Bringing a claim in Joliet
Joliet sits mainly in Will County, with its west side in Kendall County. Most civil claims are filed in the circuit court of the county where the abuse happened; claims against the State go to the Illinois Court of Claims. A civil claim is separate from any criminal case.
The institutions that come up here
Will County falls under the Diocese of Joliet. The Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report named 69 clerics with substantiated child sexual abuse claims in the Diocese of Joliet.
Schools and public bodies here
Joliet Public Schools District 86 (elementary) and Joliet Township High School District 204 are separate bodies with separate boards, a distinction that matters when identifying the responsible defendant.
Where the responsible body is a school district, a county, or the state, the Illinois Tort
Immunity Act comes into the analysis, along with notice requirements that do not apply to a
private organisation. It is the first thing to check and it is easy to get wrong.
Support in Joliet, whether or not you ever call a lawyer
Sexual Assault Service Center, Guardian Angel Community Services: 24-hour hotline 815-730-8984. Joliet.
You do not have to speak to a lawyer to get help. RAINN is also on
1-800-656-4673, free and confidential, 24 hours.
Questions people in Joliet ask
I never went to the police.
Most people we speak to never did. A civil claim needs no report, charge or conviction, and the absence of one is not treated as evidence that nothing happened.
Will anyone here find out?
Not from us. The first conversation is confidential whether or not you go ahead, and if you bring a claim, steps can be taken to protect your identity in the court record.
Do I have to decide anything now?
No. You can ask what is possible and stop there. Nothing is set in motion by a question.
You can call from Joliet at any hour. The line is answered around the clock and the first conversation costs nothing.