Rule 614.Notifying Prisoner of Affirmance by Appellate Court
Article VI. Appeals in Criminal Cases, Post-Conviction Cases, and Juvenile Court Proceedings · Last amended 1987 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 614 requires the Appellate Court clerk to mail an incarcerated defendant a certified copy of an opinion affirming the conviction, in a marked envelope that requires a signed acknowledgment.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 614
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When a judgment of conviction of a person incarcerated in a penal institution is affirmed by
the Appellate Court, the clerk of that court shall at once mail to the prisoner a copy of the opinion of the court, certified mail, return receipt requested, in an envelope marked, “OFFICIAL LEGAL MAIL—ADDRESSEE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT IN WRITING.” The clerk shall note the date of mailing upon the records of the court.
Plain-English Summary
An Appellate Court affirmance doesn’t just get entered and filed away when the defendant is in custody — the clerk has to mail the prisoner a certified copy of the opinion, return receipt requested, in an envelope marked to require the prisoner’s written acknowledgment of receipt. The clerk logs the mailing date in the court’s records.
The point is timing: an affirmance starts the clock running on any further review, and a prisoner who never learns of the ruling can lose that chance without knowing it. The signed-receipt requirement builds in proof that the notice reached the person it was meant for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to be notified when an Appellate Court affirms a conviction?
An incarcerated defendant, by certified mail from the clerk of the Appellate Court.
What does the mailing envelope have to say?
It must be marked to show it is official legal mail requiring the addressee’s written acknowledgment of receipt, and sent return receipt requested.
Why require a signed acknowledgment instead of ordinary mail?
So there’s a clear record that the notice reached the prisoner while there’s still time to seek further review.
Does the clerk have to track when the notice was sent?
Yes, the clerk notes the mailing date in the court’s records.
Does this rule apply if the defendant isn’t in custody?
It applies specifically to a defendant incarcerated in a penal institution whose conviction is affirmed.
Committee Comments
This is taken from former Rule 27(13), which was adopted by the Supreme Court on January 25, 1966, because of a number of cases in which defendants represented by appointed counsel had not learned of the affirmance of their cases until after the time for filing a petition to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal had expired.
Amendment History
Amended June 26, 1987, effective August 1, 1987.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as:notice to prisoner of affirmance Illinoisappellate court mailing prisoner opinionofficial legal mail affirmancedeadline to appeal after affirmance