Illinois Uses "Circuit Court," Not "District Court"
Illinois reorganized its trial courts in the 1960s and 1970s into a unified Circuit Court system. The 1970 Illinois Constitution finalized the structure. Older lower courts such as justice of the peace, city, village, town, and county courts merged into the Circuit Court. Probate, juvenile, and traffic matters became divisions or case types inside the Circuit Court rather than separate elected courts.
The image below links to the Illinois Courts overview of the Circuit Court system.
The state page explains the 25 circuits, the role of the Chief Judge, and the Circuit Clerk's statutory role in each county.
The Third Judicial Circuit
Madison County sits in the Third Judicial Circuit, paired with Bond County. The state directory says the Third Circuit consists of Madison and Bond Counties. The court system in both counties is administered generally by the Chief Judge, but each county's Circuit Court functions separately for local filings, hearings, and court administration. The image below links to the Illinois Courts directory entry for Madison County.
The directory entry covers court hours, the Chief Judge's office, ADA contacts, parking, transit, e-filing, the law library, and other practical facility details.
Madison County Circuit Judges
The Madison County Circuit Court has eight Circuit Judges and thirteen Associate Circuit Judges. The Chief Judge of the Third Circuit oversees the court. The elected officials directory names Chief Judge Christopher Threlkeld and Madison County judges Amy Maher, Kyle Napp, Dennis Ruth, Amy Sholar, Sarah Smith, Tim Berkley, and Patrick King. The image below links to the official elected officials page.
| Judge | Role | Court Address |
|---|---|---|
| Hon. Christopher Threlkeld | Chief Judge, Third Judicial Circuit | 155 N. Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025 |
| Hon. Amy Maher | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Kyle Napp | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Dennis Ruth | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Amy Sholar | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Sarah Smith | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Tim Berkley | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
| Hon. Patrick King | Circuit Judge | Madison County Courthouse |
Madison County Circuit Court Divisions
The Circuit Court does not have separate elected lower courts in Illinois, so each case type runs as a division of the Circuit Court. Madison County handles civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, juvenile, small claims, and eviction matters through the same trial court system. The State's Attorney's Traffic and Misdemeanor Division prosecutes high-volume traffic and misdemeanor offenses and has court in Edwardsville and Alton.
- Civil Division – complaints, judgments, foreclosures, evictions, chancery.
- Criminal Division – felony and misdemeanor cases, bond hearings, plea and sentencing.
- Family Division – dissolution, parenting, support, orders of protection.
- Probate Division – decedent estates, guardianships, small estate affidavits.
- Traffic Division – citations, no-court tickets, court-required appearances.
- Juvenile Division – delinquency, abuse, and neglect cases.
- Small Claims – money damages claims with jurisdictional caps.
- Specialty Courts – MC-ATAC drug court, mental health court, veterans' treatment court.
Appeals to the Fifth District
Most appeals from the Madison County Circuit Court go to the Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District, which sits in Mount Vernon. The Illinois Supreme Court takes discretionary review of most cases that lose at the Appellate Court. The image below links to the Illinois Courts overview of the Appellate Court.
The page covers each of the five appellate districts. Direct review by the Supreme Court is available in limited categories, including death penalty appeals where the death penalty existed, certain constitutional cases, and a few statutory paths.
The image below links to the Illinois Courts overview of how cases proceed through the courts, which is useful for understanding the appellate path.
The page walks through arrest, charging, pretrial, trial, sentencing, and appeal stages in plain English.
Mandatory Arbitration in Madison County
Madison County has court-annexed arbitration for all small claims jury proceedings and civil cases seeking money damages over $10,000 and below the circuit's approved jurisdictional limit. The state directory says Madison County's limit is currently $50,000. Panels consist of three attorney arbitrators, awards are made the same day, and parties have 30 days to accept or reject the award.
If a party rejects the award within the 30-day window, the case returns to the regular trial track. Arbitration is meant to clear faster-moving civil cases without taking up trial-court calendar time.
How a Case Moves Through the Madison County Court System
A typical Madison County case starts with a filing at the Circuit Clerk and moves through pretrial, trial, post-trial, and possibly appeal. Some divisions add specialty steps such as arbitration or specialty court diversion.
Case flow: Madison County Circuit Court › Illinois Appellate Court, Fifth District › Supreme Court of Illinois
- The case is filed at the Circuit Clerk through eFileIL.
- The defendant is served or appears voluntarily.
- Pretrial motions and discovery proceed through the assigned judge.
- Mandatory arbitration applies to certain civil money cases.
- Trial happens at the courthouse before a judge or jury.
- Judgment is entered and recorded on the Case Overview.
- An appeal may be filed and routed to the Fifth District.
Madison County Courthouse Location
The Madison County Courthouse sits at 155 N. Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025. The Criminal Justice Center at 509 Ramey Street is the criminal-justice satellite. The Alton Satellite Office of the Circuit Clerk is at 1700 E. Broadway, Alton, IL 62002 and is open Tuesday and Friday only.
Madison County Courthouse
155 N. Main Street
Edwardsville, IL 62025
(618) 296-4470
Chief Judge: (618) 296-4580
Criminal Justice Center
509 Ramey Street
Edwardsville, IL 62025
(618) 692-8961
Specialty courts and criminal hearings
Federal District Court Is Different
The Madison County Circuit Court is a state court. Federal cases in this area go to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, with locations in East St. Louis and Benton. Federal bankruptcy filings go to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois. Federal appeals from this district go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Use PACER for federal case search.
Law Library and Self Help Center
The Madison County Law Library is inside the courthouse at 155 N. Main Street. It offers public access to Illinois legal reference materials, federal legal research, Westlaw on three computers, and photocopying at 10 cents per page. The Legal Self Help Center is in the Law Library and is staffed Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contacts include Deana Lackey, Stephanie Flaugher, and Rachel Roach at (618) 296-4472 or (618) 296-5930.
The self-help staff can help with public access computers, locate forms, explain how the court works, provide legal information, and answer general questions. They cannot give legal advice, prepare or review documents, choose claims or relief, speak to a judge, or appear in court for a litigant.
ADA Access and Remote Proceedings
The Court Disability Coordinator is Ryan Anderson at (618) 296-4884 and rmanderson@madisonCountyil.gov. The Illinois Courts directory marks "Mobile Devices Allowed," "Lockers," "Internet," "Printer," "Copier," "Language Access," "Lactation Rooms," "Remote Proceedings," and "Disability Information (ADA)" as available courthouse resources.
Court technology includes mandatory civil e-filing under Illinois Supreme Court order M.R. 18368, effective January 1, 2018. Family cases in Madison County must be e-filed; attorneys are not exempt. Some hearings are conducted by remote video and are listed on the case docket. Confirm the in-person or remote format before traveling to the courthouse.
Parking, Transit, and Visiting the Courthouse
Free parking is in the Madison County parking lot behind the Courthouse and Administration Building. The parking-lot entrance is on North Second Street, accessible from St. Louis Street. The Madison County Transit Edwardsville Station is directly across the street from the courthouse. Visitors using I-55 or I-70 should plan for downtown Edwardsville traffic and arrive early for morning calls.
Vending machines are located in the courthouse basement. The state directory marks Mobile Devices Allowed, Lockers, Internet, Printer, Copier, Language Access, Lactation Rooms, and Remote Proceedings as available resources at the building. Security screening is required at the entrance, and recording inside courtrooms is controlled by court rule.
Anyone needing accommodation for a hearing should contact the Court Disability Coordinator in advance. The state directory says ADA information is available through the Illinois Courts directory entry. Language interpretation services run through the court's local language access program; civil litigants and witnesses can request interpreters ahead of a hearing.