The Will County court system has begun a new initiative to streamline the hearings of traffic cases, which typically make up more than half the cases filed in the county.

In early March, judges began hearing cases without the use of a paper file, instead relying “exclusively on the electronic record as the official record of the court, according to a statement on Thursday from Roger Holland, the county’s trial court administrator.

This new initiative “streamlines the process” of how cases are heard and allow for most people to come to court, have their case disposed of and pay any applicable fines and fees in one day.

“Additionally, this new initiative reduces operational costs in the circuit clerk’s office, increases staff productivity, and promotes judicial efficiency,” according to Holland’s statement.

In a statement, Will County Chief Judge Dan Kennedy called the initiative an “exciting development for our traffic court.”

Kennedy said the new process is the “culmination of the hard work” of Will County Clerk Clerk Andrea Lynn Chasten, her staff, Will County Judge Colette Safford, who presides over the misdemeanor division, and Will County Judge Jim Harvey, who is assigned to traffic court.

“I am grateful for their efforts, and I look forward to partnering with the Circuit Clerk on new initiatives in the future,” Kennedy said.

About 60% of new cases filed each year in Will County are traffic cases, according to statistics from the Illinois Supreme Court. The same is true in Lake County, which recent census estimates show has a slightly larger population than Will County.

In 2024, about 50% of new cases filed statewide were traffic cases.