Chester County Court of Common Pleas

Pennsylvania Court Hierarchy and Where Common Pleas Sits

Pennsylvania runs its courts on four levels. At the top sits the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the court of last resort. Below it are two intermediate appeal courts. The Superior Court hears most criminal and private civil appeals. The Commonwealth Court hears many government and administrative matters. Under those appeal courts are the trial courts, and that is where the Court of Common Pleas lives.

The state explains this whole structure on its judicial system page. Courts of Common Pleas are the general trial courts. The state organizes them into judicial districts, and each district covers one or more counties. Chester County is its own district, the 15th. So the trial court for the county is the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County.

The bottom rung is the minor courts. In most of the state these are Magisterial District Courts. They take the small stuff first. When a case is too big for a district court, it moves up to Common Pleas. That makes Common Pleas the busy middle of the system, where trials happen and most full case files are built.

The Chester County Court of Common Pleas Overview

The Court of Common Pleas of Chester County is the county's general jurisdiction trial court. General jurisdiction means it can hear almost any kind of case, both civil and criminal. It is based in West Chester at the county Justice Center, and it shares that building with the offices that file and keep its records. You can read more about the building on the county's courts page.

Because Chester County is the 15th Judicial District, all of its Common Pleas dockets carry that district number. Criminal Common Pleas cases use a docket that starts with CP-15. The court runs the trial side of county justice. It holds jury trials, bench trials, hearings, and pleas. It also rules on motions and signs the orders that decide a case.

The court does more than hear cases. It supervises a set of support offices and provides administrative help to the county's Magisterial District Court offices. So when you deal with juvenile probation, domestic relations, or the law library, you are dealing with arms of this same court.

President Judge and the Common Pleas Bench

The court is led by a President Judge. For Chester County that is the Hon. Ann Marie Wheatcraft. The President Judge handles the court's administration on top of a normal caseload. That role covers scheduling, assignments, and the overall running of the bench.

The court is not a one-judge operation. Chester County has 15 full-time judges and 3 senior judges on its Common Pleas bench. Senior judges are retired judges who still hear cases part time, which helps the court keep up with its docket. Full-time judges are elected and then face retention votes to stay on.

Judges are assigned by case type. One judge may sit on criminal trials while another handles family or civil matters. This split lets judges build depth in an area. It also means the judge named on a docket tells you something about the kind of case it is.

Case Types the Chester County Court Hears

The range of cases at Common Pleas is wide. This is the court that takes the matters too serious or too large for a district court. The list below covers the main case types the Chester County Court of Common Pleas hears.

• Adult criminal prosecutions, including felonies and serious misdemeanors
• Juvenile criminal and delinquency cases
• Lawsuits over money or property, such as contract and injury claims
• Divorce, custody, and child support
• Adoptions
• Estates, wills, and related probate matters

Each of these case types lands in a different division of the court, and often with a different filing office. A criminal case is filed with one clerk, a civil suit with another, and an estate with a third. The case type drives where the paper goes and which judge hears it. To trace a specific case as it unfolds, see Chester County court dockets.

Civil, Criminal, Family, and Orphans' Divisions

The Court of Common Pleas does its work through divisions. Each division covers a group of related case types, and each pairs with the office that files and stores its records. Splitting the court this way keeps the huge volume of county cases moving and tells the public exactly where to go.

The civil division hears lawsuits over money and property. The criminal division hears adult and juvenile prosecutions. The family side handles divorce, custody, and support. The orphans' court side handles wills, estates, adoptions, and guardianships. The table below maps each division to its filing office.

For civil and family filings, the Prothonotary is the keeper of record. For criminal filings, that role falls to the Clerk of Courts. Knowing the division first saves you a wrong trip to the wrong suite.

Offices the Chester County Court Supervises

The Court of Common Pleas runs more than courtrooms. It supervises a set of offices that support its cases and the people in them. These offices report to the court and carry out its orders. Some help defendants, some help families, and some keep the legal tools the court needs.

The court also provides administrative services to the county's Magisterial District Court offices. So the minor courts and the trial court are tied together under one administrative umbrella. The table below lists the offices the court supervises and what each one does.

Domestic Relations is the office most families deal with after a support order. Probation, Parole and Pretrial Services touches almost every criminal case at some stage. Together these offices carry out the day-to-day work the court orders.

Common Pleas vs. Magisterial District Court in Chester County

People often confuse these two courts. Both sit in Chester County, but they do very different jobs. The Court of Common Pleas is the major trial court. The Magisterial District Court is the first stop for small and minor matters. The comparison table below lays out the split so you know which court fits your case.

The short version is simple. A district court screens criminal cases and decides small claims. Big cases and trials belong to Common Pleas. For the full picture of the minor courts, see Chester County Magisterial District Courts.

Note: a felony case can begin at a Magisterial District Court for a preliminary hearing before it moves up to Common Pleas for trial.

How a Case Moves and the Appeal Path

Cases climb the court ladder one rung at a time. A criminal case often opens at a district court with a preliminary hearing. If it holds for court, it moves up to Common Pleas for trial. After a verdict or final order, the losing side may appeal to an intermediate court. The full path runs like this:

Magisterial District Court › Court of Common Pleas › Superior or Commonwealth Court › Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

The appeal path is not one single road. Where a Common Pleas case goes next depends on the subject. The steps below show how an appeal travels after a final order.

1. A Common Pleas judge enters a final order or judgment in the case.
2. Most criminal and private civil appeals go to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
3. Government and administrative matters go to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
4. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania may grant discretionary review at the top.

Not every case reaches the Supreme Court. That court picks most of the cases it hears. So for the bulk of appeals, the Superior or Commonwealth Court has the last word.

Chester County Court Location and Contact

The Court of Common Pleas sits in the Chester County Justice Center in downtown West Chester. The building houses the court and its record-keeping offices, so a single address covers most of your court business. Different case types use different suites inside, so check the suite for your matter before you go. The contact card below has the main address, phone, and hours.

Plan extra time for security screening and suite check-in. Bring a photo ID and your case number. If you need an accommodation or an interpreter, ask the court well ahead of your date.

Related Chester County Court Records

For case files and how to search them, see Chester County court records. To follow a single case event by event, use court dockets. Civil and family records sit with the Prothonotary, criminal records with the Clerk of Courts, and minor matters start at the Magisterial District Courts.