During the courthouse closure all protective orders will be filed thru Freedom House in Princeton or for protective orders related to a new criminal charge, thru the State’s Attorney’s office. Notification will be posted on the Circuit Clerk’s website that all parties requesting a protective order can do so thru said entities by completing the on line petition and emailing it to Freedom House or the State’s Attorney’s office. The petitions should then be submitted through eFileIL by 11am. The Clerk will then be texted that a petition has been e-filed so the Judge can be notified. If the Judge determines that the victim will need to testify, the Clerk will arrange for the victim to appear using “zoom”. The victim will only be at the courthouse in the event they do not have access to a smartphone or laptop sufficient to use the zoom app. After an order is entered, it will be provided to the clerk for processing.

Criteria for Protective Order Filings

This is the criteria for those needing a protective order when the courthouse is closed to the public:

• Physical abuse
• Weapon used
• Threats of death
• Strangulation
• No safe place to stay
• Serious neglect or abandonment of minors or adult dependents

The advocates will advise individuals if these criteria are not met that they will have to wait until the courthouse is reopened to file.

Contact Information

Freedom House (800) 474-6031, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

State’s Attorney’s Office (815) 925-7378, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Circuit Court Clerk (815) 925-7016, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.