Coronavirus In IL: 'Most' Lake County Court Cases To Continue

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County State's Attorney's office is sharing information regarding staffing measures in place due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Lake County State's Attorney's office has been in constant contact with the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, the Lake County Public Defender’s office, the Lake County Sheriff’s office and the Clerk of the 19th Judicial Circuit regarding the decision to continue most court dates for 28 days, starting Tuesday, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office. After the final decision was enacted by the 19th Judicial Circuit Court, the state's attorney's office said it's worked to make sure proper staffing levels were in place for the people of Lake County:

• Lake County bond court, juvenile court, and domestic violence court will remain staffed with essential personnel from the Lake County State's Attorney's Office to attend cases through the coming weeks.
• Assistant state's attorney's and personnel deemed essential will report to conduct emergency motions, bond hearings, trials involving speedy trial demands where a continuance is not agreed upon, and plea agreements where a defendant is in custody.
• Emergency and plenary orders of protection will continue, as will involuntary mental health admissions, and cases involving treatment, fitness and quarantine hearings.
• Assistant State's Attorney's will be on hand for warrants and other emergency motions.
• Assistant State's Attorney's will be on hand at the juvenile centers for detention hearings, emergency motions, and shelter care hearings.
• All branch court cases will be continued for 28 days. Assistant state’s attorney’s will not be stationed at branch courts through the shutdown.
• All Therapeutic Intensive Monitoring courts including Drug Court, Mental Health Court, STOP and Veteran’s Court, will be continued until further notice. Emergency matters for those courts will take place on Wednesday afternoons at 1:30 p.m.
• The Lake County Grand Jury will meet on March 18. Grand Jury proceedings after March 18 will be suspended. Grand jurors whose terms expire on or before March 31 shall be extended until April 29, and no new grand jury shall be empaneled until May 6.
• Felony review, the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center and the county cyber lab will remain fully operational throughout the shut down to assist our law enforcement partners in keeping our communities safe.
• All family cases will be continued for 28 days, except for matters involving orders of protection assigned to a family law judge, emergency child support issues, and matters where an emergency as defined by statute and local court rule.
• All civil cases are continued for 28 days except for emergency motions.
• People involved in criminal cases are urged to contact their individual defense attorneys to discuss their case to ensure they receive the most up-to-date information.
• People are urged to log in to the Public Access on the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s website to keep up-to-date on their individual cases.
• A link to the entire order from the 19th Judicial Court can be found at their website.
• In the interim, we urge people to continue to follow the tips and other information released by the Lake County Health Department on their website.

"On behalf of the entire Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, I commend everyone for their hard work during these difficult times," Michael Nerheim, Lake County State's Attorney, said in the news release. "I’m confident the people of Lake County will come together in the face of this adversity. Thank you all, and stay safe"