Many criminal court documents,
although not readily available to view, are public documents and can be
requested by anyone. Here's how to do it.
First, look up the case’s number. This can be
done many ways at the Cook County Criminal Court Building, located at 26th
Street and California Avenue, in the clerks office on the fifth floor.
People can
use one of six computers to review certain cases by the defendant’s name or by
entering a defendant’s individual record number.
Next, request the transcript or files using the case number of the desired
criminal case. This step is also done in the clerk’s office.
At the clerk’s
counter, a clerk will present you with a document request form. It asks
for a name, case number and a phone number. The files take about three days to
be sorted and made publicly available, according to the clerk’s office.
After the
waiting period, call the file room at 773-674-3152 and ask if your files have
come in. The clerk’s office will not call you to tell you that the documents have arrived, according to a clerk who asked to remain unanimous.
The request
will cover any evidence used in the trial but not if impounded by a court order; trial transcripts and other documents like arrest warrants or police reports.
When the
files come in, view them at the clerk’s office. Proper photo identification is
required to view the files. Documents cannot be removed from the office but
copies can be made.
The cost to
copy a single page is $2. For more than one page the cost drops to 50 cents for
the first 19 pages. After 20 pages the cost changes to 25 cents.
The
documents will be available for 10 days. To review them later, a
person can request an extension for the document’s availability.
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