Circuit Court of Massac County, Illinois (1st Judicial Circuit) Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICALCivil cases

When the Court orders EMC mediation, no judgment may be entered until mediation occurs and a completion report is filed with the Court.

If the Court obligates mediation of the parties through EMC, the Court shall prohibit any judgment from being entered until mediation has taken place, and a report of completion is filed with the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

After each EMC mediation session, the Program must file a report with the Court stating the outcome.

Upon conclusion of each mediation session through EMC, the Program shall file a report with the Court indicating the outcome.

CRITICAL

When seeking relief concerning specified discovery materials, the disputed portions must be filed with the clerk contemporaneously with the motion.

B. Relief Involving Discovery Materials. If relief is sought concerning any deposition, interrogatory, request for production or inspection, answer to interrogatory, or response to request for production or inspection, copies of the portion of the deposition, interrogatory, request, answer, or response in dispute shall be filed with the clerk contemporaneously with any motion.

CRITICAL

Discovery portions expected to be used at trial or needed for a motion must be filed with the clerk at trial’s outset or when the motion is filed, to the extent their use can reasonably be anticipated.

C. Use at Trial or for Motion. If interrogatories, requests, answers, responses, or depositions are to be used at trial or are necessary to a motion, the portions to be used shall be filed with the clerk at the outset of the trial or upon filing of the motion, insofar as their use reasonably can be anticipated.

CRITICAL

Discovery documents not already in the record that are needed for an appeal must be filed with the circuit clerk upon application and court order for transmission with the appellate record.

D. Unfiled Discovery--Appeals. When documentation of discovery not previously in the record is needed for appeal purposes, upon an application to and order of the court, the necessary discovery papers shall be filed with the clerk of the circuit court for transmittal with the rest of the record on appeal.

CRITICAL

Unless another authority sets a filing time, a document is timely if submitted before midnight in the court’s time zone on or before its due date.

Unless a statute, rule, or court order requires that a document be filed by a certain time of day, a document is considered timely if submitted before midnight (in the court's time zone) on or before the date on which the document is due.

CRITICAL

A document submitted while the clerk’s office is closed is file stamped as filed on the next business day the office is open, unless it is rejected.

A document submitted on a day when the clerk's office is not open for business will, unless rejected, be file stamped as filed on the next day the clerk's office is open for business.

WARNING

After the ten-day period expires, the clerk will refer the motion papers and case file to the court for disposition.

Upon expiration of the 10-day period, the clerk will refer the motion papers and the case file to the court for appropriate disposition.

WARNING

A party may seek appropriate court relief upon a showing of good cause if a court-approved e-filing system technical failure makes a document untimely.

If a document is untimely due to any court-approved electronic filing system technical failure, the filing party may seek appropriate relief from the court, upon good cause shown.

WARNING

A party may seek appropriate court relief upon a showing of good cause if clerk rejection makes a document untimely.

If a document is rejected by the clerk and is therefore untimely, the filing party may seek appropriate relief from the court, upon good cause shown.

WARNING

The Court and specified court offices are closed on the listed 2025 legal holidays, and the Supreme Court and Chief Judge may add holidays.

(a) The Circuit Court of the First Judicial Circuit of Illinois shall adjourn, and the **Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and other Judicial related offices** of the First Judicial Circuit, State of Illinois, shall be closed on the following legal holidays for the year **2025**. | January 1 | New Year's Day | Wednesday | | --- | --- | --- | | January 20 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday | | February 12 | Lincoln's Birthday | Wednesday | | February 17 | Washington's Birthday (Obsvd.) | Monday | | April 18 | Good Friday | Friday | | May 26 | Memorial Day | Monday | | June 19 | Juneteenth Independence Day | Thursday | | July 4 | Independence Day | Friday | | September 1 | Labor Day | Monday | | October 13 | Columbus Day (Obsvd.) | Monday | | November 11 | Veterans' Day | Tuesday | | November 27 | Thanksgiving Day | Thursday | | November 28 | Day Following Thanksgiving Day | Friday | | December 24 | Christmas Eve | Wednesday | | December 25 | Christmas Day | Thursday | Additional holidays may be added by the Supreme Court and the Chief Judge.

WARNING

Matters returnable on a legal holiday are continued to the Court's next business day.

(b) All matters returnable on said legal holidays are to be continued to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

Filing deadlines for motions and pleadings are extended to the next business day of the Court when they fall on a legal holiday.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

The deadline to file motions and pleadings is extended to the next business day of the Court.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

When the court allows or directs written argument or memoranda, they must be submitted promptly and no later than 30 days thereafter, unless the court orders otherwise.

In the event that written argument and/or memoranda are allowed or directed by the court, said written argument or memoranda shall be submitted promptly, no later than 30 days thereafter, unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

CRITICAL

A tendered draft order may be entered immediately unless an objection is made within five working days after service.

The draft tendered may be entered forthwith unless objection is made within five workings days after service of the draft.

CRITICAL

A party opposing a pre-trial or post-trial motion must submit an answering memorandum stating its reasons and citing relevant authorities within ten days of filing.

Any party that opposes such a motion shall within ten days of its filing submit an answering memorandum containing the reasons for opposition together with citations of relevant authorities

CRITICAL

The mediator must file the signed report in the case file within fourteen days after the last day of mediation.

The report shall be signed by the mediator and filed in the court file of the case under mediation within fourteen (14) days after the last day of mediation.

CRITICAL

Filing deadlines for motions and pleadings are extended to the next business day when affected by a court holiday.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

The filing time for motions and pleadings is extended to the Court's next business day when the date falls on a legal holiday.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

A written motion to participate remotely by audio only or without a full name must be filed at least one day before the hearing.

Persons without video capabilities, or without the ability to join with a full name, may request to participate in the remote hearing via audio only, or without a full name, by written motion to the Court, filed at least 1 day prior to the hearing.

CRITICAL

For evidentiary proceedings, a written motion requesting remote participation must be filed at least two days before the hearing.

For evidentiary proceedings, parties and attorneys may submit a request to participate in the hearing remotely, by written motion, filed at least 2 days prior to the hearing.

CRITICAL

The filing deadline for motions and pleadings is extended to the next business day of the Court.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

CRITICAL

Remote appearances for status hearings, CMCs, other hearings, or trials require prior leave of court, and a requesting motion must be filed at least 3 days before the hearing.

Status hearings, CMCs, other hearings, or trials shall only be permitted via Zoom or telephone, if granted prior leave of court. Any motion requesting such appearance shall be filed at least 3 days prior to said hearing.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders submitted electronically must be submitted at least 3 days before the hearing; paper copies may instead be brought to the hearing.

Counsel and Self Represented Litigants shall electronically submit proposed Orders through Odyssey at least 3 days prior to said Hearing, or bring paper copies to the Hearing.

CRITICAL

Motions in limine must be filed at least 7 days before the final pretrial.

The deadline to file motions in limine is 7 days prior to the final pretrial.

CRITICAL

The proponent must file evidence depositions and exhibits at least 14 days before the final pretrial.

The proponent of any evidence deposition and/or exhibits shall file the same with the Court at least 14 days prior to the final pretrial.

CRITICAL

Requests for daily transcripts must be made at least 14 days before jury selection begins.

Requests for daily transcripts must be made not less than 14 days prior to the first day of jury selection.

CRITICAL

Filing deadlines for motions and pleadings are extended to the Court's next business day when affected by a legal holiday.

(c) The time for filing motions and pleadings is to be extended to the next business day of this Court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Program reports must be submitted quarterly or when requested.

Reports shall be submitted on a quarterly basis, or as requested.

WARNING

If a proposed order or judgment is not presented within 30 days after the court’s decision, the docket must note that fact and direct the clerk to retrieve the file for the judge’s review within the following 30 days, unless the order or judgment is entered in the meantime.

If the proposed order or judgment has not been presented to the Court within 30 days after the Court’s decision, that fact shall be noted in a docket entry, which shall direct the clerk to pull the file for the judge’s review within 30 days thereafter, unless the order or judgment has been entered by the Court in the interim.

WARNING

A respondent may file a written answer no later than three days before the hearing, specifically denying petition allegations and stating any affirmative defenses.

No later than three days prior to the hearing, the respondent may file a written answer denying with specificity any allegations of the petition and setting out any affirmative defenses.