FAQs
Search and view individual court case information (including docket sheets)—for free—please go to the UJS web portal. Search, view and print Unified Judicial System (UJS) contract summaries, detailed expenditure data, monthly salary and annual compensation reports.
What is an OTN number in PA? ›
OTN – Offense Tracking Number. This will be on any of your criminal court paperwork and normally begins with a letter, followed by 6 numbers, a hyphen(-), and a final number.
How do I find federal cases in Pennsylvania? ›
PACER lets you search and view case information from any federal court. You need a PACER account to use the service. Register at PACER.gov.
What happens at the court of common pleas in Pennsylvania? ›
Court of Common Pleas judges hear a broad spectrum of cases, including: Adult and juvenile criminal prosecutions. Lawsuits involving money or property. Divorce.
How do I look up someone's criminal record for free in PA? ›
Pennsylvania criminal history information may be obtained using the state's web-based application dubbed PATCH (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History) or by submitting a request form to the police department in person or via mail.
What is the PA docket app? ›
Finding public court information is easier than ever with PAeDocket – including results about cases, such as charges, court dates, upcoming hearings and status of cases. PAeDocket offers a visually engaging and easy-to-use mobile experience, now for both Android and iOS platforms.
What does m mean in a court case? ›
It could mean that the case has been filed as a misdemeanor. It also might be that the case has been "filed" as a 72 hour hold to give the government more time to decide what charges to file. Typically "MA/MB/MC" will denote a misdemeanor case and "CM" will denote a 72 hour hold case.
How long can a case be inactive in PA? ›
The court intends to terminate this case without further notice because the docket shows no activity in the case for at least two years. IF YOU FAIL TO FILE THE REQUIRED STATEMENT OF INTENTION TO PROCEED, THE CASE WILL BE TERMINATED BY THE PROTHONOTARY WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE.
What does OTN mean? ›
An optical transport network (OTN) is a digital wrapper that encapsulates frames of data, to allow multiple data sources to be sent on the same channel. This creates an optical virtual private network for each client signal.
What is the best free website for public records? ›
All Federal court records are available online at PACER.gov, an electronic public access service that is overseen by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. This includes all Federal civil court cases, criminal charges, as well as bankruptcies. In all, there are over 500 million documents on PACER.
Jurisdiction refers to the types of cases a court may hear. State courts have general jurisdiction, meaning they have authority over all kinds of cases. Federal courts have limited jurisdiction and only hear matters involving federal questions and constitutional matters. State courts have jurisdiction over state laws.
How do I look up a civil case in PA? ›
As is the case for most court records, Pennsylvania civil court records may be accessed by: Using the states online resources such as the UJS web portal. By making in-person requests. Sending requests via mail to the courthouse where the record was generated and is maintained.
What is the maximum amount you can sue for in civil court in Pennsylvania? ›
You may file a suit with a district justice if you have a complaint against a person or business and wish to recover an amount of money totaling $12,000 or less. This is called a civil lawsuit. The $12,000 limit does not in-clude the court costs involved in the suit, or any interest that may be due on your claim.
What is the pleading rule in PA? ›
Rule 1017 - Pleadings Allowed (a) Except as provided by Rule 1041.1, the pleadings in an action are limited to (1) a complaint and an answer thereto, (2) a reply if the answer contains new matter a counterclaim or a cross-claim, (3) a counter-reply if the reply to a counterclaim or cross-claim contains new matter, (4) ...
Why are article 3 courts special? ›
Article III tells us that the federal courts will hear cases arising under the U.S. Constitution. Article III tells us the specific qualifications that judges must meet to get a job in the Federal courts, including age limits, citizenship requirements, and residency guidelines.
How do I get my court documents in PA? ›
If you would like to request paper case records maintained by a magisterial district court office, please contact the appropriate magisterial district court office directly. If your request is complex, you may be asked by the magisterial district court to fill out a request form.
How to get docket number? ›
The docket number will usually be in one of the upper corners of the first page. Double-check the names to be sure you have the right docket number. A person may be involved in many cases, each with its own case number. Find the docket number by contacting the court clerk where the case is being heard.
What is an example of a docket number in PA? ›
Courts assign each case a unique docket number (for example, CP-25-CR-1234567-2020). The format varies by court. This may be the name of an organization or an individual. The OTN is a unique number assigned to the court to a particular arrest at the time of arraignment.
Is a docket number the same as a case number? ›
After a case is filed, the court assigns it a docket number, which is the court's case number or tracking number. The docket lists the judge, parties, and the attorneys of record, along with a summary of each document filed in the case, the date when it was filed, and the court case number assigned to the document.