An Examination of Felony Case Processing in the Circuit Court of Cook County, 2000-2012

This research bulletin provides an examination of felony cases filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County between 2000 and 2012. The examination considers trends in the volume of felony cases filed, the percent of cases disposed of within twelve months of filing, and the average length of time to dispose of cases. The analyses indicate that the number of felony cases filed in Cook County has decreased over the last decade and the percentage of felony cases disposed of within 12 months of filing has increased during the same period. However, the time to case disposition has increased -- for felony cases closed within 12 months in 2009, it took roughly 117 days to close the case; for felony cases closed within 12 months in 2012, it took roughly 143 days to close the case -- 26 days longer.