Coles County Arrest Records
Coles County arrest records are kept by the Coles County Sheriff's Office in Charleston, Illinois. The county has a population of about 46,400 and is home to Eastern Illinois University. Charleston serves as the county seat and is where the main sheriff's office operates. The sheriff handles arrest records for the unincorporated parts of Coles County and runs the county jail. Local police departments in Charleston, Mattoon, and other communities maintain their own arrest files separately. Access to Coles County arrest records is governed by the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1).
Coles County Quick Facts
Coles County Sheriff's Office
The Coles County Sheriff's Office is at 701 7th St, Charleston, IL 61920. The phone number is (217) 348-7332. This office provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Coles County and manages the county jail. Arrest records from sheriff's deputies are stored here. The staff handles records requests during regular business hours.
Charleston and Mattoon are the two main cities in Coles County. Both have their own police departments that create and keep separate arrest records. Mattoon is actually the larger of the two cities by population, so its police department handles a high volume of arrests in the county. The Eastern Illinois University Police Department also makes arrests on campus, and those records are kept by that department. When searching for a Coles County arrest record, the first thing to figure out is which agency was involved.
Coles County is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit. Criminal cases from anywhere in the county go through the circuit court at the Coles County Courthouse in Charleston.
How to Search Coles County Arrest Records
Start by calling the Coles County Sheriff's Office at (217) 348-7332. You can also walk into the office at 701 7th St in Charleston during business hours. Give the staff the person's name and any other details that might help, like a date of birth or approximate arrest date. They will tell you what records are available and how to get copies.
The Coles County Circuit Clerk's office handles court records tied to criminal cases. Court files show charges, hearings, plea entries, and case outcomes. The clerk's office is in the Coles County Courthouse in Charleston. Court records from Coles County provide more context than a bare arrest report. They follow the case from the initial filing through sentencing or dismissal, so you can see how things turned out after the arrest.
The Illinois State Police CHIRP system offers statewide name-based criminal history searches. Coles County arrests may show up in the results. The ISP Bureau of Identification manages this database. See the fee schedule for costs. For a deeper check, fingerprint-based searches through approved vendors are available.
Filing a FOIA Request in Coles County
You can request Coles County arrest records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. Write your request and send it to the Coles County Sheriff's Office at 701 7th St, Charleston, IL 61920. Be specific about what you need. Names, dates, and case numbers all help the staff locate the correct records.
The agency has five business days to respond under state law, with a possible five-day extension. The first 50 pages are typically provided at no charge. Beyond that, a per-page fee may apply. Under 5 ILCS 140/2.15, basic arrest information from Coles County law enforcement must be made available within 72 hours of the arrest. This covers the arrested person's name, the charges, and the arresting agency.
If a request is denied, the agency must provide a written explanation citing a specific exemption. Appeals go through the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor. Most Coles County arrest records are public, but sealed and expunged records are not accessible.
What Coles County Arrest Records Include
A Coles County arrest record contains the person's full name, date of birth, and physical description. It lists the charges, arrest date and time, and the arresting officer or agency. Booking records from the Coles County jail add a booking number and intake information. These are the standard facts documented when someone is taken into custody in the county.
Court records connected to Coles County arrests offer additional detail. Case numbers, attorney information, hearing schedules, pleas, and dispositions are all part of the court record. Whether charges were dropped, reduced, or resulted in a conviction shows up in these files. Conviction data falls under the Uniform Conviction Information Act (20 ILCS 2635/1). Records sealed or expunged under Illinois law are not available to the public. The Illinois State Appellate Defender has details on the expungement and sealing process.
Coles County Records Resources
The Illinois FOIA statute outlines public access rights for Coles County records. Arrest authority is governed by 725 ILCS 5/107-2, which covers when law enforcement can make an arrest in Illinois. The ISP FOIA page is for state-level records requests.
Prairie State Legal Services provides legal aid in the Coles County area. They can help with questions about record access, sealing, and expungement. The 5th Judicial Circuit may also offer self-help resources for people with criminal records matters. Eastern Illinois University's pre-law programs sometimes connect students with legal assistance resources as well, though the Coles County Bar Association remains the primary referral source for finding local attorneys.
Cities in Coles County
Coles County includes Charleston, Mattoon, and several smaller communities. None of the cities in Coles County meet the population threshold for a dedicated arrest records page on this site. For arrest records from cities in Coles County, contact the local police department or the Coles County Sheriff's Office.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Coles County. Each has its own sheriff's office and arrest records procedures: