Lehigh County Court Records Lookup

The following is for information purposes only

Lehigh County is home to over 374,110 residents, with a land area of 345.3 square miles, making it the 62nd largest county in Pennsylvania. The county was formed in 1812 from part of Northampton County and named after the Lehigh River. It is located in the Lehigh Valley area of southeastern Pennsylvania. The City of Allentown is the county seat and the 3rd largest city in Pennsylvania. Its court system consists of a Court of Common Pleas and 14 Magisterial District Courts. These courts play a vital role in the implementation of judgments in the county.

The Court of Common Pleas in Allentown is the highest trial court in Lehigh County, with general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. It typically handles cases beyond the purview of other courts. The court located in Allentown has several specialized divisions for criminal, civil, and family offenses. The criminal division is tasked with handling criminal cases such as felonies and lesser-included offenses. Meanwhile, general civil claims without financial limits are handled by the Civil Division of the Court. In addition, the Family Court Division of the Courts of Common Pleas handles most family-related disputes, including requests for injunctions, domestic violence, child custody, and spousal support. Furthermore, appeals from administrative agencies' decisions are heard by these Courts. Moreover, Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas has an Orphans' Court Division that handles adoptions, dissolution of marriage, guardianships, termination of parental rights, wills, and testament trusts. However, the Register of Wills office of the Clerk of Judicial Records handles probate matters.

Magisterial District Courts in Lehigh County are located in Allentown, Bethlehem, Whitehall, Emmaus, Slatington, Village Center in Coopersburg, and Green Hill Commerce Center in Allentown. These Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain classes of criminal, civil, and ordinance violation cases. It presides over cases such as third-degree misdemeanor crimes, county ordinance violations, certain traffic violations, and general civil claims subject to financial limits. They also handle landlord-tenant disputes and most preliminary hearings.

Lehigh County has a total crime rate of 19.75 per 1,000 people in a standard year. According to the Caseload Statistics of the Unified Judicial System, the number of criminal and civil cases resolved in 2022 by Lehigh County Courts of Common Pleas were 3,779 and 3,165, respectively. Likewise, the court resolved 1,735 domestic relations cases, 23 Orphan Court cases, and 473 juvenile cases. The Magisterial District Court filed a total of 3,474 civil cases, 5,773 criminal cases, and 87,006 traffic cases in 2022, according to the Magisterial District Court Caseload of the Unified Judicial System. The Clerk of each court is the official custodian of all records generated in that court. Court records in Lehigh County are generally accessible by the public unless restricted by law or court order. Examples of sealed court records in the county include juvenile, adoption, mental health, domestic violence, and sexual abuse records. Residents may access the court case information via the online unified judicial system portal. Requesters may also visit the public access terminals in the courthouse to view and retrieve copies of court records.

In summary, the Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts make up the trial court system in Lehigh County. These courts provide a platform for effective resolution of legal court-related matters through the implementation of judicial rulings in compliance with the law. Moreover, by making court records accessible to the public through their transparent management, the people's trust and confidence in legal proceedings are bolstered.