United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Ill.) is a federal district court covering approximately the southern third of the state of Illinois.

[2] The Southern District itself was created by a statute passed on February 13, 1855, 10 Stat.

It was later eliminated in a reorganization on October 2, 1978 which replaced it with a Central District, 92 Stat.

The jurisdiction of the Southern District of Illinois comprises the following counties: Alexander, Bond, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Cumberland, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson.

The current United States Attorney is Rachelle Crowe, who was sworn in on June 21, 2022.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first.

The Benton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is located a block from the town square and approximately 300 miles south of Chicago. Constructed in 1959, the two-story building houses U.S. District and Bankruptcy courts. The Benton Courthouse was constructed in 1959 from steel and block with brick veneer and clip-on aluminum panels.