The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

The Court of Common Pleas is the county's general trial court. It carries broad power over civil lawsuits, criminal felonies and misdemeanors, family matters, juvenile cases, and probate through Orphans' Court. Delaware County forms the 32nd Judicial District, and the court is centered in Media at the county courthouse complex.

Major cases start or end here. A felony case moves up to Common Pleas after a preliminary hearing. A divorce or a large civil suit is filed here from the start. The court works alongside the Office of Judicial Support, which keeps its civil and criminal records.

For records and certified copies, the Office of Judicial Support is the office of record for this court.

The name "Common Pleas" surprises people from other states, where the same court might be called a district, circuit, or superior court. In Pennsylvania, the county-level trial court is the Court of Common Pleas, and each judicial district has one. Delaware County's is among the busiest in the southeast region of the state, given the county's dense population just outside Philadelphia.

How a Case Moves Through the Delaware County Courts

Cases follow a path through the levels. Many criminal and civil matters start at a Magisterial District Court, then move up to Common Pleas. Appeals leave the county for the statewide courts. The flow below shows the usual route.

Case flow: Magisterial District Court › Court of Common Pleas › Superior Court or Commonwealth Court › Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Not every case touches every level. Most resolve at the trial level and never reach an appeals court.

The Magisterial District Courts are the entry point for a large share of cases. A criminal case often opens there with a preliminary arraignment and a preliminary hearing, where the magisterial district judge decides whether the charges move on to Common Pleas. Traffic, summary offenses, small claims, and landlord-tenant matters frequently begin and end at that level without ever reaching the Media courthouse.

Magisterial District Courts in Delaware County

Delaware County runs a network of Magisterial District Courts, each led by a magisterial district judge. Their court numbers begin with 32 because the county is the 32nd Judicial District. Each serves specific municipalities and wards, so the right court depends on where a case arises, not on the Media courthouse. Several offices share a building. The official county list is the controlling source, and the table below reflects the courts on that list.

The county publishes this list, with judges, addresses, and phone numbers, on an official page.

The official Magisterial District Courts list is the controlling source for each court's coverage.

Because several offices share an address, confirm the exact court number, not just the building, before you go.

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Versus Magisterial Court

The two trial-level courts split the work. The comparison below shows how a Common Pleas case differs from a Magisterial District case in Delaware County.

The Magisterial District landing page explains these local courts and their role.

The Delaware County Magisterial District Judges page covers the local courts and their work.

Traffic and landlord-tenant litigants go to the listed local court, not automatically to Media.

Divisions of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

The Court of Common Pleas handles several types of cases through its divisions and functions. Each one covers a distinct set of matters, though they all sit under the same trial court. The list below shows the main divisions.

• Criminal, for felonies and misdemeanors held for court.
• Civil, for lawsuits, judgments, and larger claims.
• Family, for divorce, custody, support, and protection from abuse.
• Juvenile, for delinquency and dependency matters, which are confidential.
• Orphans' Court, for estates, wills, and guardianships.

Problem-solving and specialty programs may run within the criminal division, with placement decided case by case.

Each division produces its own kind of record. The criminal division yields dockets, pleas, and sentencing orders. The civil division yields judgments and liens. The family division yields divorce and custody orders, many of them shielded. Orphans' Court records run through the Register of Wills rather than the Office of Judicial Support, which is the one division that uses a separate records office.

Appeals From the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas

A party who loses at Common Pleas may appeal, but not to the county. Appeals go to the statewide courts. Most criminal, civil, family, and Orphans' Court appeals go to the Superior Court. Many government and agency cases go to the Commonwealth Court. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has the final word, usually by discretionary review.

Federal cases are a separate track. A federal matter from this area is heard in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and federal appeals go to the Third Circuit.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit hears federal appeals from the region.

So a state appeal and a federal appeal follow different courts, even from the same county.

Delaware County Court Locations and the Media Courthouse

The Court of Common Pleas and county court administration are centered in Media, the county seat. The courthouse complex holds the trial court, the Office of Judicial Support, and the Register of Wills. Jurors generally report to the courthouse complex, not to a local Magisterial District office.

Plan for downtown parking and courthouse screening, and arrive early on busy criminal and family list mornings. Litigants with a Magisterial District matter should go to the local court that covers their municipality, not to Media, so check the court number first. Bring a photo ID, the case number, and any paperwork tied to the hearing. A short buffer for security and parking keeps a court date from starting late.

Related Delaware County Court Searches

For case files, see court records. For docket sheets, see court dockets. For the records office, see the Office of Judicial Support, and for traffic and summary cases, see traffic court records.