Access Adams County Criminal Court Records

Adams County criminal court records are filed with Circuit Clerk Lori Geschwandner at 521 Vermont Street in Quincy, serving around 64,100 residents in western Illinois along the Mississippi River. This page covers the online search options, in-person and mail request procedures, and statewide databases that include Adams County criminal case information.

Adams County Circuit Court Clerk

Circuit Clerk Lori Geschwandner manages the clerk's office at 521 Vermont Street, Quincy, IL 62301-2934. The main phone is 217/277-2100. Fax is 217/277-2116. You can also reach the office by email at circuitclerk@adamscountyil.gov. The clerk's website is at adamscountyil.gov/government/departments/circuit-clerk.

The clerk's office is the official holder of all court records filed in Adams County. For criminal matters, that includes felony and misdemeanor filings, charging documents, court orders, plea agreements, sentencing records, and docket histories. The clerk's office is your first stop when you need a specific criminal court record from Adams County.

On access to records, the clerk's office notes that while most records are available, some may be ordered suppressed, impounded, or kept confidential by the court. If a record you are looking for has been restricted by a court order, the clerk will let you know, though staff cannot provide details about why the restriction was placed.

The right to view public court records comes from 705 ILCS 105, the Clerks of Courts Act. Viewing a file is free. Copies carry a per-page fee. You don't need to state a reason when requesting to see a public record.

Adams County Criminal Court Records Online

Adams County participates in Judici.com for online case search. Judici covers 82 of Illinois' 102 counties and provides access to Adams County criminal court records by party name, case number, or attorney. Results show case type, charges, hearing dates, and current status. Basic searches are free and require no registration.

The Adams County clerk also offers online payment of fines, costs, and bail through the Judici platform. Payments can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using a credit or debit card. This payment option is separate from the case search function but is available through the same Judici interface.

Judici.com provides online access to Adams County criminal court records and also handles online payment of court fines, costs, and bail for cases filed in Adams County.

For appellate decisions, the statewide re:SearchIL database has provided free access to reviewing court records since May 1, 2025. If an Adams County criminal case was appealed, those records appear in re:SearchIL. Circuit-level records stay with the Adams County clerk.

In-Person, Mail, and Email Requests

To view records in person, go to 521 Vermont Street, Quincy during courthouse business hours. Have the subject's full name ready and a case number if you have one. Staff will pull the file. Certified copies are available at the counter for the standard per-page fee.

Mail requests go to 521 Vermont Street, Quincy, IL 62301-2934. State the subject's name, approximate filing dates, and the type of record you need. Email inquiries can be sent to circuitclerk@adamscountyil.gov. Keep in mind that actual record copies generally require mail or in-person pickup rather than email delivery. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope when requesting by mail.

Without a case number, the clerk must do a manual search, which takes longer. The more specific you can be about names, dates, and case type, the faster the clerk can locate the record.

Statewide Criminal History Records

Adams County circuit court records only cover cases filed in this county. For a full picture of criminal history across Illinois, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains a statewide database of conviction records spanning all 102 Illinois counties. ISP BOI is at 260 N. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL 60432, phone 815/740-5160.

Online criminal background checks can be ordered at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification/BackgroundChecks. The Uniform Conviction Information Act, 20 ILCS 2635, governs what ISP can disclose. Certified ISP reports are used by employers, licensing boards, and other organizations that require a verified criminal history check.

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification compiles conviction data from courts across all Illinois counties, providing statewide criminal history reports that go beyond Adams County criminal court records alone.

To view your own criminal history record for free, use the CHIRP self-review system at chirp.isp.illinois.gov. CHIRP also lets you dispute errors in the record if the information is wrong or out of date.

Public Records Access and Restrictions

Most Adams County criminal court records are public. Charging documents, court orders, sentencing entries, and docket histories are all open to inspection. The Illinois courts operate on a presumption of openness for records in their custody.

The Adams County clerk has noted that some records will not be available because they are ordered suppressed, impounded, or confidential by the court. The Court Record and Document Accessibility Act, 705 ILCS 86, sets out the framework for what courts can restrict. Beyond court-ordered restrictions, the clerk also redacts personal data like Social Security numbers from copies of public files.

Illinois courts are not subject to FOIA. Under 5 ILCS 140, the Freedom of Information Act, the judiciary is exempt. The correct way to request court records is through the clerk's office public access procedure, governed by the Clerks of Courts Act, not a FOIA request.

Resources for Self-Represented People

Illinois Legal Aid Online has free plain-language guides on expungement, sealing, and court record access. Illinois Court Help provides live chat with court navigators who explain the court process without giving legal advice. Both are free. Quincy is the county seat of Adams County with a population of about 39,109 and does not have its own qualifying city page on this site.

The Illinois Courts Circuit Clerk Directory lists all 102 county clerks statewide. If you need records from a nearby county or want to compare procedures in western Illinois, the directory gives you up-to-date contact information for every clerk.

Nearby Counties

Adams County sits in western Illinois and borders several counties, each with their own circuit courts and records systems.