Coles County Criminal Court Records Lookup

Coles County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Charleston and cover all criminal proceedings in the 5th Judicial Circuit. This page covers how to find and obtain Coles County criminal court records, whether you're searching online, by mail, or in person at the courthouse.

Coles County Circuit Court Clerk

Melissa Hurst serves as the Coles County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is at 651 Jackson Avenue, Room 128, Charleston, IL 61920. The mailing address is P.O. Box 48. The main phone number is 217/348-0516, and the fax is 217/348-7324. The office website is at co.coles.il.us/circuit-clerk.

The clerk's office keeps the official criminal court record for every case filed in Coles County. Criminal cases include misdemeanors, felonies, and traffic offenses charged as criminal matters. For each case, the clerk indexes the filing, tracks all documents added to the case file, and records what the court ordered at each stage. When a case ends in a conviction, acquittal, or dismissal, the disposition becomes part of the permanent file.

To get records in person, visit the courthouse during regular business hours. Know the defendant's name and the approximate year the case was filed, or have a case number if you have one. Staff will search the index and provide copies. Fees are charged per page for plain copies and at a higher rate for certified copies. State law under 705 ILCS 105 sets the framework for what circuit clerks may charge and how they must serve the public.

Online Search: Judici and re:SearchIL

Coles County uses Judici.com for online case access. Judici is a third-party service used by 82 of Illinois's 102 counties. You can search criminal cases by defendant name or case number at no cost. Results show charges, hearing dates, case status, and dispositions. No account is required to search.

The screenshot below shows the Judici portal used to search criminal records in Coles County and other participating Illinois counties.

Search Coles County cases on Judici.com

Judici is a useful starting point. It is not an official government system, and it may not have complete data for older cases. Confirm anything important directly with the clerk's office.

For a more comprehensive online option, Illinois courts operate re:SearchIL at researchil.tylerhost.net. This free statewide portal has been available to the public since May 1, 2025. It connects to the official court case management system and is often more current than Judici for recent filings. Both tools are worth checking when you're researching a case.

Public Records and Confidential Records

Illinois law makes most adult criminal court records public. Case filings, indictments, motions, court orders, pleas, sentencing records, and dispositions are all part of the public case file. Case dockets showing the complete history of filings and hearings are also available.

Some categories remain confidential. Juvenile criminal cases are sealed by law. Records expunged or sealed by court order are removed from the public index. Social Security numbers and financial account identifiers are redacted from copies before they are given out. Victim information in certain case types may also be withheld.

A common question is whether you can FOIA criminal court records in Illinois. The answer is no. Under 5 ILCS 140, the Illinois judiciary is specifically exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Court records are accessed through the clerk's office under court rules, not through a FOIA request. This is one of the more important things to know if you're used to requesting government records through FOIA in other contexts.

Illinois Courts and State Resources

The Illinois Courts website provides information about the state's entire circuit court system. You can find information about how criminal cases are handled, what the rules of court are, and where specific courts are located. The courts site also maintains a clerk directory at illinoiscourts.gov with contact details for all 102 counties.

The screenshot below shows the Illinois Courts homepage, which is the central resource for statewide court information including criminal court records access.

Illinois Courts official website

For federal criminal matters, cases from Coles County go through the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Federal records are accessible through PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov. Federal cases are separate from state circuit court records entirely.

Statewide Criminal History Records

When you need a criminal history check that covers more than one county, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification is the right agency. The BOI maintains statewide arrest and disposition records. Contact them at 815/740-5160 or visit isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification.

Employers and licensing agencies request fingerprint-based checks through the BOI's formal process. Individuals who want to see their own criminal history can do so for free through the CHIRP portal. The rules around how criminal history records are collected and shared in Illinois come from 20 ILCS 2635, the Criminal Identification Act. This statute defines what counts as a criminal history record and sets limits on who can access it and for what purpose.

Free Legal Help and E-Filing

Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org has detailed guides on how to navigate criminal court records, understand your rights, and petition for expungement if you are eligible. Illinois Court Help at ilcourthelp.gov is tailored for self-represented people dealing with court matters. Both sites are free and do not require you to create an account.

For e-filing in Coles County criminal cases, attorneys use eFileIL at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. If you are representing yourself in a criminal matter, contact the clerk's office at 217/348-0516 before trying to file anything electronically. Some filing types still require in-person submission at the courthouse.

Nearby Counties

Counties adjacent to Coles each maintain their own criminal court records through circuit clerks in their county seats.