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1. As a victim or complainant, must I be present at all court hearings?

While a victim or complainant is welcome to attend all court hearings relative to their case, attendance is only required upon receipt of written notice such as a Notice or Subpoena. Please feel free to phone us with any questions you may have at 309-558-3250.

2. As a defendant, must I be present at all court hearings?

A defendant must appear for all court hearings scheduled.

3. If I am the victim of a crime, how do I go about getting criminal charges brought up against someone?

If you are the victim of a crime, the police in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred must be contacted first. The police will make a determination upon investigating the incident whether a crime has occurred and if so, whether it appears that probable cause exists. Commonly, the police will document the incident in a report. Whether our office gets involved depends upon the existence of probable cause and the facts of the incident. If the facts appear to support that a crime has occurred, the police will either provide you the information necessary to contact our office or they will bring the matter to our attention directly from which we will examine the merits of the case and determine whether criminal charges should be filed.

4. A situation occurred, the police responded, and I was informed that I needed to contact your office to schedule an appointment to come in to file charges. Why won't the police take care of this?

At times, an offense occurs where the only witness to an offense is the victim. Without the presence of evidence or the testimony of an external witness, the case is solely based upon the victim's statement. Other times, we may have questions about the case. In these cases, we wish to meet with the victim and discuss the case. In situations where probable cause is found to exist, the victim bears the burden of presenting the factual basis to a judge while under oath.

5. I accepted a personal check that was returned. How do I get my money?

The Rock Island County Bad Check Restitution Program processes all bad checks accepted in Rock Island County. They will attempt to resolve the matter on your behalf, however, the case may ultimately require your follow up either through Small Claims Court or our office if the case meets the criteria for criminal prosecution. For more information, visit the website or call 309-558-3234.

6. I hired someone to perform a number of repairs for me and I paid them a deposit for the materials up front, however the work was never completed. What do I do?

Consumer fraud is addressed by the Illinois Attorney General's Office. They may be contacted at 800-243-0618. This office also addresses many other consumer affairs.

7. I have had many problems with one of my tenants and he has not paid the rent in two months. How do I evict this person?

Eviction is a civil matter and one not addressed by our office. You may wish to contact a private attorney for guidance.

8. I have a criminal conviction from years ago that I would like to get taken off my record. How do I go about getting this done?

Any misdemeanor crime that resulted in a disposition of Court Supervision may be expunged. All other convictions must be pardoned by the Governor. Our office does not have any involvement in this process and you may wish to contact your private attorney for assistance.

9. My spouse has moved out and tells me that he/she wants a divorce. What are my rights regarding our common property such as the house and cars?

Divorce is a civil matter and one not addressed by our office. You may wish to contact a private attorney for further information.

10. My ex and I have no formal agreement about visitation of our son. Recently, my ex has been keeping our son for longer periods of time than I feel comfortable and he/she has become more and more unreas

Child visitation matters are of a civil nature.  You may wish to contact a private attorney for information on how to address child visitation matters.

11. I have an Order of Protection against my ex, however I no longer feel he/she is a threat and I would like to have the Order lifted. Must I formally deal with this in court, or can I just ignore the Or

Do not ignore the order for you may be held in contempt of court should you do something contradictory to remedies listed in the order. You must appear in court in order to pursue getting the order modified or dismissed. For more information about this procedure, you may call the Domestic Violence Victim's Assistant at 309-558-3298.