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 2, 2026.
McDonough County, Illinois, has about 27,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of McDonough 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, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: McDonough County public records, McDonough County arrest records, McDonough County warrants, McDonough County inmate search, McDonough County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from McDonough County
In McDonough County, the Circuit Court of McDonough 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 McDonough County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov/courts-directory/33/McDonough-County-Courthouse/... (page title: McDonough County Circuit Court | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts), phone (309) 837-4891, 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 McDonough County
Together, the two agencies in McDonough County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,241 arrests to the FBI that year; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of McDonough County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mcg.mcdonough.il.us/statesattorney.html (page title: McDonough County States Attorney), phone (309)837-2309, 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 McDonough County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: McDonough County criminal records, McDonough County divorce records, McDonough County traffic tickets, McDonough County DUI and McDonough County property records.
More Official Court Pages for McDonough County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for McDonough County and Illinois. These court pages from its McDonough County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- 9thjudicial.org (9thjudicial.org)
- Ninth Judicial Circuit's location page (9thjudicial.org)
- Twelfth Judicial Circuit (illinoiscourts.gov)
Cities in McDonough County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of McDonough County.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in McDonough County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population; a city with its own court records guide opens there:
- Macomb (14,765)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in McDonough County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov, phone (309) 837-4891.
Which court hears felonies in McDonough County?
The Circuit Court of McDonough County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in McDonough 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 McDonough 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.