Cook County- No Cost to File Expungement Petition in Certain Cases Through 2020
/In 2019, Governor Pritzer signed into law a bill that extended the pilot program in Cook County designed to waive the filing fee for certain cases eligible to be expunged. The pilot program in Cook County, Illinois, through the Criminal Identification Act, has been extended through December 31, 2020. Certain cases are eligible to waive the filing fee of approximately $150, which includes payment to Cook County and the Illinois State Police. Eligible cases include:
arrests resulting in release without charging (RWOC);
charges resulting in acquittal (not guilty);
charges resulting in dismissal (non-suit, stricken off with leave to reinstate (SOL), finding no probable cause (FNP));
charges resulting in a conviction when the conviction was reversed or vacated;
charges resulting in an acquittal (not guilty).
If you have ever been arrested or charged, and the case ended up being dismissed based on one of the outcomes listed above, contact the Law Offices of Hannah Garst, P.C., for a free consultation to determine your eligibility to expunge your case. Arrests or charges originating in Cook County, including the City of Chicago, may be eligible to be filed without payment of a filing fee through the end of 2020.