Find Clark County Criminal Records

Clark County criminal records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Marshall, Illinois. This eastern Illinois county has a population of about 15,000 and sits along the Indiana border. Searching for criminal case data here is straightforward. Clark County is part of the Judici online court system, so you can look up cases from your computer. The county falls in the 5th Judicial Circuit, which also serves Edgar, Coles, Cumberland, and Vermilion counties. Whether you visit the courthouse in Marshall or use the free online tools, criminal records in Clark County are accessible to the public under state law.

Clark County Circuit Court Clerk

The Clark County Circuit Clerk handles all court records in the county. Their office is in the Clark County Courthouse in Marshall. This is where criminal case files are kept on record. If you need copies of a criminal filing, you can visit the clerk in person. Bring a valid ID. Have the case number or the full name of the person you are looking up. The staff will pull the file and make copies for a per-page fee.

Clark County is a small county, so the clerk's office handles a manageable volume of cases each year. Most criminal filings here involve misdemeanors and lower-level felonies. Serious felony cases still go through the same office, but they are less common in a county of this size. The 5th Judicial Circuit assigns judges to Clark County on a rotating basis. All of the court paperwork stays with the local clerk though.

Under Illinois law, conviction information is public. The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635) requires that conviction data be shared when someone asks for it. This applies in Clark County the same way it applies everywhere else in the state. If a case ended in a conviction, that record is open to the public.

Note: The clerk's office may have limited hours in smaller counties, so call ahead before visiting.

Clark County Criminal Records Online

Clark County uses Judici for online court record access. This is a free tool. You do not need to create an account or pay a fee to search. Just go to the Judici website, select Clark County from the dropdown list, and enter a name or case number. The system will show you any matching cases along with the charges, court dates, and disposition.

The Judici portal covers criminal cases, traffic violations, civil matters, and other case types filed in Clark County. For criminal record searches, you can see the charge descriptions and how the case was resolved. It does not give you the full case documents or police reports. Those are still held at the clerk's office. But for a quick check on whether someone has a criminal case in Clark County, Judici works well and it is free to use.

Many people start their search on Judici and then visit the courthouse if they need more detailed records. This saves time. You can confirm a case exists before making the trip to Marshall.

Illinois State Criminal Record Resources

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification maintains criminal history records for the entire state. Their database includes fingerprint files from every county, including Clark County. You can request a name-based conviction check or a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Bureau. Name-based checks cost $10 online and $16 for a paper request.

The CHIRP portal is the easiest way to run a statewide conviction check that covers Clark County. CHIRP stands for Criminal History Record Information Portal. You need an Illinois driver's license or state ID to set up an account. Once registered, you can search by name. Results come back fast. Keep in mind that CHIRP only shows convictions. It does not show arrests that were dropped or cases that are still pending.

The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) governs how criminal history information is stored and released in Illinois. This act controls the state database that holds records from every county. Clark County criminal records that are reported to the state police are covered by these rules. The act also lays out when records can be sealed or expunged.

Fees for Clark County Criminal Records

Copy fees at the Clark County Clerk's office depend on what you need. Plain copies cost less than certified copies. Call the clerk to check current rates. Fees can vary from year to year, and it is better to know the cost before you make a trip to the courthouse in Marshall.

For state-level services that include Clark County data, the Bureau of Identification has a set fee schedule:

• Name-based conviction check: $10 electronic, $16 paper
• Fingerprint-based state check: $15 electronic, $20 paper
• State plus FBI check: $27 electronic, $32 paper
• Expungement court order: $60
• Access and Review of your own record: free from the state

The re:SearchIL portal charges $0.10 per page to view court documents online, with a $3 cap per document. This state eFiling portal covers some filings from Clark County. Searching on Judici is free. You only pay when you need official copies or state-level criminal history checks.

Clearing Criminal Records in Clark County

If you have a criminal record in Clark County, you may qualify to have it expunged or sealed. Expungement removes the record from the system. Sealing hides it from most public searches but keeps it visible to law enforcement. The type of case and the outcome determine what you can do. Arrests that did not result in a conviction are often eligible for expungement.

You file a petition with the Clark County Circuit Court. There is a waiting period that depends on your case type. The court order fee is $60. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has free guides and forms to help you through the process. Their website covers the steps for filing in any Illinois county, including Clark. The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) also gives you the right to request public records from law enforcement agencies in Clark County. FOIA requests must get a response within five business days.

Nearby Counties for Criminal Records

Clark County is on the eastern edge of Illinois next to the Indiana border. If the criminal case you need was filed in a neighboring county, you will need to reach out to that county's clerk. Several neighbors share the same judicial circuit. Here are the counties near Clark County.