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The Illinois circuit courts are state courts of the judiciary of Illinois. They are trial courts of original and general jurisdiction. As of 2024, outside of Cook County which has its own circuit court, there are 24 numbered circuits, which may include one or more counties of Illinois -- the numbering of the circuits is based on when they were created, generally new higher numbers go to circuits that were later created from out of the lower numbered circuit courts.
There are two kinds of judges in the circuit court: circuit judges and associate judges. Circuit judges are elected for six years, may be retained by voters for additional six-year terms, and can hear any kind of case. Circuit judges are generally elected on a circuit-wide basis or from the county where they reside. (In the Circuit Court of Cook County, which contains Chicago and is the largest of the 24 circuits in Illinois, circuit judges are elected from the entire county or as resident judges from each of the fifteen subcircuits within the county.) Associate judges are appointed by circuit judges, under Supreme Court rules, for four-year terms. An associate judge can hear any case, except criminal cases punishable by a prison term of one year or more, unless the associate judge has received approval from the Chief Judge of the respective circuit court to hear other criminal cases.[1] Circuit judges in a circuit elect one of their members to serve as chief judge of the circuit court. Cases may be assigned to general or specialized divisions by the chief judge who has general administrative authority in the circuit, subject to the overall administrative authority of the Supreme Court.[2]
The circuit court has general jurisdiction and can decide, with few exceptions, any kind of case. (The exceptions are redistricting of the Illinois General Assembly and the ability of the governor of Illinois to serve or resume office.) The circuit court also shares jurisdiction with the Supreme Court of Illinois (the state supreme court) to hear cases relating to revenue, mandamus, prohibition, and habeas corpus. However, if the supreme court chooses to exercise its jurisdiction over these cases, the circuit court may not decide them. The circuit court also reviews administrative decisions of certain state agencies. Circuit Courts may also have concurrent jurisdiction with federal courts, subject to removal jurisdiction.
There are 25 judicial circuits in the state, each comprising one or more of Illinois' 102 counties. The jurisdiction of seven of these circuits courts are solely within the confines of a single county; these are Cook, Kane, Will, DuPage, Lake, McHenry (all Chicago metropolitan area counties), and St. Clair in Metro East. The other 18 circuits each contain between two and 12 counties.
The Circuit Court of Cook County is not a numbered circuit. The Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022 increased the number of subcircuits from 15 to 20 subcircuits starting December 2, 2024.
The First Circuit consists of the counties of Alexander, Pulaski, Massac, Pope, Johnson, Union, Jackson, Williamson, and Saline.[3]
The Second Circuit consists of the counties of Hardin, Gallatin, White, Hamilton, Franklin, Wabash, Edwards, Wayne, Jefferson, Richland, Lawrence, and Crawford.[3]
The Third Circuit consists of the counties of Madison and Bond.[3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the third circuit is to receive four subcircuits (three in Madison County, one in Bond County).
The Fourth Circuit consists of the counties of Clinton, Marion, Clay, Fayette, Effingham, Jasper, Montgomery, Shelby, and Christian.[3]
The Fifth Circuit consists of the counties of Vermilion, Edgar, Clark, Cumberland, and Coles.[3]
The Sixth Circuit consists of the counties of Champaign, Douglas, Moultrie, Macon, DeWitt, and Piatt.[3]
The Seventh Circuit consists of the counties of Sangamon, Macoupin, Morgan, Scott, Greene, and Jersey.[3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the seventh circuit is to receive seven subcircuits (two in Sangamon County, one in each of the remaining counties).
The Eighth Circuit consists of the counties of Adams, Schuyler, Mason, Cass, Brown, Pike, Calhoun, and Menard.[3]
The Ninth Circuit consists of the counties of Knox, Warren, Henderson, Hancock, McDonough, and Fulton.[3]
The Tenth Circuit consists of the counties of Peoria, Marshall, Putnam, Stark, and Tazewell.[3]
The Eleventh Circuit consists of the counties of McLean, Livingston, Logan, Ford, and Woodford.[3]
The Twelfth Circuit consists of Will County.[3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the twelfth circuit is to receive five subcircuits.
The Thirteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Bureau, LaSalle, and Grundy.[3]
The Fourteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Rock Island, Mercer, Whiteside, and Henry.[3]
The Fifteenth Circuit consists of the counties of Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Carroll, Ogle, and Lee.[3]
The Sixteenth Circuit consists of Kane County.[3]
The Seventeenth Circuit consists of the counties of Winnebago and Boone.[3] The number of subcircuits will decrease from four to two effective December 2, 2024.
The Eighteenth Circuit consists of DuPage County.[3] The circuit is further divided into seven subcircuits.
The Nineteenth Circuit consists of Lake County.[3] Under the Judicial Circuits Districting Act of 2022, the number of subcircuits in the Nineteenth Circuit is to increase from 6 to 12 subcircuits.
As of December 5, 2022, the twentieth circuit consists solely of St. Clair County. Prior to December 5, 2022, it had also included the counties of Randolph, Monroe, Washington, and Perry.[3]
The Twenty-first Circuit consists of the counties of Iroquois and Kankakee.[3]
The Twenty-second Circuit consists of McHenry County.[3] The circuit was created when McHenry County was separated from the Nineteenth Circuit into its own circuit and is divided into four subcircuits. It came into effect December 4, 2006.[4]
The Twenty-third Circuit consists of the counties of DeKalb and Kendall.[3] The circuit was created after DeKalb County and Kendall County were split from the Sixteenth Circuit by Public Act 97-0585. The circuit came into effect on December 3, 2012.[4]
The twenty-fourth circuit came into effect on December 5, 2022. It consists of the counties of Randolph, Monroe, Washington, and Perry.[3]
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