Petitioners appealed from the denial of their petitions for certificates of innocence related to vacated adjudications of juvenile delinquency. Petitioners argued on appeal that the trial court erred in holding that juvenile convictions are not criminal convictions within the meaning of the Code of Civil Procedure. The appellate court affirmed, explaining that the purpose of the certificate of innocence statute is explicitly limited to those wrongly convicted of crimes and that juveniles adjudicated delinquent are not convicted of crimes. The appellate court also found that the petitioners had not established that they were similarly situated to their adult counterparts to successfully challenge the statute under equal protection. (MIKVA and LYLE, concurring)
Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
Certificate of Innocence