Cook County Sheriff
Court Services Department
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Cook County has the largest unified court system in the nation, with eleven courthouses located within the city of Chicago and six in the outlying Cook County suburbs. The Court Services Department provides security for all court facilities. Deputy sheriffs have the responsibility of providing security for judges and other court officials as well as jurors, handing prisoners, and screening all persons entering the courthouse to ensure that no illegal items or contraband are allowed into the secured facility. Other duties performed by deputy sheriffs include the service of summonses, warrants, orders of protection and eviction orders.
Deputy sheriff's assigned to the Courtroom Services Division, one of the divisions of the Court Services Department, are responsible for all aspects of court security, which includes prisoner control and courtroom decorum as well as security at all courthouse entrances. When a person visits a court facility, regardless of the reason, they are required to go through a security entrance and submit to a search. Every year, arrests are made of individuals attempting to bring weapons, narcotics, controlled substances and other contraband into the courthouses. Guarding prisoners who are brought to court for trial may be the most important function that the courtroom deputy performs. Providing safety and security to the judges in the courtrooms is also a very high priority since the judge, as the imposer of penalties, is often the target of emotional and sometimes physical outbursts. In addition to these duties, deputy sheriffs must also maintain the decorum of the entire courtroom, including the people in the gallery, jurors, witnesses and attorneys. In 1999, there were over 6.1 million cases heard in Cook County courtrooms. Deputy sheriffs not only provided security for these cases, they were responsible for transporting and securing 385,296 prisoners who appeared in court in 1999.
The Civil Division, another division of the Court Services Department, handles the service of summonses, warrants, orders of protection and eviction orders. View the schedule for upcoming evictions.
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