Illinois Rule To Show Cause (Petition Order and Affidavit) is a legal document used in civil or criminal proceedings that allows someone to ask a court to order another party to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt for failing to comply with a court order. The Petition Order and Affidavit must be filed with the court in order to initiate the Rule To Show Cause process. The Petition Order and Affidavit must include details about the alleged violation of the court order, the date of the violation, and the name of the defendant. In the Petition Order, the petitioner will ask the court to order the defendant to appear in court to explain why they should not be held in contempt. The court will then issue an Order To Show Cause, which will be served on the defendant. The defendant must appear in court on the date specified on the Order To Show Cause and explain why they should not be held in contempt. If they fail to appear, they can be held in contempt. There are two types of Illinois Rule To Show Cause (Petition Order and Affidavit): criminal and civil. The criminal rule to show cause is used when a criminal defendant has violated a court order, such as failing to appear for a scheduled court hearing or failing to pay a fine. The civil rule to show cause is used when someone has violated a civil court order, such as failing to comply with a restraining order.