Lehigh County
Lehigh County is situated 64 miles northwest of Philadelphia and 93 miles west of New York City. The county gets its name from the Lehigh River (109cm in length) which winds through the county and is a tributary to the Delaware River. It was established on March 6, 1812, and its county seat is Allentown (the third largest city in Pennsylvania). Lehigh County spans 348 square miles and is home to more than 300,000 people. This county sits between two different Appalachian mountain edges, both located in Pennsylvania. It's between South Mountain on its southern end and Blue Mountain directly to its north.
Lehigh County legal affairs are adjudicated by the Magisterial District and Courts of Common Pleas. The Courts of Common Pleas and the Orphans' Court division are general jurisdiction courts with expertise in cases such as adult criminal cases, juvenile (unruly behaviors and child abuse) cases, inheritance tax filings regarding decedents' estates, property damage, appointment of guardians, domestic relations proceedings, estate administration, adoptions, and probate of wills.
In the courts of the Magisterial District, most people will probably have their first experience here. The courts are spread across Allentown, Bethlehem, Whitehall, Emmaus, Slatington, and Coopersburg. They preside over civil actions in which the amount of money involved in dispute is $12,000 or less, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, parking violations, and conduct preliminary arraignments for lesser-included crimes.
Court transcriptionists usually help in creating records while clerks immediately generate docket sheets for cases that have been heard by judges. Court records are arranged in an index and stored electronically. The Clerk of the judicial records is entrusted with filing and managing court records.
Certain court records are sealed to protect the privacy of the subject on those records. However, there are some court records that the public can gain access to without restrictions. They are:
- Civil
- Criminal
- Probate
- Traffic
If you are interested in searching court records, ensure you visit the office of the Clerk of Judicial Records on weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 p.m. Members of the public are free to request court records at Lehigh County Courthouse, Room 122, 455 W. Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18101-1614. In like manner, if you prefer accessing them online you may visit the Lehigh County Court Records Inquiry page.
