Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Ottawa, Illinois, in LaSalle County, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of LaSalle County, and the file of each case, kept by the Circuit Clerk, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files and common questions.
Related guides: Ottawa public records, LaSalle County court records, Ottawa arrest records, Ottawa warrants, Ottawa inmate search, Ottawa criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Ottawa
Court cases from Ottawa are filed in the Circuit Court of LaSalle County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Divorces go to the Circuit Court's domestic relations division, and the file stays with the Circuit Clerk.
The Circuit Clerk keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Ottawa
For LaSalle County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at lasallecounty.com/i-want-to/request/court-transcripts (page title: Court Transcripts), phone 815-434-0786, 119 W. Madison St Room 200 Ottawa, IL 61350, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 11, 2026.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The Illinois court page SearchSystems verified is at illinoiscourts.gov.
What Reaches the Court from Ottawa
Together, the 13 agencies in LaSalle County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,788 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of LaSalle County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at lasallecountyil.gov/m/directory/department?did=30 (page title: Staff Directory, State's Attorney), phone 815-434-8340, 707 E Etna Road Ottawa, IL 61350, Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Ottawa guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Ottawa criminal records, Ottawa divorce records, Ottawa traffic tickets, Ottawa DUI and Ottawa property records.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Ottawa?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lasallecounty.com, phone 815-434-0786.
Which court hears felonies in Ottawa?
The Circuit Court of LaSalle County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Ottawa?
The Circuit Clerk. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Illinois?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Ottawa website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.