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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information Contact:

Leah Dziekan
Lake County Circuit Clerk's Office
(847) 377-3363
ldziekan@lakecountyil.gov

Campaign Promise Kept

Lake County Circuit Clerk Now Accepting Online Payments

Earlier today, Lake County Circuit Court Clerk, Erin Cartwright Weinstein, announced that the Lake County Circuit Clerk’s Office, will now be accepting payments for certain criminal and traffic cases online effective today, November 1, 2017.  The option for paying online has been long awaited in Lake County, which is the third largest county in the State of Illinois.  The Lake County Circuit Clerk accepts and disburses more than $20 million each year in court related costs, fines, and fees either through mail or counter transactions. The new additional service allows Lake County to join the more than 70% of other counties in Illinois that already offer online payments.

Individuals who owe outstanding fines and court costs may now pay online by visiting the Circuit Clerk’s website www.lakecountycircuitclerk.org. The website offers instructions in over 50 languages and the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition to online payments, the Circuit Clerk has also established a call center that is able to assist individuals that may not have access to a computer or may require additional assistance in making their payments over the phone. 

During her campaign, Cartwright Weinstein promised to increase efficiency and make the Circuit Clerk’s Office more accessible to the public.  The process to find a cost-effective way to allow the public to pay for their fines and fees online began in April of this year.  The Circuit Clerk’s Office worked with their current credit card vendor to establish the online process and call center payments without incurring any additional costs.  “By utilizing the resources available to us, my staff was able to research, establish, and implement the new service without spending any money,” stated Circuit Clerk Cartwright Weinstein who gives much of the credit to her staff. “They willingly accepted the challenge to adjust the usual way of doing business in order to further assist the public.  The staff is very proud of being able to bring this new level of service to our operations.”

In addition to her staff, Cartwright Weinstein also thanked Chief Judge Jorge Ortiz; upcoming Chief Judge Jay Ukena; Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael Nerheim; Public Defender, Joy Gossman; and Rose Gray, Director of Probation, for supporting the program.  “They all recognize how important it is to help those involved in the court system remain compliant with their financial obligations,” explained Circuit Clerk Cartwright Weinstein “by offering more accessible payment options, I believe this new service will allow individuals to be more compliant in addressing the payment of their court ordered obligations.”

Along with the impending release of eFileIL, the state sponsored e-Filing system, which will be available January 1, 2018, the new online payment service is just one of many steps being taken by the Circuit Clerk’s Office to ensure that they are providing Lake County residents with easy access to the information and services they need.