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 28, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Ford County, Illinois, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Ford 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: Ford County public records, Ford County arrest records, Ford County warrants, Ford County inmate search, Ford County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Ford County
In Ford County, the Circuit Court of Ford County 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 Ford County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fordcounty.illinois.gov/find-your-next-court-date-in-ford-county (page title: Find Your Next Court Date in Ford County | Ford County Illinois), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 28, 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 Ford County
Together, the two agencies in Ford County with all twelve months of 2023 on file reported 154 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of Ford County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at fordcounty.illinois.gov/states-attorney (page title: State's Attorney | Ford County Illinois), phone (217) 379-9460, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 30, 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 Ford County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Ford County criminal records, Ford County divorce records, Ford County traffic tickets, Ford County DUI and Ford County property records.
Cities in Ford County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of Ford County.
The cities and towns in the county are Paxton, Gibson City, Piper City, Melvin, Roberts, Sibley, Elliott, Cabery and Kempton.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Ford County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fordcounty.illinois.gov.
Which court hears felonies in Ford County?
The Circuit Court of Ford County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Ford 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 Ford 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.