Clark County Criminal Court Records

Clark County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Marshall and cover all criminal cases filed in the 5th Judicial Circuit. This page explains how to search, request, and access criminal court records in Clark County, Illinois, whether you need case filings, docket history, or disposition information from the Marshall courthouse.

Clark County Circuit Court Clerk in Marshall

Ami Shaw is the Clark County Circuit Court Clerk. The mailing address is P.O. Box 187, Marshall, IL 62441. Call the clerk at 217/826-2811 or send a fax to 217/826-1391.

The Circuit Court Clerk in Marshall is the official custodian of all criminal court records in Clark County. This includes criminal complaints, informations, indictments, motion filings, hearing dockets, plea agreements, and sentencing orders. Staff can search by defendant name or case number and pull documents from the file. Copy fees are established by 705 ILCS 105, the state statute that sets uniform fees for all Illinois circuit court clerks.

Visiting the courthouse in Marshall during business hours is the fastest way to get records. If you can't come in person, a mail request is accepted. Include the defendant's full name, the approximate case year, and any case number you have. Enclose a check or money order for copy fees and the clerk will mail back what's found.

Online Search: Judici and re:SearchIL

Clark County is among the 82 Illinois counties that participate in Judici.com. Judici lets you search Clark County criminal cases by name or case number at no charge. It pulls data directly from the circuit court system and typically shows charges filed, hearing dates, and final dispositions.

The screenshot below shows the Judici.com search interface that covers Clark County and other participating counties.

Search Clark County cases on Judici.com

Older or incomplete records may not be fully available on Judici. Verify anything official with the clerk's office in Marshall.

The state also offers re:SearchIL, a free statewide case search portal open since May 1, 2025. It covers criminal and civil cases from courts across Illinois, including Clark County. No account is needed. Use it at researchil.tylerhost.net. Both tools are good for locating case numbers. Certified documents require a request to the Clark County clerk.

What Clark County Criminal Records Are Public

Illinois law makes most adult criminal court records open to the public. That means anyone can access criminal complaints, indictments, motion filings, hearing dockets, plea agreements, and sentencing orders filed in Clark County Circuit Court. No reason is needed to request these records.

Records that are not open include juvenile criminal cases, sealed or expunged records, and documents where sensitive personal data has been redacted. Adoption cases are closed. If a Clark County case has been sealed, the clerk can confirm its existence but cannot provide the file without a court order. Illinois courts are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act under 5 ILCS 140, so FOIA requests sent to the circuit court will not be processed.

ISP Criminal History for Statewide Records

The Clark County clerk covers only cases from that county. For a full Illinois criminal history, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide records. The ISP BOI can be reached at 815/740-5160 or at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification. The BOI handles fingerprint-based background checks for employers and licensing agencies.

Individuals who want to review their own criminal history can do so for free through CHIRP at chirp.isp.illinois.gov. The Access and Review process costs nothing. Use the ISP BOI for statewide history and the Clark County clerk for county-level records.

Below is a screenshot of the ISP BOI page where background check forms and CHIRP login information are available.

Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification

For anyone who needs a complete criminal record picture across Illinois, the ISP BOI is the right starting point beyond the county level.

Court Filing and Legal Resources

Clark County sits in the 5th Judicial Circuit. Attorneys file criminal documents through eFileIL at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. Self-represented parties should call the clerk at 217/826-2811 before trying to e-file, as some criminal case types still require in-person submission at the Marshall courthouse.

The Illinois Courts website has a full directory of circuit court clerks at illinoiscourts.gov. Free legal information is available through Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org and Illinois Court Help at ilcourthelp.gov. These sites cover criminal procedure, expungement, and court navigation. For an active criminal case, consult a licensed attorney.

Nearby Counties

Counties near Clark each have their own circuit court clerks who maintain criminal court records separately.