Berks County
Berks County is situated in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the location of the Commonwealth's fourth-most populous city, the City of Reading, which lies 56 miles northwest of the state's largest city, Philadephia. Berks County is populated with over 400,000 people.
The trial court structure of Berks County is composed of the court of common pleas and magisterial district courts. The Court of Common Pleas of Berks County typically oversees criminal cases, including felonies and lesser-included offenses. It also handles juvenile cases, adoptions, domestic relations matters, and other cases relating to arbitration reviews and some appeals of administrative agency decisions. The Court of Common Pleas' Orphans' Court is a division that presides over probate cases, including wills, estates administrations, trusts, parental rights' termination, conservatorships, and guardianships. It also exercises civil jurisdiction over general civil claims without financial limits and appellate jurisdiction over magisterial district courts' judgments in the county.
The Magisterial District Courts in Berks County have limited jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. Typical criminal cases within its jurisdiction include preliminary felony hearings, proceedings to set bails, certain third-degree misdemeanors, summary offenses, and specific violations of municipal ordinances. In addition, it hears landlord-tenant matters and civil cases involving claims for monetary amounts in controversy within preset financial limits.
Berks County Clerk of Courts maintains and manages all court records, including documents of criminal or civil case proceedings, such as copies of court notices and court dockets. These court records are created from different court proceedings that occur in the Berks County courts. Additional legal information contained in Berks County court records include:
- Notes of evidence
- Charges
- Judgments/decrees
- Case transcripts
- Indexes and calendars
Furthermore, common types of Berks County court records include the following:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Domestic relations records
- Probate records
Berks County court records, excluding confidential records such as juvenile and medical records, are open to public disclosure. They are available online without charge and can be accessed via the state-maintained case search portal. You can also inspect and obtain court record copies by visiting the actual courthouse where your case trial occurred or the Clerk of Courts' Office at:
633 Court Street
Reading, PA 19601
Phone: (610) 478-6550
Fax: (610) 478-6570
