O You must file the Appearance form in the county where the court case is filed. o Make copies of your original Appearance for yourself and each party in the case. o Bring the original Appearance and the copies to the Circuit Clerk at the courthouse. Appearance, and return these copies to you.
In some circumstances, you file a petition or a motion. The court has several complaint forms that you may use in drafting your complaint. The forms are available online and at the Pro Se Intake Unit. You may also write your own complaint without using a court form.
Pro Se Representation: Individuals are allowed to represent themselves in court, known as ``pro se'' or ``pro per'' representation. This means they do not need to be a certified attorney to represent themselves, but they also cannot represent anyone else.
Filing a Motion via E-filing You can e-file using a personal computer or at one of the public access eFile workstations offered at the Daley Center and in suburban courthouses. You must have an email address to e-file.
Generally, judges hold self-represented litigants to the same standards of professional responsibility as trained attorneys. If you do not hire an attorney, you must become familiar with the statutes, case law, and procedural rules that apply to your case.
In some circumstances, you file a petition or a motion. The court has several complaint forms that you may use in drafting your complaint. The forms are available online and at the Pro Se Intake Unit. You may also write your own complaint without using a court form.
When a petition is filed, the plaintiff and the defendant are given the opportunity to settle the case privately or to use an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process rather than go to trial. The court may also provide a summary judgment. If the case goes to trial, the judge will ultimately issue a verdict.
Basically, you need to explain the reason you are filing, what you would like to see happen (the relief you are requesting) and provide specific examples of what occurred that makes you think the judge should give you what you are asking for.
The pleading serves to provide notice to the defendant that there will be a lawsuit against the defendant regarding a specific controversy or controversies. Furthermore, the pleading stage provides notice to both parties of the intention of the opposing party regarding the lawsuit.
A finding that you are not guilty of the offense means that you cannot be punished for it. Note that it does not necessarily mean that you are actually innocent of the offense. You can be found not guilty of the offense in several different ways, one of which is to get acquitted after trial.