Search DeWitt County Police Records
DeWitt County police records are held by the Sheriff's Office on West Washington Street in Clinton. Use this page to learn how to request reports, find court case data, and check law enforcement records across the county.
DeWitt County Quick Facts
DeWitt County Sheriff's Office
The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county's rural areas and unincorporated land. The office sits at 101 W. Washington St. in Clinton. You can call them at (217) 935-9507. The sheriff's staff takes reports for incidents that happen outside city limits, and they run the county jail.
To get a police report from the sheriff, you need to file a written request under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA law (5 ILCS 140/) gives you the right to ask for public records from any government body in the state. Put your request in writing. Include the date of the incident, names of people involved, and a case number if you have one. The more detail you provide, the faster staff can pull the right files.
The DeWitt County Sheriff's Office website is shown below, which lists contact details and department information for records requests.
Use this site to confirm current office hours and find any forms the sheriff may have posted for FOIA requests.
| Address | 101 W. Washington St., Clinton, IL 61727 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (217) 935-9507 |
| Website | dewittsheriff.com |
FOIA Requests in DeWitt County
The FOIA officer for DeWitt County police records is the DeWitt County State's Attorney. Send your written request to P.O. Box 439, Clinton, IL 61727. Every public body in the county must respond to a FOIA request within five business days. That deadline can stretch to ten days if the records are hard to find or the request covers a lot of material.
Fees follow state rules. The first 50 pages of black and white copies are free. After that, each page costs $0.15 for letter or legal size paper. If you want records on a CD or DVD, the cost is typically under a dollar per disc. Certified copies and special formats may cost more. You can ask for a fee waiver if the records serve the public interest. The agency does not have to grant it, but it never hurts to ask.
If the sheriff or state's attorney denies your FOIA request, they must cite a specific exemption from the law. Common reasons include ongoing investigations, witness safety, and personal privacy. You have the right to appeal any denial to the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. The appeal is free. The PAC reviews the denial and issues a binding opinion. This process usually takes a few weeks, though complex cases can take longer.
DeWitt County Circuit Clerk
Michelle VanValey serves as the DeWitt County Circuit Clerk. Her office is at 201 West Washington Street in Clinton. Call (217) 935-7750 or email mvanvaley@dewittcountyil.gov for questions about court records. The circuit clerk keeps all case files for criminal, civil, and traffic matters in the county.
After an arrest in DeWitt County, the State's Attorney decides whether to file charges. Once charges are filed, a case number is assigned and all court documents go into the clerk's system. You can look up case outcomes, plea deals, sentencing, and bond amounts through the clerk's office. This is useful when you want the full picture beyond just the initial police report.
DeWitt County is part of the Sixth Judicial Circuit. The circuit court in Clinton handles all felony and misdemeanor cases that start with a police report. Court records are separate from police records, so you may need to make requests to both the sheriff and the circuit clerk to get everything you need.
| Clerk | Michelle VanValey |
|---|---|
| Address | 201 West Washington Street, Clinton, IL 61727 |
| Phone | (217) 935-7750 |
| mvanvaley@dewittcountyil.gov |
Illinois State Police Records for DeWitt County
ISP Troop 5 covers DeWitt County. State troopers patrol the highways and state routes that run through the area. If an ISP trooper wrote the report, the request goes to the state, not the county. File your FOIA request at isp.illinois.gov/Foia or email ISP.FOIA.Officer@illinois.gov.
The Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/) controls what criminal history data the public can see. Only conviction records are available to the general public. Arrest records that did not lead to a conviction are kept private. The Criminal Identification Act (20 ILCS 2630/) sets rules for sealing and expunging criminal records in Illinois. If you need your own criminal history, you can visit a Live Scan vendor for fingerprinting and ISP will send you a copy of your record.
ISP crash reports cost $5.00 each. Pay by check or money order made out to the Illinois State Police. You can also order crash reports through the ISP website. State police reports are different from local police reports. If the crash happened on a local road and a county deputy or city officer responded, you need to contact that agency instead.
Types of Police Records in DeWitt County
DeWitt County law enforcement agencies keep several kinds of records. The type you need depends on the incident.
- Incident and offense reports
- Arrest records and booking logs
- Traffic crash reports
- Dispatch and call logs
- Court case filings and dispositions
- Warrant information
Some records have limits. Active investigations may be partly withheld. Witness statements in open cases often get redacted. Juvenile records are sealed under state law and not available to the public. The ISP Sex Offender Registry at sor.isp.illinois.gov covers DeWitt County and does not need a FOIA request. Anyone can search it online at any time.
Nearby Counties
These counties border DeWitt County. Each has its own sheriff and court system for police records.