Illinois circuit courts

Last updated
A map of Illinois breaking out its twenty-five total judicial circuits as of December 5, 2022. IL Circuit Court Map with Circuit Numbering.png
A map of Illinois breaking out its twenty-five total judicial circuits as of December 5, 2022.

The Illinois circuit courts are state courts of the judiciary of Illinois. They are trial courts of original and general jurisdiction. As of 2024, outside of Cook County which has its own circuit court, there are 24 numbered circuits, which may include one or more counties of Illinois -- the numbering of the circuits is based on when they were created, generally new higher numbers go to circuits that were later created from out of the lower numbered circuit courts.

Contents

Judges

There are two kinds of judges in the circuit court: circuit judges and associate judges. Circuit judges are elected for six years, may be retained by voters for additional six-year terms, and can hear any kind of case. Circuit judges are elected on a circuit-wide, or "at-large", basis or from the county or sub-circuit where they reside, depending on how the particular seat was created. The Illinois State Constitution provides that each county have at least one circuit judge elected from that county's residents. Additional "resident" circuit judges may exist pursuant to a constitutional provision or legislative act. Associate judges are appointed by the circuit judges of a circuit pursuant to Supreme Court rule to serve four-year terms. Associate judges may be reappointed by the circuit judges for additional four-year terms. The terms of all associate judges throughout the state run concurrently; i.e., they all expire on the same date regardless of when an associate judge is appointed. An associate judge can hear any case, except criminal cases punishable by a prison term of one year or more, unless the associate judge has received approval from the Chief Judge of the respective circuit court to hear other criminal cases. [1] Circuit judges in a circuit elect one of their members to serve as chief judge of the circuit court. Cases may be assigned to general or specialized divisions by the chief judge, who has general administrative authority in the circuit, subject to the overall administrative authority of the Supreme Court. [2]

Jurisdiction

The circuit court has general jurisdiction and can decide, with few exceptions, any kind of case. The exceptions are redistricting of the Illinois General Assembly and the ability of the governor of Illinois to serve or resume office. The circuit court also shares jurisdiction with the Supreme Court of Illinois to hear cases relating to revenue, mandamus, prohibition, and habeas corpus. However, if the Supreme Court chooses to exercise its jurisdiction over these cases, the circuit court may not decide them. The circuit court also reviews administrative decisions of certain state agencies. Circuit courts may also have concurrent jurisdiction with federal courts, subject to removal jurisdiction.

Circuits

There are 25 judicial circuits in the state, each comprising one or more of Illinois' 102 counties. The jurisdiction of seven of these circuits courts are solely within the confines of a single county; these are Cook, Kane, Will, DuPage, Lake, McHenry (all Chicago metropolitan area counties), and St. Clair in Metro East. The other 18 circuits each contain between two and 12 counties.

Circuit Court of Cook County

The Circuit Court of Cook County is not a numbered circuit. The Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022 increased the number of subcircuits from 15 to 20 subcircuits starting December 2, 2024.

First Circuit

The First Circuit consists of the counties of Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Johnson, Union, Jackson, Williamson, and Saline. [3]

Second Circuit

The Second Circuit consists of the counties of Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton, Franklin, Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, Jefferson, Richland, Lawrence, and Crawford. [3]

Third Circuit

The Third Circuit consists of the counties of Madison and Bond. [3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the third circuit is to receive four subcircuits (three in Madison County, one in Bond County).

Fourth Circuit

The Fourth Circuit consists of the counties of Clinton, Marion, Clay, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Montgomery, Shelby, and Christian. [3]

Fifth Circuit

The Fifth Circuit consists of the counties of Vermilion, Edgar, Clark, Cumberland, and Coles. [3]

Sixth Circuit

The Sixth Circuit consists of the counties of Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, Macon, DeWitt, and Piatt. [3]

Seventh Circuit

The Seventh Circuit consists of the counties of Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Scott, Greene, and Jersey. [3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the seventh circuit is to receive seven subcircuits (two in Sangamon County, one in each of the remaining counties).

Eighth Circuit

The Eighth Circuit consists of the counties of Adams, Schuyler, Mason, Cass, Brown, Pike, Calhoun, and Menard. [3]

Ninth Circuit

The Ninth Circuit consists of the counties of Knox, Warren, Henderson, Hancock, McDonough, and Fulton. [3]

Tenth Circuit

The Tenth Circuit consists of the counties of Peoria, Marshall, Putnam, Stark, and Tazewell. [3]

Eleventh Circuit

The Eleventh Circuit consists of the counties of McLean, Livingston, Logan, Ford, and Woodford. [3]

Twelfth Circuit

The Twelfth Circuit consists of Will County. [3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the twelfth circuit is to receive five subcircuits.

Thirteenth Circuit

The Thirteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Bureau, LaSalle, and Grundy. [3]

Fourteenth Circuit

The Fourteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Rock Island, Mercer, Whiteside, and Henry. [3]

Fifteenth Circuit

The Fifteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Ogle, and Lee. [3]

Sixteenth Circuit

The Sixteenth Circuit consists of Kane County. [3]

Seventeenth Circuit

The Seventeenth Circuit consists of the counties of Winnebago and Boone. [3] The number of subcircuits will decrease from four to two effective December 2, 2024.

Eighteenth Circuit

The Eighteenth Circuit consists of DuPage County. [3] The circuit is further divided into seven subcircuits.

Nineteenth Circuit

The Nineteenth Circuit consists of Lake County. [3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the number of subcircuits in the Nineteenth Circuit is to increase from 6 to 12 subcircuits.

Twentieth Circuit

As of December 5, 2022, the twentieth circuit consists solely of St. Clair County. Prior to December 5, 2022, it had also included the counties of Randolph, Monroe, Washington, and Perry. [3]

Twenty-first Circuit

The Twenty-first Circuit consists of the counties of Iroquois and Kankakee. [3]

Twenty-second Circuit

The Twenty-second Circuit consists of McHenry County. [3] The circuit was created when McHenry County was separated from the Nineteenth Circuit into its own circuit and is divided into four subcircuits. It came into effect December 4, 2006. [4]

Twenty-third Circuit

The Twenty-third Circuit consists of the counties of DeKalb and Kendall. [3] The circuit was created after DeKalb County and Kendall County were split from the Sixteenth Circuit by Public Act 97-0585. The circuit came into effect on December 3, 2012. [4]

Twenty-fourth Circuit

The twenty-fourth circuit came into effect on December 5, 2022. It consists of the counties of Randolph, Monroe, Washington, and Perry. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States courts of appeals</span> Post-1891 U.S. appellate circuit courts

The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal judiciary. They hear appeals of cases from the United States district courts and some U.S. administrative agencies, and their decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. The courts of appeals are divided into 13 "Circuits". Eleven of the circuits are numbered "First" through "Eleventh" and cover geographic areas of the United States and hear appeals from the U.S. district courts within their borders. The District of Columbia Circuit covers only Washington, DC. The Federal Circuit hears appeals from federal courts across the entire United States in cases involving certain specialized areas of law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States district court</span> Trial court of the U.S. federal judiciary

The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one federal courthouse in each district, and many districts have more than one. District court decisions are appealed to the U.S. court of appeals for the circuit in which they reside, except for certain specialized cases that are appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit or directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Circuit courts are court systems in several common law jurisdictions. It may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary Act of 1789</span> United States law establishing the federal court system

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was a United States federal statute enacted on September 24, 1789, during the first session of the First United States Congress. It established the federal judiciary of the United States. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution prescribed that the "judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and such inferior Courts" as Congress saw fit to establish. It made no provision for the composition or procedures of any of the courts, leaving this to Congress to decide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of Maryland</span> Highest court in the U.S. state of Maryland

The Supreme Court of Maryland is the highest court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief justice and six associate justices, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis. The term of the Court begins the second Monday of September. The Court is unique among American courts in that the justices wear red robes.

The judiciary of Australia comprises judges who sit in federal courts and courts of the States and Territories of Australia. The High Court of Australia sits at the apex of the Australian court hierarchy as the ultimate court of appeal on matters of both federal and State law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of Illinois</span> Highest court in the U.S. state of Illinois

The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the judiciary of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the five appellate judicial districts of the state: three justices from the First District and one from each of the other four districts. Absent mid-term vacancy, each justice is elected for a term of ten years, which may be renewed and the chief justice is elected by the court from its members for a three-year term.

The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with statewide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The New Jersey Constitution of 1947 establishes the power of the New Jersey courts: under Article Six of the State Constitution, "judicial power shall be vested in a Supreme Court, a Superior Court, and other courts of limited jurisdiction." The Superior Court has three divisions: the Law Division which is the main trial court for cases of civil or criminal law, the Chancery Division, which tries equity law cases, and the Appellate Division, which is the intermediate appellate court in New Jersey. "Appeals may be taken to the Appellate Division of the Superior Court from the law and chancery divisions of the Superior Court and in such other causes as may be provided by law." Each division of the Superior Court is divided into various Parts."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Judicial Department</span>

The Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) is the judicial branch of government of the state of Oregon in the United States. The chief executive of the branch is the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. Oregon’s judiciary consists primarily of four different courts: the Oregon Supreme Court, the Oregon Tax Court, the Oregon Court of Appeals, and the Oregon circuit courts. Additionally, the OJD includes the Council on Court Procedures, the Oregon State Bar, Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability, and the Public Defense Services Commission. Employees of the court are the largest non-union group among state workers.

The Illinois Appellate Court is the court of first appeal for civil and criminal cases rising in the Illinois Circuit Courts. In Illinois, litigants generally have a right to first appeal from final decisions or judgements of the circuit court. Three Illinois Appellate Court judges hear each case and the concurrence of two is necessary to render a decision. The Illinois Appellate Court will render its opinion in writing, in the form of a published opinion or an unpublished order. As of 1935, decisions of the Illinois Appellate Court became binding authority upon lower courts in Illinois.

The Government of Guam (GovGuam) is a presidential representative democratic system, whereby the president is the head of state and the governor is head of government, and of a multi-party system. Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States with policy relations between Guam and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circuit Court of Cook County</span> Judicial circuit in Illinois, U.S.

The Circuit Court of Cook County is the largest of the 25 circuit courts in the judiciary of Illinois as well as one of the largest unified court systems in the United States – second only in size to the Superior Court of Los Angeles County since that court merged with other courts in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Cape Division</span> Superior court of law in the Western Cape, South Africa

The Western Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa is a superior court of law with general jurisdiction over the Western Cape province of South Africa. The division, which sits at Cape Town, consists of 31 judges led by Acting Judge President Patricia Goliath, former Acting Constitutional Court Justice.

The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Circuit Courts</span> State trial courts in Alabama

The Alabama Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of general jurisdiction in the State of Alabama. The Circuit Courts have jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases. For civil cases, the courts has authority to try cases with an amount in controversy of more than $3,000 and has exclusive original jurisdiction over claims for more than $10,000. The Circuit Courts are the criminal trial courts for most felony charges, and for some misdemeanors and lesser included offenses. The Circuit Courts also have appellate jurisdiction over certain cases arising from the Alabama District Courts.

The Superior Court is North Carolina's general jurisdiction trial court. It was established in 1777 and is North Carolina's oldest court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Superior Courts</span>

The Superior Court is Georgia's general jurisdiction trial court. It has exclusive, constitutional, authority over felony cases, divorce, equity and cases regarding title to land. The exclusive jurisdiction of this court also covers such matters as declaratory judgments, habeas corpus, mandamus, quo warranto and prohibition. The Superior Court corrects errors made by lower courts by issuing writs of certiorari; for some lower courts, the right to direct review by the Superior Court applies.

The judiciary of Illinois is the unified court system of Illinois primarily responsible for applying the Constitution and law of Illinois. It consists of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, and circuit courts. The Supreme Court oversees the administration of the court system.

The judiciary of Michigan is defined under the Michigan Constitution, law, and regulations as part of the Government of Michigan. The court system consists of the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals as the intermediate appellate court, the circuit courts and district courts as the two primary trial courts, and several administrative courts and specialized courts. The Supreme Court administers all the courts. The Michigan Supreme Court consists of seven members who are elected on non-partisan ballots for staggered eight-year terms, while state appellate court judges are elected to terms of six years and vacancies are filled by an appointment by the governor, and circuit court and district court judges are elected to terms of six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Illinois judicial elections</span>

The 2022 Illinois judicial elections consisted of both partisan and retention elections.

References

  1. ↑ "Illinois Supreme Court Rule 295" (PDF). illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Supreme Court. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Welcome to the Official Site of the Illinois Courts".
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (Source: Circuit Courts Act (705 ILCS 35/)
  4. 1 2 "Public Act 97-0585". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.