Court-Annexed Mandatory Arbitration Annual Report Fiscal Year 2005 - Nineteenth Circuit | State of Illinois Office of the Illinois Courts

Nineteenth Judicial Circuit
(Lake and McHenry Counties)

Arbitration Program Information

Lake and McHenry Counties currently combine to form the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit. In December 1988, Lake County was approved by the Supreme Court to begin operating an arbitration program. The supervising judge is assisted by an arbitration program administrator and an administrative assistant. Arbitration hearings are conducted in a facility across the street from the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan.

In 1990, the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit became the first multi-county circuit-wide arbitration program in Illinois when McHenry County was approved to operate an arbitration program. A supervising judge is assigned to oversee arbitration matters and the arbitration program administrator and administrative assistant from Lake County administer the program in McHenry County as well. Arbitration hearings are conducted in the McHenry County Courthouse in Woodstock.

DATA PROFILES

Lake County

Following are charts and diagrams which contain data from State Fiscal Year 2005.

While cases referred to Lake County's arbitration program vary annually, an average of 2,819 cases per year were referred to arbitration over the past five state fiscal years.

The chart above presents information regarding the total number of cases litigated in arbitration which yielded either a disposition or, ultimately went to trial. Program data indicates that either a settlement or dismissal was reached in 77% (3,779 of 4,882 cases were disposed) of the cases filed in the Lake County arbitration program for State Fiscal Year 2005. This disposition rate is slightly higher than the five year average of 75% and is less than the statewide average of 84%.

A more significant performance indicator for arbitration, however, is measuring the number of cases which, having completed the arbitration process, proceed to trial. In Lake County, less than 1% of cases (47 of the 4,882) filed in arbitration proceeded to trial.

McHenry County

Following are charts and diagrams which contain data from State Fiscal Year 2005.

Since State Fiscal Year 2001, cases referred to McHenry County's arbitration program have increased annually. From 2001 through 2005, an annual average of 1,139 cases have been referred to arbitration.

The chart above presents information regarding the total number of cases litigated in arbitration which yielded either a disposition or, ultimately went to trial. Program data indicates that either a settlement or dismissal was reached in 75% (1,523 of 2,020 cases were disposed) of the cases filed in the McHenry County arbitration program for State Fiscal Year 2005. This disposition rate tracks the five year average of 74% and is less than the statewide average of 84%.

A more significant performance indicator for arbitration, however, is measuring the number of cases which, having completed the arbitration process, proceed to trial. In McHenry County, less than 1% of cases (18 of the 2,020) filed in arbitration proceeded to trial.