Macon County
Macon County, which was formed from sections of Shelby County in 1829, lies in Central Illinois and is home to 100,591 people. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, a Revolutionary War Colonel who later became a United States Senator from North Carolina. Decatur is both its county seat and largest municipality.
The Macon County trial court system comprises a circuit court and an administrative court. The Macon County Circuit Court, which is a unified court, also has general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. It handles all case types, including criminal felonies and misdemeanors, major civil cases and small claims, child support and juvenile delinquency, and divorces and child support enforcement suits. Probate matters and traffic infractions also fall within the Circuit Court's jurisdiction. In addition, the Circuit Court encompasses several divisions categorized according to case type, including civil, criminal, juvenile, probate, domestic relations, and traffic divisions. It also shares jurisdiction with the Supreme Court over cases relating to revenue, mandamus prohibition, and habeas corpus, provided the superior court opts not to exercise its authority. Although the Macon Circuit Court oversees small claims for amounts up to $10,000, it lacks the authority to adjudicate cases relating to General Assembly redistricting and other governance-based litigations.
The Macon County Administrative Court, also known as the Decatur Administrative Court, is a court of limited jurisdiction. It has exclusive authority to hear violations of city ordinance cases and offers no jury trial or express right to an attorney. Defendants are, however, not legally barred from accessing the services of an attorney. Other Administrative Court cases include disorderly conduct, pet violations, and violations of zoning and building codes.
Macon County court records document in detail the activities of various case trials in the Circuit Court and constitute a crucial repository of legal information for attorneys, researchers, and analysts. Court records generally contain information, including docket entries, and case details such as the litigants' names and addresses, motions, pleadings, transcriptions of proceedings, jury verdicts, and judgments. In general, Macon County courts routinely create and preserve the following court records:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Probate records
- Juvenile records
The Macon County Clerk of the Circuit Court is the authorized custodian of court records. Public access to public records, including court records, is granted by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and requesters can view or copy court records using any of these channels:
- The Circuit Clerk's Office (for in-person requests)
- The Circuit Clerk of Court case lookup service (for online requests)
- The Illinois State Archives (for older records)
