Bucks County
18 Magisterial District Courts
Bucks County criminal cases are heard across 18 Magisterial District Courts, each covering specific municipalities. Find the court handling your case below.
Court of Common Pleas
Bucks County Court of Common Pleas
Bucks County Justice Center, 100 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-6000Preliminary hearings are heard at the Magisterial District Court covering the municipality where the case arose. Cases held for court move to the Justice Center in Doylestown, where formal arraignment is typically scheduled about four weeks after the preliminary hearing. Note that criminal matters are at 100 North Main Street — not the Administration Building on East Court Street.
County Jail
Bucks County Correctional Facility
1730 South Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18901
215-345-3700If You've Just Been Arrested in Bucks County
Stay calm, and be careful what you say and to whom — including on the phone from a holding cell.
Note your court date and the charges against you if you can. Don't discuss the details of what happened with anyone except your attorney. Then call — the sooner you have someone in your corner, the more options stay open.
Magisterial District Courts
D.C. 07-1-01
Michael W. Gallagher
Bensalem, PA 19020
D.C. 07-1-02
David J. Chichilitti
Bristol, PA 19007
D.C. 07-1-03
Kevin P. Wagner, Sr.
Bristol, PA 19007
D.C. 07-1-04
Terrence P. Hughes, Sr.
Levittown, PA 19055
D.C. 07-1-07
Daniel Baranoski
Penndel, PA 19047
D.C. 07-1-08
Charles D. Jonas
Levittown, PA 19056-1491
D.C. 07-1-09
Christopher E. O'Neill
Warminster, PA 18974
D.C. 07-1-10
John T. Galloway
Fallsington, PA 19054
D.C. 07-1-11
Corryn L. Kronnagel
Morrisville, PA 19067
D.C. 07-1-12
Joseph P. Falcone
Bensalem, PA 19020
D.C. 07-2-01
Brian M. Marriott
Richboro, PA 18954
D.C. 07-2-02
Mark D. Douple
Warrington, PA 18976
D.C. 07-2-05
Lisa J. Gaier
Quakertown, PA 18951
D.C. 07-2-07
Michael W. Petrucci
Newtown, PA 18940
D.C. 07-2-08
Regina Armitage
New Britain, PA 18901
D.C. 07-3-01
Timothy J. Barton
Doylestown, PA 18902
D.C. 07-3-02
Stacy Wertman
Jamison, PA 18929
D.C. 07-3-03
Gary Gambardella
Ottsville, PA 18942
Diversion Programs in Bucks County
ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition)
A pretrial diversion program for first-time, non-violent offenders, placed at the District Attorney's discretion and resulting in dismissal rather than a conviction. Bucks County runs it on an unusually early clock: the application is filed at the magisterial district court rather than the Justice Center, the form must be returned on or before the day of the preliminary hearing, and admission requires waiving that hearing. Cases completed after April 1, 2013 are expunged automatically. Note that a DUI-ARD still counts as a prior for sentencing on a later DUI within ten years.
Recovery Court
Bucks County's adult drug court, for non-violent defendants with substance use disorders — reached either as a probation or parole violator or post-plea before sentencing. It runs a minimum of fifteen months across five phases, and graduation requires completed treatment, stable housing, employment or a diploma, and six months clean and arrest-free. It was named a National Mentor Court for 2025 through 2027.
Wellness Court
Bucks County's mental health court, established in 2021, for defendants with a serious and persistent mental illness diagnosed within the past two years and a documented treatment history. It typically runs fifteen to twenty-four months across five phases.
Veterans Treatment Court
For Bucks County resident veterans with an honorable or general discharge and a diagnosis of TBI, PTSD, military sexual trauma, or a related psychological or substance use condition. A VA Justice Outreach social worker completes the assessment and treatment plan within twenty days of referral. Requires a DD-214 and proof of diagnosis.
District Court Diversion Program
A treatment-focused diversion for county residents with no prior record facing misdemeanor drug charges. Participants complete sixty to ninety days of treatment with regular check-ins, and the charges are dismissed on successful completion. It runs at the magisterial district court level rather than at the Justice Center.
Youthful Offenders Program
For defendants aged 18 to 24 facing a first, non-violent felony. Options include a thirty-day wilderness program or a tailored pre-trial probation arrangement, aimed at keeping a felony conviction off a young person's record.
Eligibility for any diversion program depends on the specific charge and record — this is general information, not a guarantee of eligibility or outcome.
Bucks County — Frequently Asked Questions
What happens after an arrest in Bucks County? +
Most cases begin with a preliminary arraignment before a magisterial district judge, who sets bail and gives you your next court date, followed by a preliminary hearing at the district court covering the municipality where the arrest happened. Cases held for court move to the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown, where formal arraignment is typically about four weeks later.
When do I have to apply for ARD in Bucks County? +
Sooner than most people expect, and in a different place. The application is filed at your magisterial district court rather than at the Justice Center, and the District Attorney's form requires it back on or before the day of your preliminary hearing. Admission also requires waiving that hearing. Because the decision lands before your first appearance is over, it is worth talking through beforehand rather than at the courthouse door.
Which court will hear my case — the Magisterial District Court or Common Pleas? +
Preliminary matters — arraignment, the preliminary hearing, and most summary and traffic offenses — are handled at one of Bucks County's eighteen Magisterial District Courts, spread from Bensalem and Levittown to Quakertown and Ottsville. Cases that continue past the preliminary hearing move to the Court of Common Pleas at the Justice Center in Doylestown.
Where and when can bail be posted in Bucks County? +
During business hours, at the Clerk of Courts in the Justice Center (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays) or at the district court of record. On weekday evenings between 5:00 and 10:00 p.m., bail can be posted at the Bucks County Correctional Facility on South Easton Road. After 10:00 p.m. and on weekends and holidays, call 215-345-3700. Payment is cash or certified check only, and real estate collateral cannot be handled at the jail.
Where is the county jail? +
The Bucks County Correctional Facility is at 1730 South Easton Road in Doylestown. It is county-operated and serves as the central receiving location for everyone committed in Bucks County, whether awaiting trial or serving a sentence. The county also runs separate community corrections and women's facilities.
Facing charges in Bucks County? Speak directly with the attorney.
Call 484-944-0834