Overview

The Circuit Court of Cook County is Illinois' trial court system for residents, businesses and other parties in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. Its judges hear civil, criminal, family and juvenile matters, with divisions organized around the kind of dispute or proceeding. The court combines countywide divisions with geographic districts so cases can be heard across the county under a unified administration. Beyond hearings and judgments, its administrative offices oversee probation, court reporting and language interpreting to support proceedings and carry out court orders. The unified court was established in 1964 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.