proceedings;

3. The record sheet as provided for in the Manual on Recordkeeping;

4. Sentencing information in criminal and quasi-criminal cases.

Back to the Top
 

Part III Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program

1-3.09 Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program

The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit hereby establishes a policy to allow access to court records maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court through the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program. The Circuit Judges of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, by this Rule, hereby authorize the establishment of the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program to the Clerk of the Circuit Court's File Databases, as a way to process compiled records requests and bulk dissemination of court records. 
 
Back to the Top
 

1-3.10 Subscriber Agreements

A. The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall maintain a log/index, which may be maintained manually and/or by computer, of all Subscriber Agreements entered into by the Clerk under the provisions of this Rule. The log/index shall include:

1. Name, address, and telephone number of the subscriber;

2. Name of the contact person for the subscriber;

3. Beginning date of the Subscriber Agreement;

4. The date of any termination or cancellation of the Subscriber Agreement;

5. Reason for termination or cancellation.

B. A current copy of the subscriber's log/index shall be made available to the Chief Judge or his designee.

C. A subscriber will be terminated from the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program for violation of any of the access Rules contained herein, running scripts or any attempt to modify the access program.
Back to the Top
 

1-3.11 Accessible Records

Electronic records listed under the Enhanced Access Field List per the Attachment to LCR 1-3.00 will be available under the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program. 
 
Back to the Top
 

1-3.12 Non-Accessible Records

The following records may not be accessed by subscribers under the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program:

1. Any records excluded from Basic Access under LCR 1-3.04 except as specifically allowed by LCR 1-3.11. 

2. Any records excluded from Basic Access under LCR 1-3.07 except as specifically allowed by LCR 1-3.11. 

B. Reserved

Back to the Top
 

1-3.13 Document Storage Fund

Any fees collected by the Clerk of the Circuit Court under this program shall be deposited in the Clerk's Document Storage Fund and shall be used solely for the purposes authorized by the applicable law. The Clerk of the Circuit Court shall annually provide an accounting of all receipts pursuant to the Enhanced Remote Electronic Access Program to the Chief Judge or his designee. 
 
Back to the Top

INFORMATION FIELD LIST AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC ACCESS 
Search criteria to include: Last Name, First Initial, Year of Birth, Case Type and Case Number. 
The Year of Birth will only be used to initiate and narrow the search, it will not display on records that are returned. 

Regardless of possessing either the Basic or Enhanced Access permission, no records concerning juvenile, adoption, mental health, sealed, impounded or other records excluded by LCR 1-3.04 or 1-3.07 will be displayed.

Back to the Top