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 on September 23, 2026.
Mercer County, Illinois, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Circuit Court of Mercer 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: Mercer County public records, Mercer County arrest records, Mercer County warrants, Mercer County inmate search, Mercer County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Mercer County
In Mercer County, the Circuit Court of Mercer 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 Mercer County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov/courts-directory/104/Mercer-County-Courthouse/court (page title: Mercer County Court | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts), phone (309) 582-7122, 61231, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, not to the Circuit Court of Mercer County.
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 Mercer County
Aledo reported 34 arrests to the FBI for 2024; the State's Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Circuit Court of Mercer County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mercercountyil.org/deparments/states_attorney.php (page title: MERCER COUNTY, IL), phone (309) 582-5381, 100 SE 3rd Street Aledo, IL 61231, 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 Mercer County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Mercer County criminal records, Mercer County traffic tickets, Mercer County DUI and Mercer County property records.
Cities in Mercer County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Circuit Court of Mercer County.
The cities and towns in the county are Aledo, Viola, Matherville, Sherrard, New Boston, Keithsburg, Joy, Seaton and North Henderson.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Mercer County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov, phone (309) 582-7122.
Which court hears felonies in Mercer County?
The Circuit Court of Mercer County, which hears every civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic and juvenile case.
Who keeps the court records in Mercer 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 Mercer 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.