Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court cases in Philadelphia County, Philadelphia, PA
The Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division - Criminal, is a Pennsylvania state general-jurisdiction trial court within the First Judicial District. It exercises countywide jurisdiction over adult criminal matters, handling felony and misdemeanor prosecutions bound over from Municipal Court; formal arraignments; pretrial conferences and motions; plea proceedings; jury and nonjury trials; sentencing; probation and parole violation hearings; and post-conviction relief petitions (PCRA). It also hears de novo appeals from Philadelphia Municipal Court in criminal and summary cases. The court's case types are criminal; civil, family, and traffic matters are handled in other divisions of the Court of Common Pleas or by the Philadelphia Municipal Court.
Philadelphia County Common Pleas Contact and Location Information
| Court Type: | Common Pleas |
| County: | Philadelphia |
| Street Address: | 1400 John F. Kennedy Blvd. |
| City: | Philadelphia |
| Zip Code: | 19107 |
| Phone: | 215 686-7000 |
| Hours: | Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Website URL: | http://www.pacourts.us/courts/courts-of-common-pleas/individual-county-courts/philadelphia-courts |
| Public Transportation: | Visit the SEPTA website for information on how to arrive at The Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice via public transportation. |
| Restrictions: | All electronic devices are to be turned off in the courtrooms unless otherwise instructed by court staff. |
| Forms & Filing: | https://www.courts.phila.gov/forms/ |
| Dockets / Schedule / Calendar: | https://fjdefile.phila.gov/efsfjd/zk_fjd_public_qry_04.zp_legalhearlist_setup_idx?uid=EdeQNrkO!IolqsSYDxam&o=Jek5I19dU_szGcc |
| Jury Service: | https://www.courts.phila.gov/juryservice/ |
| Languages: | Multiple |
| Email: | jury@courts.phila.gov |
| Facebook: | https://www.facebook.com/philacourt/ |
| Twitter: | https://twitter.com/philacourts |
| Linkedin: | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-feder-7a643112/ |
| ADA: | Valerie Jowett |
| ADA Phone: | 215-683-6950 |
| ADA Fax / Email: | valerie.jowett@courts.phila.gov |
| Special Access: | Any person with a disability needing special help to serve on jury duty should contact the Jury Information Line at 215 683-7170. |
| About / Additional Info: | The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania is composed of two courts which make up the Philadelphia County Court System: the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court. The Court of Common Pleas is a general trial jurisdiction court with a complement of one hundred and one judges. The Court of Common Pleas is headed by a President Judge elected by their peers and is organized into three divisions based on case types, each led by an Administrative Judge appointed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The Trial Division is responsible for most felony criminal and major civil cases where the contested amount exceeds $12,000; the Family Division is responsible for Domestic Relations Branch matters (divorce, paternity, custody, child support and domestic violence) and Juvenile Branch cases (delinquency, dependency, and adoptions); and the Orphans' Court Division conducts proceedings involving estates, wills and trusts. |
| Wikipedia: | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_City_Hall |
Services and Case Types Handled in Philadelphia County Common Pleas
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas-Trial Division, Criminal-adjudicates adult felonies, certain misdemeanors, and appeals/de novo from Municipal Court. Core services include:
- Case intake and filings via the Office of Judicial Records (criminal informations, motions, expungement/limited access petitions, continuances).
- Calendaring and conducting proceedings: formal arraignments, pretrial conferences, motions, plea and sentencing, violation-of-probation/parole hearings, bail review, post-conviction (PCRA), grand jury/indicting‑grand‑jury matters, and jury and nonjury trials.
- Orders and compliance: bail and release conditions, bench warrants, restitution/fines/costs processing, supervision orders, and no-contact or other criminal protective conditions; referrals to specialty/diversion courts (Drug, DUI, Mental Health, Veterans).
- Jury services: juror summonsing, orientation, voir dire, and panel management for criminal trials.
- Public services: docket and records access as permitted by law, certified copies, interpreter and ADA accommodations, and victim/witness coordination.