From the Circuit Court Clerk Kathy Keefe:

Circuit Clerk Announces Amnesty Week, Expungement Clinic to Help People Pay Fines, Clear Criminal Records

WOODSTOCK, Ill. – Upcoming events in September will offer people the opportunity to pay past-due McHenry County case fines and unpaid traffic tickets without penalty, and help people ask to clear their criminal records.

The McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office will once again host Amnesty Week, during which people can
settle their court debts by paying the original amount due before their cases were turned over to collections.

And for the first time, the office will offer an Expungement Clinic to help people prepare and file requests to clear their criminal record at no cost, Circuit Clerk Kathy Keefe said.

“Last year’s Amnesty Week, our first ever, was a success that gave people the opportunity for a fresh start by allowing them to pay their past-due case fines without fees and interest.

“We’re excited this year to add the expungement clinic as well,” Keefe said.

“In the Circuit Clerk’s Office, we help people every day who have turned their lives around and are trying to clear their criminal records to help get a job or join the military.

“The expungement process can be challenging, and this clinic will be a great opportunity to give people access to the assistance of an attorney, free of charge.”

Amnesty Week will take place between Monday, Sept. 25, and Friday, Sept. 29 – anyone with a balance due on a criminal, traffic, DUI, ordinance, or conservation violation will be able to pay their total due, minus any late fees and collection interest that may have accumulated.

The amnesty does not apply to any fines and costs which have already been paid, or any tax refunds which have been applied against what is owed.

Last year’s inaugural Amnesty Week saved 33 individuals a total of more than $14,000 in late fees and interest, and more than $17,000 owed to the court was paid, Keefe said.

People may ask for a quote for the amount due in their cases, minus fees and interest, by emailing CircuitClerk@mchenrycountyil.gov, or by calling 815-334-4190.

Payments can be made online at www.mchenrycircuitclerk.org, in person at the Circuit Clerk’s Office between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or mailed to the office at 2200 N. Seminary Ave., Woodstock, IL 60098. Payments can be made by cash, personal check, credit or debit card.