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.
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.