How to obtain the Police Report on your Illinois Case

When a person is arrested and charged with a crime, (DUI, theft, resisting arrest, etc) they want to see the police report and any video evidence as soon as possible.  The actual police reports and video evidence is usually tendered on the first court date.  It is sometimes possible to obtain the police report and video evidence sooner however as an Illinois criminal defense attorney I do not recommend it.

 I do not recommend trying to get the police reports and video evidence sooner than the first court date because it would require contacting the prosecuting attorney to see if he or she can obtain these police report and video sooner from the arresting officer.  The officer (may or may not) gather the evidence together sooner and provide it to the prosecuting attorney who would then provide it to your attorney.  Usually, the first court date on your case is approximately 30 days after the day you were arrested.  If the reports and video do come before the first court date, you would only have the evidence a few days sooner.

The reason I believe it is best not to get the reports sooner is because the police officer who arrested you will be reminded of you and of the arrest in the days immediately following the arrest and in the days leading up to the first court appearance.  As an Illinois criminal defense attorney I do not want the arresting officer thinking about my client after the arrest.  I do not want the arresting officer to know that you have an attorney and are getting ready to fight the case.  This will keep the case fresh in the police officer’s mind.

By waiting to obtain the police reports (discovery) on the first court date, there will be a period of 30 days or so that the officer will not think of you or of your case.

Over the last 19+ years of representing individuals charged with a crime in Illinois, from DUI to serious felony cases, I found that waiting for the first court date benefits my client by not having the police officer involved after the arrest.  I DO NOT want the case fresh in the arresting officer’s mind.  I want the arresting officer to forget about the case and move on to other cases.  By trying to obtain the police reports before the first scheduled court date, help keep the case fresh in the arresting officer’s mind.  This is why I wait for the first schedule court date to obtain the discovery, (police reports, video, etc).