Illinois Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Illinois — 28 U.S.C. § 93
The district structure of Illinois is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 93:
“Illinois is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Eastern Division shall be held at Chicago and Wheaton.
Court for the Western Division shall be held at Freeport and Rockford.
Court for the Central District shall be held at Champaign/Urbana, Danville, Peoria, Quincy, Rock Island, and Springfield.
Court for the Southern District shall be held at Alton, Benton, Cairo, and East Saint Louis.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Illinois
Federal fraud offenses committed in Illinois are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Seventh Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin.”
The Seventh Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Illinois. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Illinois.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 93 — Illinois (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Illinois is divided into three judicial districts to be known as the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Seventh Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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