Stephenson County Criminal Court Records

Stephenson County criminal court records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Freeport, covering all criminal matters processed through the 15th Judicial Circuit. This page covers how to search for Stephenson County criminal court records using online tools or in-person methods, and how to get certified copies when you need them.

Circuit Court Clerk Office in Freeport

Shanelle Bardell is the Stephenson County Circuit Court Clerk. The office is at 15 North Galena Avenue, Freeport, IL 61032. The mailing address is P.O. Box 785. Call the clerk at 815/235-8266 or send a fax to 815/233-1576. The office website is at stephensoncountyil.gov/circuit-clerk.

The clerk's office is the official custodian of criminal court records for all cases filed in Stephenson County circuit court. Criminal cases here include misdemeanor charges, felony prosecutions, DUI cases classified as criminal matters, and other offenses prosecuted in the 15th Judicial Circuit. The clerk indexes each case, records every filing, and maintains the complete case file from start to finish. When a case is resolved, the final disposition becomes part of the permanent record.

To get records in person, you need to visit the courthouse during business hours. Bring the defendant's name and an approximate year the case was filed. A case number helps but is not always required. Staff will search the index and make copies for you. Copy fees are charged per page. State law at 705 ILCS 105 sets the framework for what clerks charge and what services they must provide. Certified copies, which carry an official court stamp, cost a bit more than plain copies but are required for most legal uses.

Online Search Tools

Stephenson County participates in Judici.com. Judici is a third-party platform that supports online criminal case searches for 82 of Illinois's 102 counties. You can search by defendant name or case number at no charge and see charges, hearing dates, and dispositions. No registration is needed to use the basic search function.

The screenshot below shows the Judici portal, which you can use to search Stephenson County criminal cases along with many other Illinois counties.

Search Stephenson County criminal cases on Judici.com

Judici is a private service and not an official state system. Data may be incomplete for older cases filed before electronic indexing was in place. For anything you'll use legally, confirm details with the clerk's office directly.

The state's official search portal, re:SearchIL, is at researchil.tylerhost.net. It became free on May 1, 2025, and covers criminal and civil cases from courts across Illinois. Because re:SearchIL connects to the official court case management system, it is typically more current than Judici for recently filed cases. It does not require an account for basic name searches.

What Records Are Public in Stephenson County

The public criminal court record in Stephenson County includes criminal complaints, indictments, motions filed by either party, court orders, plea agreements, sentencing documents, and final dispositions. Case dockets, which list every action taken in a case, are also public. Anyone can access these records without giving a reason.

Some records are not open. Juvenile criminal cases are sealed by law throughout Illinois. Records expunged or sealed by a court order are removed from the public index. Copies of public records have Social Security numbers, financial account identifiers, and certain protected personal information redacted before they are given out. In some case types, victim information is withheld as well.

It is worth noting that Illinois courts are exempt from the state FOIA law. Under 5 ILCS 140, the judiciary is specifically carved out of the Freedom of Information Act. This means you cannot use FOIA to get court records. Instead, you request records directly from the clerk's office under court rules.

Illinois State Police Criminal History Records

For a broader criminal history check that covers more than just Stephenson County, the Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains statewide records. The BOI number is 815/740-5160, and their page is at isp.illinois.gov/BureauOfIdentification.

The BOI handles fingerprint-based background checks for employers and licensing agencies. Individuals can check their own criminal history for free through the Access and Review process. The CHIRP portal at chirp.isp.illinois.gov allows for online self-checks. The rules around who can access criminal history records and for what purpose come from 20 ILCS 2635, the Criminal Identification Act.

Court Resources and E-Filing

The Illinois Courts website covers the structure of the state's circuit courts, including how criminal cases are handled. The site also maintains the statewide clerk directory at illinoiscourts.gov.

The screenshot below shows the circuit clerk directory from the Illinois Courts website, which lists contact information for all 102 county circuit clerks including Stephenson County.

Illinois Circuit Court Clerks Directory

For e-filing in Stephenson County criminal cases, attorneys use eFileIL at efile.illinoiscourts.gov. Self-represented parties should call the clerk at 815/235-8266 before attempting to file electronically, as some criminal case types still require paper filings at the courthouse.

Free Legal Help

Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org offers free guides on criminal court procedures, expungement, and how to navigate court records. Illinois Court Help at ilcourthelp.gov is aimed at self-represented people and explains court processes in plain language. Neither site provides legal advice for individual cases, but they are useful for understanding how the system works. For anything involving your own legal rights in a criminal matter, consulting a licensed attorney is always a good idea.

Nearby Counties

Counties near Stephenson each maintain criminal court records through their own circuit clerks.