Vacant

Magisterial District Court 15-1-02 is one of sixteen magisterial district courts in Chester County. The seat is currently vacant; the office continues to operate at its regular address, with coverage assigned by the county. It serves 12 municipalities, listed above. Criminal proceedings are heard on Mondays. If you were charged by an officer in one of those municipalities, this is almost certainly where your case begins.

Magisterial district courts handle the earliest stages of nearly every criminal case in Chester County. After an arrest, a preliminary arraignment sets bail and gives you your next court date — Chester County's district judges rotate through an on-call night schedule, so this can happen outside normal business hours.

The preliminary hearing comes next, and it is not a trial. Nobody is found guilty or not guilty here. The Commonwealth only has to show there is enough evidence for the case to move forward. Cases held for court go to the Chester County Court of Common Pleas at the Justice Center, 201 West Market Street in West Chester. Summary offenses and most traffic citations are decided at this court and go no further.

One Chester County detail worth knowing early: the District Attorney's published ARD instructions direct DUI defendants to apply for the program at the preliminary hearing, and admission requires waiving that hearing and all pretrial motions. That makes a first appearance at this court more consequential than many people expect.