Marion County Illinois Court Records

Court Records Online – Are They Free?

In Marion County, Illinois, court documents and pleadings are held in the County Court Records of that Circuit Court. These court files include all civil and criminal cases, judgments, petitions, delinquencies, and minor appeals. This information is kept in these records for a number of reasons, such as to protect the plaintiff (the person or party seeking the records), to allow easy access to the records by law enforcement agencies and other agencies, and to aid future research. The right to conduct an online search of these records is allowed by the Freedom of Information Act. This act also allows you to obtain copies of these records from certain designated offices.

If you are looking for records, you can use certain websites that offer search services on a fee-based basis. However, searching online does not mean you get the information immediately. Court decisions are updated and published on a regular basis, usually about six months after the decision was made, so it may be several years before you get to see what you were looking for. In many cases, there is still a requirement for additional information. For instance, if the judgment was based on child abuse or neglect, the victim must provide details about the accused, the victim, the witnesses, and other relevant information to enable you to find out if you have eligibility to apply for compensation.

Another option for people looking for court documents online is to pay for a background check. Some companies offer this service for a flat fee. The basic details of the person you want to look up are cross-checked with public records, to ensure accuracy. Then, the company searches the databases of different court houses to get the most recent records. The database includes felony and misdemeanor charges, date of birth, marriage, divorce, and many more.

There is another alternative for those who want to do a background search online. Some universities offer programs that allow students to access student records for a fee. You can also try your local library. However, searching for court documents this way requires some legwork and research. It may be a waste of time and effort, unless you are willing to spend some money to get the job done.

The best option may be to use an online service. Many sites offer free access to public records. However, as noted, there are many limitations. Free public records are generally limited only to county records in your state, while some court records may require a nominal fee. In many instances, free websites that offer free public records are only a repository of state and federal records, which do not include civil court records.

For this reason, it is recommended that you do some online research to find out what is available at no cost. In many instances, the results will reveal a lot. However, it is important to realize that the free records are not without limitation and are definitely not adequate for serious legal needs.