Use the Cook County Inmate Search and enter the full legal name and date of birth if you have them. The jail has several divisions, so a name may appear under a division you did not expect. A brand-new booking can take hours to show up.

If the search does not return the person, call the jail at (773) 674-1945 and ask whether the person is in its custody or still at a police lockup.

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No. Cash bail and bond amounts were abolished by the Pretrial Fairness Act, which took effect on September 18, 2023. A person who is released does not have to pay a cash amount to leave.

If someone is still held after a release order, the reason is usually a separate hold, such as a warrant or a probation violation. Those holds are handled by the agency that placed them.

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The judge looks at two questions: whether the person poses a threat to public safety, and whether the person is a flight risk. Ability to pay is not part of that analysis. The judge may release the person with conditions such as electronic monitoring or a curfew.

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A detention petition is the prosecutor's request to hold a person before trial. It can be filed at the first appearance, or within 21 calendar days after arrest, for a limited set of charges. The hearing starts right away unless someone asks for a delay. If a delay is granted, the hearing must happen within 48 hours of the first appearance for the most serious felonies, and within 24 hours for lesser felonies and misdemeanors. A person who is held can ask for later hearings to challenge the continued detention.

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Forcible felonies are the central category, meaning serious crimes that use or threaten force against a person. Some other felonies that carry a non-probationable sentence can also qualify, along with several listed offenses such as stalking, violating protective orders, and certain domestic battery charges. The State must show a real and present threat backed by specific facts. Many misdemeanors end with release and a future court date.

A charge in the category does not guarantee detention. The judge still decides, and the defense can challenge the petition.

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Chicago criminal cases are heard at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building, 2600 South California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608. The Criminal Division hears felonies and many Chicago misdemeanors there. The Criminal Division line is (773) 674-3161, and the Clerk of the Circuit Court is at (773) 674-3140.

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Suburban cases usually start at the municipal district courthouse that covers the town where the arrest happened. Cook County has six municipal districts, and each one has a courthouse that hears local criminal and traffic matters. The list below gives the main district courthouses with addresses and phone numbers.

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The person is usually held at the police station first. From there, the person is brought before a judge or transferred to the Cook County Jail, depending on the charge and the timing. Call the district courthouse that covers the arrest town to ask where a person is scheduled.

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The Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender represents people who cannot afford private counsel. Its main office is at 69 West Washington Street, Chicago, IL 60602. Call (312) 603-0600 to reach the office or to ask which division is handling a case.

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Juvenile cases in Cook County go to the Juvenile Justice Division, at 2245 West Ogden Avenue, Suite 8004, Chicago. Reach the juvenile courthouse at (312) 433-4757. A youth who must be held before a hearing is placed at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, 1100 South Hamilton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612, phone (312) 433-7102.

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No. Federal cases from Cook County go to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse is at 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604, phone (312) 435-5670.

Federal judges still set bond under federal law, so the Illinois change does not apply to these cases. To find a person held in a federal facility, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

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A deposit to a person's jail trust account is for that person's own spending, such as phone calls or commissary items. It does not secure release. Ask the jail at (773) 674-1945 before sending money if you are unsure what the account pays for.

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Cook County has far more courtrooms and branch sites than this page can hold. The list covers the main criminal courthouse, the six municipal district courthouses, and the juvenile courthouses. Smaller village-level courts and some branch sites are not listed. If your case is in a town not covered here, call the district courthouse that serves that area.

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