IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER No. 2017-02

SUBJECT:  Electronic access to court records

            Pursuant to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts (rev. April 1, 2004),

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that electronic access to the case records of this court shall be provided as follows:

Electronic access to court records

For purposes of this order, “Electronic access” means inspection and copying of an electronic court record through the use of technology, such as the Internet, etc., and “electronic court record” means a court record stored or created in an electronic format and which is a facsimile, image, or electronic equivalent of a record made on paper. 

Electronic access to court records maintained by the circuit clerk in an electronic format shall be provided by the clerk as follows and must comply with the Illinois Supreme Court’s Electronic Access Policy for Circuit Court Records of the Illinois Courts (rev. Apr. 1, 2004) (hereinafter “Electronic Access Policy”).

a.     a. Limitations.  Electronic access is limited by the sealing, impoundment, expungement, destruction, or other limitations on access to court records required by court rule, statute, or administrative or judicial order of the court.

b.     b. Circuit clerk policy.  The clerk shall, subject to the approval of the chief circuit judge, establish a written policy for the registration of authorized users for electronic access to court records.  The policy shall include the types of accounts and access available to authorized users and the fees, if any, to be collected by the clerk or other service providers in connection with electronic access to court records.  The policy shall be posted prominently in all offices of the clerk and on the clerk’s Web site.

c.       c. Service providers.  The clerk may, consistent with said Electronic Access Policy, provide electronic access through a third-party contractor.

d.      d. Attorneys of record.  For purposes of this order, an attorney of record is a non-attorney (petitioner or respondent) or a licensed attorney who has filed an appearance with the clerk in a case to which access is requested and who has not been granted leave to withdraw by the court.

e.       e. Attorneys.  The circuit clerk shall allow an attorney to have electronic access to court records in cases in which the attorney is an attorney of record.

f.       f. Self-represented litigants.  The circuit clerk shall allow a non-attorney who is a party and is acting as his or her own attorney, also known as a pro se litigant, to have electronic access to court records in cases in which the party is the attorney of record.  Electronic access by a non-attorney shall be on the same terms as apply to attorneys, except that the clerk shall establish a separate procedure to verify the identity of parties granted electronic access pursuant to this section (f).

Dated this 28^th day of March, 2017, effective June 1, 2017.

Enter:

Timothy C. Evans
Chief Judge
Circuit Court of Cook County