Tazewell County, Illinois, was formed from Peoria County in 1827 and named after Littleton Tazewell. Its total area is 658 square miles, and at least 131,343 people live there. Pekin is its largest city and county seat.

Courts in Tazewell County

The Tazewell County Circuit Court is the only court in Tazewell County. The Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases and is organized into divisions based on case types. The Law and Felony Division hears all criminal cases, including misdemeanors and felonies. The Civil Division hears all civil cases, including equity and small claims. The Traffic division hears traffic violations and parking infractions. The Domestic Relations Division handles domestic matters such as paternity, divorce, annulment, maintenance, and crimes involving family members. The Juvenile Division hears all juvenile matters, including delinquency, dependency, emancipation, and neglected children. The Probate Division handles all probate matters, including admission of wills, appointing guardianships, and administering estates.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Tazewell County

The Tazewell County Circuit Clerk maintains all public court records in the county. These records are accessible to the public and consist of court filings, court orders, writs, transcripts, legal proceedings, and rulings of the Circuit Court. Anyone can search for Tazewell County public court records by using the court's online portal. They can also visit the clerk’s office to inspect or request copies of specific public court records.

Types of Public Court Records in Tazewell County

The availability of non-confidential court records in Tazewell County helps to build public trust and confidence in the legal system. The following types of court records are available to the public in Tazewell County unless sealed by court orders.

• Criminal Court Records: includes warrants, details about charges, court proceedings, and verdicts for felony and misdemeanor cases
• Family Court Records: includes divorce decrees, emancipation, maintenance orders, and custody judgments
• Civil Court Records: includes personal injury cases, product liabilities, libel, trade secrets, mortgage foreclosures, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, contract indebtedness, slander, and employment disputes
• Probate Court Records: includes documentation  of wills, estates, trusts, and guardianships

Confidential Court Records in Tazewell County

In Tazewell County, confidential court records are sealed to preserve privacy and protect sensitive information. These records are either sealed by court orders or sealed by default under Illinois law. Unlike public court documents accessible to anyone, confidential court records can only be accessed by specific court orders or authorized persons. While most court documents are available to the public in Illinois, parts or all of the following are usually excluded from public access:

• Medical and mental health records
• Adoption records
• Most juvenile records
• Identifying information about jurors
• Grand jury proceedings and records
• Financial information
• Expunged or sealed records
• Eligible misdemeanor or felony convictions after certain years
• Identifying information about confidential informants in criminal prosecutions
• Personally identifiable information such as license plate number, Social Security number, and driver’s license number
• Certain records of victims of sexual and domestic violence.

Juvenile Delinquency in Tazewell, IL

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

In 2017, a total of 240 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Tazewell County. Of that total, 44% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 105 court cases. Another 56% were dependency cases that accounted for 135 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Tazewell County, IL

https://www2.illinois.gov/

County Seat:	Pekin
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1827
Total Square Miles:	658
2019 Population:	133,526
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00