Kankakee County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Named for the Kankakee River, Kankakee County covers a total area of 681 square miles in the State of Illinois. The county's court system serves over 107,400 individuals living within its boundaries. The government seat, Kankakee City, houses the County Courthouse which serves as the venue for all legal proceedings conducted in the county. Kankakee County constitutes the 21st Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois, along with Iroquois County.

The Kankakee County Circuit Court, located in Kankakee City, handles all legal proceedings for cases filed in the county. This court has jurisdiction over felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil actions, family law disputes, and juvenile matters. For civil actions, the court decides small claims matters, equity cases, breaches of contract, and landlord-tenant disputes. Family law proceedings often involve marriage dissolutions, child support, adoptions, and visitation rights. The Circuit Court also hears juvenile cases involving minors who are either alleged to be delinquent or facing abuse, neglect, or abandonment, among other issues.

In 2021, there was a reported crime rate of 1,905.1 per 100,000 residents in Kankakee County. Based on Illinois Courts Annual Reports, Kankakee County Circuit Court handles around 47,000 cases annually and resolves up to 13,000 cases. The court's caseload includes 2,000 resolved civil cases from an estimated 6,500 civil cases it handles yearly. Out of an estimated 1,800 family law cases, the Circuit Court closes approximately 500 of them, bringing them to a final resolution. On average, the criminal caseload of the Kankakee County Circuit Court includes approximately 10,000 criminal cases in total, with about 1,800 dispositions. The Circuit Court also resolves approximately 8,000 conservation and traffic cases, in addition to an estimated 150 juvenile cases annually. In Kankakee County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court is responsible for keeping and managing court records. The Clerk also makes such records available online and in person at the county courthouse. However, confidential court records that have to do with matters of child custody, adoption, medical, personal identifying, and mental health records are restricted from public disclosure.

Kankakee County's court system is essential to its governance, delivering fair and impartial justice in all legal matters arising within the county. As part of the 21st Judicial Circuit in Illinois, the Circuit Court comprises the county's court system. The court is dedicated to ensuring the accessibility of public court records by providing such documents online.