About Us

McHenry County is the 22nd Judicial Circuit, a single-county Judicial Circuit which was created December 4, 2006, when McHenry County split from Lake County and the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit. There are currently eight (8) Circuit Judges and eleven (11) Associate Judges seated in McHenry County. Court is held at the Michael J. Sullivan Judicial Center, 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL, 60098, Monday through Friday, with the exception of court holidays. The building is open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

The Circuit Clerk is a state constitutional officer elected by the citizens of McHenry County for a four-year term. Katherine M. Keefe was first sworn in as McHenry County Clerk of Court on December 1, 2008, after 21 years of working in the Circuit Clerk’s office. The Office of the Circuit Clerk is responsible for maintaining a record of all traffic, civil, family and criminal cases filed and heard in McHenry County. The Circuit Clerk is a non-judicial office of the Judicial Branch of State government. The duties of the Office are set forth by Statute, Rules of the Supreme Court and Administrative Orders of the local Circuit Court. The Circuit Court Clerk is required to attend all sessions of Court, keep and preserve all records and files of the Court and is keeper of the seal of the court.

Some accomplishments in the office since 2008:

  • Pushed to make McHenry County court information online in 2009
  • One of the first Circuit Clerks in Illinois to move to electronic filing
  • Implemented Court Date Reminder Program with free text and/or email reminders of court dates
  • With the cooperation of the 22nd Circuit judiciary, eliminated court files from all courtrooms in 2019, drastically improving operating efficiency
  • Gradually eliminating older paper records by electronically storing documents to then destroy the paper files, in turn reducing the need for costly storage space  
  • Expanded electronic citation program to a county-wide program
  • Implemented eGuilty online payments for traffic tickets
  • Streamlined the process of petitioning for an Order of Protection, moving the process online and also allowing the entire process to be completed remotely.
  • Expanded the public viewing rooms in the Courthouse to include self-serve scanning stations for court patrons to scan and file documents
  • Streamlined the transfer of case to the Appellate Court with an electronic appeal process

 

The McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office employs 54 Deputy Clerks responsible for recording filed documents, attending court, maintaining a record of all proceedings, collecting and disbursing fines and fees. Approximately 45,000 new cases are filed each year with the McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office. The Circuit Clerk maintains an electronic record of all cases. 

All publicly available McHenry County cases can be viewed at public viewing terminals located at the Judicial Center in Woodstock on both the first and third floors. Access to basic case information is also available to the public at no charge on the Circuit Clerk’s website. The Illinois Supreme Court’s Electronic Access Policy does not currently allow for the public display of court documents on our website.  Attorneys can sign up for free access to case documents, on cases where they are the attorney of record.  

The McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office mission is to accurately maintain the court records of the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court as mandated by state statute and to serve the citizens of McHenry County and the participants in the court system in a timely and cost-effective manner, providing all court records, information and services with courtesy, efficiency and impartiality.