Illinois Lawyer Referrals and Legal Guidance
Federal Criminal Courts in Illinois
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Illinois is part of the seventh federal circuit. When criminal charges are initially brought they are heard at a U.S. District Court. There are three federal districts for federal criminal charges in Illinois.
The Northern District Federal Court eastern district is in Chicago at the corner of Dearborn and Adams. The western district for northern Illinois is in Rockford. As you can imagine, federal crimes that occur in the northeast part of Illinois (Chicago, DuPage County, Lake County, etc) are heard at the court in Chicago and federal crimes that occur in the northwest part of Illinois (Rockford, Dixon, etc) are heard at the Rockford court.
The Central District Federal Court covers 46 counties in Central Illinois and has locations in Rock Island, Springfield, Peoria and Urbana.
The Southern District Federal Court has locations in Benton and East St. Louis, Illinois. As you would expect these courts handle federal criminal charges that arise from crimes in the southern part of Illinois.
If you are convicted of a federal crime in one of the above court and want to appeal the conviction you would do so at the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals . This is the appeals court for federal cases in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. The courthouse itself is located in the same building in Chicago as the Northern District Federal Court. There are 14 Appellate Court judges that review decisions of the Circuit Court.
If you lose an appeal at the Court of Appeals your only judicial option is an appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
If you have any questions about federal criminal defense laws or would like a referral to an experienced federal criminal defense lawyer please do not hesitate to contact us. All inquiries are free and confidential.
Findgreatlawyers.com is a free service, run by Illinois lawyers, to help people with any Illinois legal matter. From Chicago to Belleville, to Peoria to Rockford and all locations in between, we will use our best efforts to help you with your legal situation.