Coles County
Organized from Clark and Edgar Counties in 1830, Coles County is located in east-central Illinois. It has an estimated population of 46,000 people, and Charleston is its county seat.
It is also the location of Eastern Illinois University and was named for Edward Coles, Illinois' second governor.
The Cole County trial court structure is composed of a single trial court, namely, the Cole County Circuit Court. It is a general jurisdiction court that adjudicates all civil and criminal cases outside the Court of Claims and Illinois Supreme Court's exclusive jurisdictions. The Circuit Court has distinct divisions organized according to case type, including:
- Civil division
- Criminal division
- Traffic division
- Domestic relations division
- Juvenile division
- Probate division
In addition, it handles small claims cases through a simplified procedure for amounts in dispute up to $10,000. The Circuit Court shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Illinois Supreme Court over cases involving mandamus prohibition, revenue, and habeas corpus. It, however, must forfeit this jurisdiction if the Supreme Court elects to exercise its jurisdiction. It also has no authority to hear cases relating to general assembly redistricting and the governor's fitness to serve in or resume office. The Circuit Court also functions as the reviewing court of some state agency administrative decisions/orders.
Coles County court records are detailed documented accounts and reports of court trial activities within case files maintained by a court clerk. They are important to delivering justice and creating legal precedence for subsequent court trials. Court dockets, calendars, indexes, disposition sheets, charging documents, and case transcripts constitute common contents of court records. The Cole County Circuit Court maintains numerous court records, including:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Domestic relations records
The Coles County Circuit Clerk maintains the county's Circuit Court records repository. Under state law, non-exempt court records are open to public access and can be viewed and duplicated upon request. Record seekers, using the Judici case search portal can look up court case records in the county. They can also access case information online using the Illinois Judiciary's re:SearchIL search service. Additionally, requesters can request hardcopy records personally at the Circuit Clerk's Office during business hours.
