The United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and is following all recommended guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Persons age 60 or over and people of all ages with serious underlying health conditions – such as immunodeficiency, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes – appear to be at a higher risk of developing serious illness from COVID-19. If you fall into one of these high-risk groups or have a fever with flu-like symptoms and you are scheduled to appear in court as a witness, party, attorney, or prospective juror, please contact the clerk’s office prior to coming to court. Further, if you have been in any of the countries or regions identified as Level 3 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the last 14 days, please contact the clerk’s office prior to coming to court.  A phone number for the clerk’s office in each division is listed below.

The Court has issued General Order 21-02 concerning court operations under the exigent circumstances created by COVID-19. General Order 21-02 provides, among other things, that all civil and criminal jury trials may resume in all divisions beginning March 23, 2021. General Order 21-02 also requires persons seeking entry to, or occupying any of the District’s courthouses, must wear a face covering, unless medically exempt, in the public areas of the courthouses and must maintain six feet of physical distance from other persons whenever possible.

General Order 21-02 also temporarily allows non-incarcerated pro se litigants the option to submit filings via email when complying with the terms contained in the Order. 

Finally, General Order 21-02 reauthorizes the use of videoconferencing and teleconferencing pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act.  

Please be advised, until further notice, Judges in the District are not requiring courtesy copies of filings to be delivered to their chambers. 

Other COVID-19 information.