Reviewed and updated October 9, 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 1, 2026.
Effingham County, Illinois, has about 35,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Effingham 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, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Effingham County public records, Effingham County arrest records, Effingham County warrants, Effingham County inmate search, Effingham County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Effingham County
Court cases from Effingham County are filed in the Circuit Court of Effingham 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 Effingham County
For Effingham County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at effinghamcountyil.gov/circuit-clerk/criminal-court (page title: Circuit Clerk | Criminal | Effingham County, Illinois), phone 217-342-4065, 120 West Jefferson Avenue Suite 101 Effingham, IL 62401, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 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 Effingham County
Together, the four agencies in Effingham County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,952 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of Effingham County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at effinghamcountyil.gov/states-attorney (page title: States Attorney | Effingham County, Illinois), phone (217)347-7741, 120 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 201 Effingham, IL 62401, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
The court file is one record with several readers: a criminal case from the arrest to the sentence, a divorce from the petition to the judgment, a traffic ticket from the citation to the conviction the court reports to the Illinois Secretary of State, and an eviction or a lien on land.
The other Effingham County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Effingham County criminal records, Effingham County divorce records, Effingham County traffic tickets, Effingham County DUI and Effingham County property records.
Cities in Effingham County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of Effingham County.
The cities and towns in the county are Effingham, Altamont, Teutopolis, Dieterich, Watson, Beecher City, Edgewood, Mason, Montrose and Shumway.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Effingham County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at effinghamcountyil.gov, phone 217-342-4065.
Which court hears felonies in Effingham County?
The Circuit Court of Effingham County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Effingham County?
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 Effingham County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.