Crawford County
Crawford County is Pennsylvania's ninth largest county by land, occupying a land area of about 1,012 square miles. It was created from parts of Allegheny County in 1800 and named after William Crawford, a prominent military officer in the Revolutionary War. The county is home to 83,876 residents, while its government seat is the City of Meadville.
Crawford County has two trial courts, including the Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts. The Court of Common Pleas has unlimited jurisdiction over civil and criminal proceedings beyond other courts in Crawford County. It handles all felony-related trials and civil lawsuits involving contract breaches, personal injury, and other monetary disputes.
The Court of Common Pleas has a Probate Division known as the Orphans' Court. This court resolves probate matters such as estate administrations, disputed wills, adoptions, and guardianship issues. As the county's apex court, the Court of Common Pleas can hear and review appeals from the Magisterial District Courts. Meanwhile, the Magisterial District Courts in Crawford County have limited jurisdiction over less severe criminal and civil cases. These courts conduct felony preliminary hearings and handle misdemeanors, eviction disputes, DUI cases, and civil violations.
Crawford County public court records consist of books, legal documents, or other materials created at the local courthouses during court proceedings. These documents contain court orders, affidavits, dispositions, transcripts, court calendars, case filings, and dockets. In Crawford County, the Clerk of Courts keeps criminal court records, while the Prothonotary maintains all non-criminal court records. Interested persons can contact any of the designated record custodians to obtain the following court records:
- Civil court records
- Criminal court records
- Probate records
- Property records
- Family law records
All these records are publicly accessible except juvenile, mental health, adoption, and other confidential court records. Individuals can get public court documents by contacting any of the record custodians via mail or phone. They can also visit the courthouse to make in-person requests:
Crawford County Judicial Center
359 East Center Street
Meadville, PA 16335
Phone: (814) 333-7442 (Clerk of Courts)
Phone: (814) 333-7324 (Prothonotary's Office)
Court records copies in Crawford County cost $0.50 per page and $6 per certified copy. Anyone can access Crawford County court records online free of charge via the Pennsylvania Case Search portal. Online users can search both platforms by providing filing dates, docket numbers, citation numbers, complaint numbers, or attorneys' names.
