On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the Seventeenth Circuit Court celebrated its nineteenth annual National Adoption Day Celebration at the Winnebago County Criminal Justice Center.  At this event, Judge Francis M. Martinez along with Circuit Clerk Tom Klein, local social service agencies (Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, Youth Service Bureau, Brightpoint, Camelot Care Center and Greenlight Family Services) and other court personnel volunteered their time to finalize 14 adoptions of children previously residing in foster care.

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the estimated 108,000 children in foster care that are ready for adoption and waiting for a family.  On this day, members of the judiciary, attorneys and social service agency professionals from all across the United States work together to finalize adoptions and celebrate all of the families participating in adoptions. Over the last twenty years, a total of 450 children have been adopted into permanent loving families in celebration of National Adoption Day in the 17^th Circuit Court of Illinois.  

Chief Judge John S. Lowry stated, “It is a great privilege to play a role in creating permanent, loving homes for the children and families involved in National Adoption Day.  Today is truly a day of celebration.” Judge Erin Buhl added, “National Adoption Day is an exciting day full of new beginnings and I am honored to join our families, caseworkers, CASA volunteers and court personnel in celebration.”

For more information about this event, please contact Deputy Court Administrator Kimberly Ackmann at 815-319-4831 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Judge Janet R. Holmgren, Presiding Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP) Court is pleased to announce the program celebrated its 35th graduation ceremony on Monday, November 4, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. in Courtroom 311 at the Winnebago County Courthouse. Seven TIP Court participants have successfully completed all of the TIP Court Program requirements, bringing the total number of Graduates to 213 since TIP Court began in 2005.

Judge Janet R. Holmgren, Presiding Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP) Court is pleased to announce the program celebrated its 35th graduation ceremony on Monday, November 4, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. in Courtroom 311 at the Winnebago County Courthouse. Seven TIP Court participants have successfully completed all of the TIP Court Program requirements, bringing the total number of Graduates to 213 since TIP Court began in 2005.TIP Court is a specialized problem-solving court program that provides wrap-around therapeutic services and intensive court supervision to persons in the criminal justice system who have a serious and persistent mental illness. The program is voluntary and the average length of participation is two and a half years. The goals and purpose of TIP Court is to provide participants with the treatment and case management services they require to help them achieve stability and maintain recovery and in turn, dramatically reduce the likelihood that they will commit new offenses. A multi-disciplinary team of clinical and justice professionals closely supervise each participant’s compliance with treatment and probation supervision requirements. Participants are held accountable for complying and completing their treatment plan requirements through intensive probation supervision and frequent court appearances before Judge Holmgren.

Please contact Emily Behnke for more information about TIP Court and the 35th graduation ceremony.

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Judge Jennifer Clifford, Chairperson of the 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council (FVCC) and co-chair of the Statewide FVCC, announces that October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The community is encouraged to support the multiple community awareness activities planned throughout the month, beginning with hosting an information booth and related activities at Rockford City Market the evening of September 27th. Community awareness activities seek to provide education and honor those who have been impacted by violence in Winnebago and Boone counties.

The FVCC has planned many awareness activities throughout the month of October including a weekly virtual community lunch and learn series. The annual Shining the Light on Domestic Violence ceremony for Winnebago County will be held at Crusader Community Health on West State Street on Tuesday, October 29^th at 5:30pm.  Boone County’s annual Shining the Light on Domestic Violence Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, October 1^st at the Belvidere Moose Lodge.   Additional information about planned events can be found on the attached calendar or by visiting the 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council Facebook page. Honorable Jennifer Clifford commented, “We have several opportunities throughout the month of October where those in our community can learn about the various forms of domestic violence and prevention efforts against domestic violence that exist here in the 17th Circuit. We are thankful for the multiple organizations that partner with us not only in October but throughout the entire year to address our community’s response to domestic violence.”

The 17th Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council is funded by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and serves Boone and Winnebago counties. The FVCC serves as a forum to coordinate community and professional efforts to address family violence, including domestic violence, teen dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse. For more information about the work of the FVCC, contact Ireland Griep  at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Chief Judge John S. Lowry is pleased to announce that the 17^th Judicial Circuit Court of Winnebago County, IL Domestic Violence Coordinated Court is the recipient of two federal awards from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, the Justice for Families and the Electronic Service Protection Order Court Pilot. The $600,000.00 Justice for Families award provides continued support for the circuit’s Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and includes funding for advocacy and increased access to justice initiatives for survivors within the court system.  The Electronic Service Protection Order Pilot is a $1,500,000.00, five-year award that designates Winnebago County to serve as a pilot site for the electronic service of order of protection paperwork. This pilot includes a two-year planning period followed by an implementation program.   

Judge Joseph P. Bruscato, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and Family Division commented, “We are grateful to the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women for their continued support of our Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and for their trust in designating Winnebago County as a pilot site for the electronic service of protective order documents. We look forward to continuing to expand and enhance our court response to matters involving domestic violence and are excited to contribute to national best practices around these topics.”

Deputy Court Administrator Nicole Ticknor added, “This funding provided by the Office on Violence Against Women is integral to the growth of our Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and our ability to implement innovative responses and programing that serve to improve access to justice, safety, and accountability for all.”

The Domestic Violence Coordinated Court was established in 2012 and serves as a nationally-recognized Domestic Violence Mentor Court. For more information about the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court or the above awards, contact Nicole Ticknor, Deputy Court Administrator.

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Chief Judge John S. Lowry is proud to announce the launch of new Pretrial Data Dashboards for Winnebago County.  Developed in collaboration with the Winnebago County Circuit Clerk and Winnebago County Department of Information Technology, the dashboards are now publically accessible at https://pfa.wincoil.gov/.  

The dashboards allow the public to view key metrics, including:

• Arrests by Agency
• Most Serious Charge Per Case
• Most Serious Class of Offense Per Case
• Petitions to Detain Filed by State’s Attorney
• Petitions to Detain Granted or Denied

“These dashboards offer valuable insights into how our courts are functioning since the implementation of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act exactly one year ago on September 18, 2023,” said Chief Judge John. S. Lowry.   “All interested parties are empowered with direct access to learn more about Winnebago County’s pretrial operations.”     

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Today, August 23, 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court published the attached Notice of Vacancy for Resident Circuit Judge in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit – Winnebago County.  The vacancy resulted from the appointment of the Honorable Eugene G. Doherty to the Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth Judicial District, effective August 8, 2024.

This is a Subcircuit 2 vacancy.  A map of the subcircuit boundaries is available at tinyurl.com/17thsubcircuitmap.

The application form and instructions may be obtained on the Illinois Supreme Court’s website. The deadline for submission of an application is September 13, 2024.

Please see press release from the Illinois Supreme Court

The 17^th Judicial Circuit Court is pleased to announce its Juvenile Redeploy program celebrated a graduation on May 7^th, 2024 for one participant who successfully completed the requirements of the 12–18 month long program.    Over the past three years, the program has seen 27 participants successfully graduate.

Juvenile Redeploy Illinois is a grant-funded program through the Department of Human Services that has been offered to moderate to high-risk youth in Winnebago County since 2013. In collaboration with service providers, Youth Services Network (YSN), Equip for Equality (EFE), and Dr. Jason Soriano, each participant receives therapeutic wrap-around services in addition to a dedicated juvenile probation officer. YSN provides a case manager, parent-engagement specialist, and counselor who works closely with each participant and family. YSN creates an individualized case plan in collaboration with the youth.

“We are proud of the hard work this graduate has put towards completing the Redeploy program. It is not easy to accomplish in such a short period of time.   Over the past year, he developed relationships with the team and utilized the skills taught in class to help him make positive choices for his life,” said Taryn Marko, Deputy Director of Juvenile Probation.  “This young man has a bright future ahead.”

Each participant completes Moral Reconation Therapy or Life Skills Reimagined curriculums as a part of the program. EFE provides an attorney who reviews school records and develops an educational plan. This plan helps guide the Redeploy team on the best way to advocate for the participant.  EFE also provides legal advice, representation, and technical support to ensure each participant receives appropriate special education services. Dr. Jason Soriano provides psychological evaluations for youth identified by the Redeploy team. Each participant goes through a level system that builds opportunities to praise progress made toward their goals.

Please contact Jared Johannsen for more information regarding the Winnebago County Juvenile Redeploy Illinois program.

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Judge Janet R. Holmgren, Presiding Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court Therapeutic Intervention Program (TIP) Court is pleased to announce the program celebrated its 34^th graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 217 at the Winnebago County Courthouse. Three TIP Court participants have successfully completed all of the TIP Court Program requirements, bringing the total number of Graduates to 202 since TIP Court began in 2005.

TIP Court is a specialized problem-solving court program that provides wrap-around therapeutic services and intensive court supervision to persons in the criminal justice system who have a serious and persistent mental illness. The program is voluntary and the average length of participation is two and a half years. The goals and purpose of TIP Court is to provide participants with the treatment and case management services they require to help them achieve stability and maintain recovery and in turn, dramatically reduce the likelihood that they will commit new offenses. A multi-disciplinary team of clinical and justice professionals closely supervise each participant’s compliance with treatment and probation supervision requirements. Participants are held accountable for complying and completing their treatment plan requirements through intensive probation supervision and frequent court appearances before Judge Holmgren. 

Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information about TIP Court and the 34^th graduation ceremony.

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April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month.  Judge Jennifer Clifford, Chairperson of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court Family Violence Coordinating Council (FVCC), announces the return of “Hands Around the Courthouse” on April 18, 2024 at 12:00pm at the front entrance of the Winnebago County Criminal Justice Center located at 650 W. State Street in Rockford.

The community is encouraged to join the FVCC and their community partners, including Winnebago County CASA, Brightpoint, Youth Services Network, The Carrie Lynn Children’s Center and MERIT at this annual event. This brief ceremony will bring the community together to remember survivors and celebrate the work that has been done to improve the response to victims of child abuse and neglect.  

This year’s event will honor the recipient of the inaugural Blue Bow Champion for Children Award, Mary Bawinkel. The Blue Bow Champion for Children Award is awarded to an individual, organization or group that has made outstanding contributions to child abuse awareness and prevention by going above and beyond to help kids grow up in safe environments. At the end of the event, participants will surround the courthouse with blue ribbon and plant a blue pinwheel garden to honor survivors of child abuse and neglect and increase awareness around prevention efforts. Remarks will be provided by Ericka Potter from Youth Services Network and Winnebago County Chairman, Joseph Chiarelli, will proclaim April as Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month. This event is open to the community.

According to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, close to 170,000 calls were made the Illinois Child Abuse Hotline in FY23. During the same time period, 217 children died by abuse and 178 children died by neglect in Illinois.

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