What a Madison County Court Docket Shows
A docket is the chronological record of events in a case. It lists every motion filed, every order entered, every continuance granted, and every hearing scheduled. The Madison County Circuit Clerk maintains both the case-level docket and the daily court schedule for the Third Judicial Circuit.
The case-level docket shows up on the Case Overview screen of the Circuit Clerk's case search. The daily court schedule is a different document. The schedule lists every case set for hearing on a given day in a given courtroom. People who want to know if a hearing is going forward use the schedule; people who want the full event history of a single case use the docket.
Note: The Circuit Clerk says online dockets update on Tuesdays and Fridays, while asbestos dockets update only on Tuesdays.
How to Find a Madison County Court Docket
The fastest path to a Madison County court docket is the Circuit Clerk's online case search. The county warns that the search screen can be slow during high-volume use and asks users to be patient after clicking the link. The case-level docket appears when you click a case in the result list.
- Open the Circuit Clerk's Court Records Search page.
- Click through to the search at clericusmagnus.com:8443.
- Enter a participant name or a case number in YYYY-CaseType-###### format.
- Click the case in the results to open the Case Overview.
- Read the docket entries to see motions, orders, hearings, and any continuances.
- Use the Next/Last Court Date field on the same screen to plan a courthouse visit.
The Circuit Clerk also offers Alert Text Reminders for court dates. Users who already know a case can subscribe to text or email reminders with the date and time of an appearance. Case docket subscriptions are listed alongside the reminders.
Daily Court Calls in the Third Judicial Circuit
The daily court call lists each case set for hearing in a given courtroom. The Circuit Clerk's site links to the court schedules page, where the Third Judicial Circuit publishes its updated dockets. Criminal calls, civil motion calls, traffic calls, and family calls are all on the public schedule. Asbestos matters have their own schedule because the volume of asbestos filings in Madison County is significant and the docket is managed separately.
The Madison County Circuit Court is staffed by eight Circuit Judges and thirteen Associate Circuit Judges. Each judge keeps a courtroom assignment with set call days for certain case types. The schedule page tells the public which judge sits where on a given day.
| Docket Type | Update Frequency | Where Filed |
|---|---|---|
| General civil and family | Tuesdays and Fridays | Madison County Courthouse, Edwardsville |
| Criminal call | Tuesdays and Fridays | Courthouse and Criminal Justice Center |
| Traffic call | Tuesdays and Fridays | Courthouse and Alton Satellite Office |
| Asbestos docket | Tuesdays only | Madison County Courthouse, Edwardsville |
| Probate call | Tuesdays and Fridays | Courthouse, Probate Division of the Circuit Court |
Docket Entries vs. Full Court Records
The docket is a summary. It tells you what happened and when. The full court record holds the actual filed documents, the signed orders, the exhibits, and the transcripts where applicable. The Circuit Clerk's case search and case overview will show you the docket entries, but to get copies of the underlying documents you must submit a separate copy request.
Some docket entries are short labels such as "Order entered" or "Motion to continue granted." Others spell out the specific motion or order. If a docket entry is too brief to be useful, request a copy of the underlying document through the Circuit Clerk.
For a full deep dive on case files, see the Madison County court records page. For criminal-specific filings, see the criminal records page.
Sample Madison County Docket Entry Fields
The Circuit Clerk's case system captures structured fields for every event in a case. The fields below are the ones documented in the Circuit Clerk's case overview and copy request guidance.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Event Date | The date the motion, order, or hearing was filed or held. |
| Event Type | Short label such as motion, order, plea, continuance, judgment, or sentence. |
| Filed By | The party that filed the motion or document. |
| Judge | The judge presiding when the event was scheduled or ruled on. |
| Result | For example, granted, denied, continued, or sustained. |
| Next/Last Court Date | The next scheduled court date pulled from the Case Overview. |
| Document Link | The Circuit Clerk's archives hold the underlying document; copy requests are needed for the full file. |
Continuances and Missed Court Dates
The Circuit Clerk FAQ explains how to continue a court date in Madison County. People with an attorney should have the attorney file the motion. Self-represented parties should file a Motion to Continue in a timely manner. Certain case types use an electronic continuance process. The Circuit Clerk lists DT, CM, DV, MT, TR, OV, CV, CL, QC, and CF among the codes that may use the e-continuance form. Filing a motion is not the same as having it granted; the court can deny a request that comes in too late or without good cause.
If you miss a court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant. Bench warrants are addressed on the warrant records page. Anyone who learns about a missed date should contact their attorney first, then the Circuit Clerk if they need the case number or next court setting.
Traffic and No-Court Tickets
Madison County traffic tickets fall into two groups. The Circuit Clerk FAQ says tickets marked "Court required" need the driver to appear at the designated time to speak with the prosecuting attorney. Tickets marked "No Court Required" can be paid through the Circuit Clerk's no-appearance traffic fine payment process. The Circuit Clerk says to allow two weeks from the date of arrest for a ticket to appear in the payment system. For the deeper traffic walkthrough, see traffic court records.
The State's Attorney's Traffic and Misdemeanor Division covers high-volume traffic and misdemeanor matters and holds court in Edwardsville and at the Alton Satellite Office. That split is why the Alton location matters for many docket questions.
Court-Date Reminders and Remote Proceedings
The Circuit Clerk links to Alert Text Reminder Court Dates and Case Docket Subscriptions from the same site menu. Subscribers can choose text or email and pick a date and time format that works for them.
The Illinois Courts directory lists "Remote Proceedings" as a resource at the Madison County Courthouse. Some hearings still happen by video or phone after the pandemic-era changes settled into local practice. Check the case docket or call the Circuit Clerk to confirm whether a hearing is in person or remote.
Note: Subscribing to a docket reminder is not the same as filing a notice of appearance, and reminders alone do not waive the duty to appear in court when required.
Judges and Courtroom Assignments
The Madison County Circuit Court has a Chief Judge and a roster of Circuit and Associate Circuit Judges. The Chief Judge sets the schedule of court call days and assigns judges to civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic divisions. The elected officials directory names Chief Judge Christopher Threlkeld and judges Amy Maher, Kyle Napp, Dennis Ruth, Amy Sholar, Sarah Smith, Tim Berkley, and Patrick King.
Some courtrooms host mostly criminal calls. Others handle civil motion days, family motion days, or traffic call days at the Alton Satellite Office. The Circuit Clerk's court schedules page is the place to confirm which judge sits in which room on a given day. The Chief Judge's office can be reached at (618) 296-4580 for administrative scheduling questions.
Mandatory arbitration may apply to small claims jury proceedings and money-damages cases over $10,000 and below $50,000. Three attorney arbitrators hear the case, an award is entered the same day, and parties have 30 days to accept or reject the award. The arbitration docket is its own schedule managed by the Circuit Court.
Asbestos Dockets in Madison County
Asbestos litigation is one of the higher-volume civil categories in Madison County. The Circuit Clerk treats the asbestos docket separately from the rest of the civil docket. The asbestos call updates on Tuesdays only, while other civil dockets update on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Asbestos plaintiffs and defendants use the same Circuit Clerk case search but follow the separate asbestos schedule for court dates and motion calls. Counsel of record for asbestos cases also use the Tuesday docket as the working call sheet for the week.
Users who do not have counsel can still call the Circuit Clerk at 618-692-6240 to confirm a docketed event. Asbestos files at the courthouse can run to many volumes, so calling ahead can save a wasted trip to Edwardsville. The Circuit Clerk's records team will direct callers to the right division and answer schedule questions, although they cannot give legal advice or speak to the merits of a case.