—Updated Status re Zoom Court.
McHenry County has three new judges within our family law division. The current judges are:
- Courtroom 358: Judge Cynthia D. Lamb;
- CR 359: Judge Jennifer L. Johnson, Presiding Judge, Family Law Division;
- CR 360: Judge Jeffrey J. Altman
- CR 361: Judge Robert J. Zalud.
The divorce courts in McHenry County offer remote appearance ONLY for routine matters.
If you have bookmarks or zoom links as favorites in your internet browser – Delete them. They won’t take you to the appropriate Zoom session.
Attorneys of Record – Access Zoom courtrooms via the Attorney Access Portal. Simply log into the Attorney Access Portal. If you’re attorney of record, you will see your cases that are set for the day. It includes the time, location, case number, caption, hearing type and attorney representing. At the far right, there’s a green button “Join via Zoom.”
Attorneys who Haven’t Yet Filed an Appearance and Non-Attorneys. If you haven’t filed your appearance but want to appear on a case, goto the Circuit Clerk’s website. Any party that does not have access via the Attorney Access Portal will need to go through this same procedure. This takes you to the Zoom Check in Screen. Enter the case number or party name and click the search icon. Search results appear at the bottom of the screen and click on the appropriate case or party.
- A court appearance date scheduled for that day
- Appearances available for remote appearance via Zoom
- Cases where the case has not already been called by the judge (if you are arriving late).
Name Search:
- The name search is a “starts with” search, typing the name in this format: Last Name, First Name
- Will only return publicly available cases.
- To appear remotely on an impounded case please type in your case or name and fill the form out that appears after no results are found.
This opens up a second screen which provides case information, information about the scheduled event and location, and requires that the party identify themselves by clicking on the appropriate name.
Roomcast. McHenry County now allows courtroom access to Roomcast. InTouchOnDemand (ITOD) is built exclusively for bar associations.
Contested hearings and trials take place in person unless good cause consistent with Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 241. This includes non-evidentiary hearings.
Prove-ups. Prove-ups via affidavits and submission of judgment documents to finalize our cases case are generally disallowed. Prove-ups generally require courtroom with sworn testimony, although participants may appear via Zoom.
Family Division – Standing Order 22-01:
https://itodbardoc.intouchondemand.com/110/bcdoc/20220615085504.pdf
Family Division – Standing Order 22-02:
https://itodbardoc.intouchondemand.com/110/bcdoc/20220615085533.pdf
Summary.
In April 2024, McHenry County revamped its procedures for appearances via Zoom.
By Administrative Order 2020-17, Supreme Court Rule 45 , Supreme Court Rule 241, and Pub. Act 102-853, the parties and witnesses for orders of protection and similar orders (stalking no contact and civil no contact) may appear by Zoom.
Gunnar J. Gitlin
