Chester County Court of Common Pleas Court Case Search

In Chester County, the Courts of Common Pleas has general jurisdiction and is the main court for obtaining most case records. A Chester County Court of Common Pleas search may provide access to case records such as transcripts, charge sheets, court dockets, pleadings, list of evidence, and more. These records can be searched through the mail or in person by submitting records requests. These requests must be submitted along with some information about the case of interest.

Interested parties can search Chester County Court of Common Pleas case records online through the Case Search website. Case record searches may be required for activities such as legal research, journalism purposes, or background checks.

What Kind of Cases Are Heard in the Chester Court of Common Pleas Court?

Chester County Court of Common Pleas is a trial court where general jurisdiction is exercised over a wide range of court matters. Some of these include:

• Criminal Matters: This court has authority to handle criminal cases involving felonies such as murder, robbery, rape, as well as misdemeanors.
• Civil Cases: This court can handle civil disputes involving business litigation, real estate cases, contract disputes, professional malpractice cases, and personal injury claims.
• Orphan’s Court: Tjis court division handles probate matters such as the administration of estates, Wills, as well as guardianships, and conservatorships.
• Family Court: This court handles family-related cases such as child support, child custody, protection from abuse, and divorce.
• Juvenile Court: The Juvenile Court is a specialized court for handling cases involving minors, either as a juvenile delinquent or child welfare.

Chester County Court of Common Pleas Court

The Court of Common Pleas serves as the primary trial court, while the Court of Common Pleas Court functions as an appellate court. The Court of Common Pleas handles most of the cases in the county, which makes it important to maintain justice.

This court has authority over juvenile matters, criminal cases, civil matters, and an Orphan’s Court for probate matters. The appellate jurisdiction of this court is limited to reviewing decisions of lower courts such as the Municipal Courts and Magisterial District Courts. It also entertains appeals from administrative agencies, such as local or state administrative agencies. You can access Chester County Court of Common Pleas at:

Chester County Court of Common Pleas - Criminal
Chester County Justice Center
201 W Market Street, #1400
West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
(610) 344-6135 - Phone
(610) 344-4465 - Fax

Chester County Justice Center - Civil
201 W Market Street, #1425
West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
(610) 344-6300 - Phone
(610) 344-5903 - Fax

Chester County Case Lookup

Case records are available for both county court processes and beyond. You can use records requests to conduct a country-wide case search, which will grant access to all court documents and processes within the country. This will include records from other courts as well. You can look up Chester County case records by using these tips:

For walk-in searches

Walk-in searches are conducted by physically submitting requests at the courthouse. These requests will include details of the case, such as names or case numbers. You can approach the court clerk’s office between 9 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday to process your requests. While the clerk’s office may not charge for searching the archives, copies requested must be paid for. The fee schedule states that the first 1,000 pages will cost $0.25 while subsequent pages will cost $0.20, and certified copies will cost $5 each. You can also use the public access terminals at the courthouse for self-service.

For online searches

Chester County case records can be accessed online through the Case Search portal. This website has a comprehensive search option that includes attorney, citation number, filing date, case number, docket number, incident number, participant name, and more.

The website grants access to all types of court cases, including appellate cases. This website does not charge users for access or searches, and there is no requirement to create or register an account. The most common limitation to online case searches is that copies of sealed or redacted case records may not be available online.

For mail-in searches

Mail-in searches involve sending your records request and a description of the records through the mail. You can send your requests to:

P.O. Box 2746,
West Chester, Pennsylvania
19380.

Mail-in requests may take between 5 to 10 business days to be processed. While there may be no search fees, you will be required to pay for the copies requested. To ensure you receive these copies, send your request in a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Chester Court of Common Pleas Court Case Search by Name

A name search is an effective way to retrieve court documents. Requesters can submit records requests through the mail or in person with details of the case, such as names. You can also search Chester County Court of Common Pleas case records online using a name search. Name searches can be used to find the names of parties to the case or the attorneys on record. When using a name search, the names must be spelled correctly to avoid search complications. The search result can also be narrowed down by including more details from the case, such as citation number, case number, or filing date.

Chester Court of Common Pleas Court Docket Search

A court docket refers to the timeline of events in a court matter chronologically arranged from the beginning of the case till it is over. Court dockets contain details of cases, such as motions, filings, rulings, and hearing dates, which will help parties prepare for case hearings and keep the public informed of the case's progress. Court dockets can be searched by submitting records requests in person or via the mail. The details submitted with these requests will be used to search the archives and retrieve case documents, which include court dockets. You can also access court dockets online through the Case Search portal.

Lookup Chester County Court of Common Pleas Court Online

Chester County Court of Common Pleas maintains case records, which can be viewed and obtained through the Case Search portal. This website allows searches using various options such as citation number, incident number, filing date, docket number, complaint number, and more. Third-party websites, such as Pennsylvaniacourtrecords.us, may also offer access to online court records. Requesters using third-party websites for accessing court records must note that it is not the most accurate source. You must verify the authenticity of third-party sourced records using government-sourced case information.

Supreme Court vs. Court of Common Pleas Court

Chester County exercises general jurisdiction through the Court of Common Pleas. This is the main trial court in the county, which handles most major civil cases, felonies, misdemeanors, family law cases, juvenile cases, and probate matters. This court has local jurisdiction and is the closest avenue for county residents to seek justice.

The Court of Common Pleas Court has statewide jurisdiction and is an intermediate appellate court. This court handles appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas, which can be further appealed to the Supreme Court. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the highest appellate authority in the state. This court does not handle trials but reviews decisions of lower courts to assess their consistency with state laws. The Supreme Court also has statewide jurisdiction while its decisions set precedents for all courts in the state. However, the US Supreme Court, as the highest appellate court in the nation, can review the decisions of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to ensure state laws are properly interpreted.