Lawrence County Criminal Records

Lawrence County criminal records are on file at the Circuit Clerk's office in Lawrenceville, Illinois. The county is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit and has about 14,801 residents. You can look up criminal case data through the Judici online portal at no charge, or visit the courthouse to get copies in person. Both felony and misdemeanor charges are tracked by the clerk. This page covers how to search Lawrence County criminal records, what state tools are out there, and what the law says about who can see these files.

Lawrence County Circuit Clerk Office

The Lawrence County Circuit Clerk is the main source for criminal records in the county. Cheryl Winkles serves as the clerk. The office is at 1100 State Street, Lawrenceville, IL 62439. You can call them at 618/943-2815. When someone is charged with a crime in Lawrence County, the case goes through this office. The clerk tracks charges, court dates, pleas, and outcomes. All felonies and misdemeanors filed in the 2nd Judicial Circuit for Lawrence County are stored here.

Walk-in requests work best for fast service. Bring an ID and a case number if you have one. Staff can pull up records by name or case number and print copies on the spot. Standard copies are charged per page. Certified copies cost more and carry the clerk's seal. You need the certified version for court filings or when another agency asks for proof. If you are not sure what type you need, the staff in Lawrenceville can help sort that out when you visit.

You can also write to the clerk by mail. Send a letter to Cheryl Winkles, Circuit Clerk, 1100 State Street, Lawrenceville, IL 62439. Include the full name of the person, the case number or range of years you want searched, and a check or money order for the fees. Most mail requests take about one to two weeks to process. Call 618/943-2815 first to check the current fee schedule.

Note: Call the Lawrence County clerk's office to confirm copy fees before mailing any payment.

Search Lawrence County Criminal Records Online

Lawrence County criminal cases are on Judici. This is a free portal that covers more than 80 Illinois counties. Select Lawrence County from the list, type in a name or case number, and the system pulls up results. You can see the case type, charges filed, hearing dates, and where things stand. It works for criminal, civil, and traffic cases in the county.

The Judici site gives free access to Lawrence County case data from the 2nd Judicial Circuit right from your screen.

Go to Judici.com and pick Lawrence County to run a free criminal case search by name or case number.

Sealed and expunged records will not show up on Judici. Juvenile cases are excluded too. Some older records may not be in the system if they were filed before the county joined the platform. For the complete court file on a Lawrence County case, the clerk's office in Lawrenceville is still the best bet. Judici is a good starting point for a quick check, but official copies come from the clerk.

State Sources for Lawrence County Criminal Records

The Illinois State Police Bureau of Identification holds criminal history data from all 102 counties. When someone is arrested or convicted in Lawrence County, that data feeds into the state system. A check through the state police covers every circuit in Illinois, not just the 2nd. Name-based conviction searches cost $10 for electronic results. Fingerprint-based checks start at $15 and go up to $32 for a combined state and FBI search. Under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635), conviction data is public. Anyone can ask for it.

The ISP site is the starting point for a statewide criminal history search that includes Lawrence County conviction data.

The CHIRP system is another state tool. CHIRP stands for Criminal History Information Response Process. You need an Illinois ID to set up an account. Once registered, you can run name-based searches for conviction data from across the state. CHIRP pulls from a different pool than Judici. Running both gives you a wider look at records tied to Lawrence County. The re:SearchIL portal also covers court records from multiple Illinois counties and can help if you need to check more than one area.

Criminal Records Laws in Lawrence County

Illinois law sets the rules for how criminal records are handled in Lawrence County. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630) is the main statute. It covers how criminal history gets collected, stored, shared, and when it can be sealed or destroyed. Every county in the state follows these same rules. Arrest records, conviction data, and the process for clearing a record are all laid out in this act.

The Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) gives the public another path. You can send a FOIA request to the Lawrence County sheriff, the state's attorney, or any other public body in the county. Police reports, arrest logs, and other law enforcement records can come through this channel. Agencies have five business days to respond. Put the request in writing and send it to the records custodian at the agency that holds the file.

Conviction records are public. Arrest records that did not lead to a conviction have more limits on access. Sealed and expunged cases do not show up in any public search.

Expungement in Lawrence County

Some Lawrence County criminal records can be sealed or expunged under state law. Expungement wipes the record clean. Sealing hides it from the public but lets law enforcement and some state agencies still view it. Arrests that did not end in a conviction are the most common candidates for expungement. Certain supervision and probation cases may also qualify after waiting periods pass.

The waiting period is two years for supervision and five years for qualified probation. You file a petition with the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court through the Lawrence County clerk in Lawrenceville. The court order fee is $60. You must serve copies of the petition on the State's Attorney and the arresting agency. The Office of the State Appellate Defender has a full guide that walks you through which cases qualify, which forms to use, and what happens at the hearing. When a judge grants the petition, the clerk and the state police both update their files. The record will no longer show up in public searches.

Note: Sealed Lawrence County records remain visible to law enforcement and certain licensing bodies.

Get Copies of Lawrence County Criminal Records

There are a few ways to get copies. The fastest is to visit the clerk's office in Lawrenceville. Bring your ID and the case number. Staff will pull the file and make copies while you wait. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are needed for court use. Standard copies work for personal records.

• Visit the Lawrence County Circuit Clerk at 1100 State Street in Lawrenceville
• Search the Judici portal online and print case data for free
• Mail a request with case details and payment to the clerk
• File a FOIA request with the Lawrence County sheriff or state's attorney
• Run a statewide check through the ISP CHIRP system for conviction data

For a search that goes beyond Lawrence County, the re:SearchIL portal covers court records from multiple Illinois counties. That can save time if you need to check more than one area. For Lawrence County criminal records specifically, Judici and the clerk's office in Lawrenceville are the primary sources to use.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lawrence County. Criminal cases are filed in the county where the offense took place. If you need records from a neighboring area, contact that county's circuit clerk.