Madison County is the most populous county in southern Illinois. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it has an estimated population of 265,859 residents and a land area of 715.5 square miles. The county seat is Edwardsville City.

Courts in Madison County

Madison County is served by the Third Judicial Circuit of Illinois and is home to a Circuit Court. The Madison County Circuit Court hears most cases arising from the county, including civil, criminal, probate, and family cases. The court has a civil division that handles general civil cases, such as contract disputes, torts, and disputes over land, as well as small claims and probate cases. The court’s criminal division mostly hears felony cases, while the traffic division hears traffic offenses, ordinance violations, and misdemeanors. However, juvenile criminal matters are within the authority of the family division. The division also hears cases of juvenile neglect, divorce, child support, and other domestic matters.

In addition to the Circuit Court, cities in Madison County have Municipal Courts which conduct administrative adjudication. Municipal Courts majorly hear cases of city ordinance violations such as property maintenance, littering, juvenile alcohol possession or use, and leash law violations.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Madison County

The Madison County Circuit Clerk’s office maintains records of cases handled by the Madison County Circuit Court. Interested persons can access and request copies of these records at the courthouse. Alternatively, either fill out the online request form on the court’s webpage or complete the printable form and forward it to the Clerk’s office by mail or email. Records requests can also be faxed to 618-692-0676 or 618-655-2017. Furthermore, case information from the Circuit Court is available online through the case information search portal.

Municipal Courts in Madison County have offices or departments that process and maintain their records. Researchers can obtain these records by contacting the relevant office in the specific Municipal Court. 

Types of Public Court Records in Madison County

Documents and materials relating to court cases in Madison County, including dockets, filings, and orders, are open to the public in most cases. Common examples of such public case records in Madison County are:

• Civil and small claims records
• Traffic and misdemeanor records
• Felony case records
• Probate case records

Confidential Court Records in Madison County

Confidential court records include case documents and materials protected under a statute. As a result, they become inaccessible to the general public. Some examples of confidential court records in Madison County are:

• Records sealed by court order
• Juvenile case records
• Mental health records
• Records of adoption proceedings

Juvenile Delinquency in Madison, IL

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Madison County, juvenile delinquency offenses are on the rise. There are many reasons for the inflation in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Illinois often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of charges, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 654 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Madison County. Of that total, 55% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 362 court cases. Another 41% were dependency cases that accounted for 265 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Madison County, are focusing on family counseling and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Madison County juvenile delinquency tallies will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Madison County, IL

https://www2.illinois.gov/

County Seat:	Edwardsville
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1812
Total Square Miles:	741
2019 Population:	265,428
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	157 N Main St County Administration Building Edwardsville , IL 62025-1960 http://www.co.madison.il.us