Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas
The Court of Common Pleas is Pennsylvania's trial court of general jurisdiction. Lancaster County is the Second Judicial District, and the main court complex is at 50 North Duke Street in downtown Lancaster. The court handles major civil and criminal cases, family matters, juvenile cases, and Orphans' Court work. Lower Magisterial District Courts are the first level of judicial authority for many local disputes and traffic cases, but Common Pleas is the county's primary trial court.
The Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas describes its mission as fair, efficient, trusted justice through upholding the law and protecting the community. Its public access links, court services, ADA information, language access, and specialty court materials all sit under that county court system.
Lancaster County Courthouse
50 N. Duke St., P.O. Box 83480
Lancaster, PA 17608
717-299-8041
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Lancaster County Court Structure
Pennsylvania's court hierarchy starts with Magisterial District Courts at the local trial level, then Courts of Common Pleas, then the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court for intermediate appeals, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as the court of last resort. Lancaster County cases can also involve federal courts, but federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy filings are not Lancaster County Common Pleas records.
| Court Level | Role | Lancaster County Use |
|---|---|---|
| Magisterial District Courts | First local trial level | Traffic, summary, landlord-tenant, minor criminal, civil claims up to $12,000. |
| Court of Common Pleas | General trial court | Major civil, criminal, family, juvenile, Orphans' Court, and summary appeals. |
| Superior Court | Intermediate appellate court | Many criminal and civil appeals from Common Pleas. |
| Commonwealth Court | Intermediate appellate court | Government and agency matters. |
| Supreme Court of Pennsylvania | Court of last resort | Final state appellate authority and judicial administration. |
Lancaster County Common Pleas vs MDJ
The main comparison in Lancaster County is not Common Pleas versus a county court. Pennsylvania uses Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. A person looking for a traffic citation, non-traffic summary case, landlord-tenant matter, or small civil claim may need an MDJ office first. A person looking for a felony criminal case, civil complaint above MDJ scope, divorce, custody, PFA, juvenile, or Orphans' Court matter will usually be in Common Pleas or a courthouse office connected to it.
| Feature | Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Civil scope | General civil jurisdiction and appeals | Civil claims up to $12,000 and landlord-tenant matters |
| Criminal scope | Major criminal cases, pleas, trials, sentencing, summary appeals | Minor criminal matters, preliminary stages, summary offenses |
| Traffic | Summary appeals and related Common Pleas matters | Primary venue for traffic citations |
| Family and probate | Divorce, custody, PFA, juvenile, Orphans' Court | Not the main venue for those case types |
| Record search | UJS, Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills | UJS and the assigned MDJ office |
Lancaster County Case Flow
A Lancaster County case may begin in an MDJ office and later move to Common Pleas, or it may begin in Common Pleas through a civil, family, criminal, juvenile, or Orphans' Court filing. Traffic and summary cases commonly start with an MDJ. A defendant who pleads guilty or is found guilty of a summary offense may appeal to Common Pleas within 30 days for a new hearing on the merits.
Criminal flow: MDJ preliminary stage or charge filing › Common Pleas docket › arraignment › motions and hearings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil flow: complaint or petition › service › answer or response › motions › conference or hearing › trial or order › judgment › appeal.
Summary appeal flow: MDJ conviction or guilty plea › timely appeal to Common Pleas › new hearing › Common Pleas disposition.
Lancaster County Common Pleas Judges
The research lists Leonard G. Brown III as President Judge and identifies the current Court of Common Pleas judicial roster. This roster helps distinguish the county trial bench from the MDJ directory. Judges may sit in civil, criminal, family, juvenile, Orphans' Court, treatment court, or other assignments depending on court administration.
| Role | Judges Listed in Research |
|---|---|
| President Judge | Leonard G. Brown III |
| Common Pleas Judges | David L. Ashworth; Dennis E. Reinaker; Jeffery D. Wright; Margaret C. Miller; Christopher A. Hackman; Jeffrey J. Reich; Merrill M. Spahn Jr.; Thomas B. Sponaugle; Jeffrey A. Conrad; Craig W. Stedman; JoAnne Murphy; Shawn P. McLaughlin; Todd E. Brown; Christina M. Parsons |
Lancaster County MDJ Courts
The county's Magisterial District Judge directory is the official local list for Lancaster County MDJ offices.
The directory matters because MDJ venue depends on the district tied to the citation, complaint, address, municipality, or issuing authority.
The county's Magisterial District Court overview describes MDJs as the first level of judicial authority in Pennsylvania.
That overview confirms the local MDJ role in traffic, minor criminal, and smaller civil disputes before a matter reaches or appeals to Common Pleas.
| Judge | District | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam J. Witkonis | 02-1-01 | 641 Union St., Lancaster, PA 17603 | 717-299-7896 |
| Courtney M. Monson | 02-1-02 | 2205 Oregon Pk., Lancaster, PA 17601 | 717-569-8774 |
| Miles K. Bixler | 02-1-03 | 341 Chestnut St., Columbia, PA 17512 | 717-684-2761 |
| Jodie E. Richardson | 02-2-01 | 123 Locust St., Rear, Lancaster, PA 17602 | 717-299-7974 |
| John E. Bender | 02-2-02 | 150 N. Queen St., Suite 120, Lancaster, PA 17603 | 717-295-2000 |
| Mary Mongiovi Sponaugle | 02-2-03 | 1351 Elm Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603 | 717-299-7898 |
| Andrew T. Lefever | 02-2-04 | 796A New Holland Ave., Lancaster, PA 17602 | 717-299-7966 |
| Brian E. Chudzik | 02-2-05 | 2168 Embassy Dr., Suite 150, Lancaster, PA 17603 | 717-735-2288 |
| Joshua R. Keller | 02-2-06 | 841 Stehman Rd., Millersville, PA 17551 | 717-872-4361 |
| Torrey J. Landis | 02-2-07 | 609 E. Main St., Ephrata, PA 17522 | 717-733-8688 |
| Joseph C. Stauffer | 02-2-08 | 690 Furnace Hills Pike, Lititz, PA 17543 | 717-626-0258 |
| Michael D. Hess | 02-3-01 | 424 S. Angle St., Mount Joy, PA 17552 | 717-653-4575 |
| B. Denise Commins | 02-3-02 | 15 Geist Rd., Lancaster, PA 17601 | 717-656-2191 |
| William E. Benner Jr. | 02-3-03 | 324 Beaver Valley Pk., Willow Street, PA 17584 | 717-464-4141 |
| William R. Mankin II | 02-3-04 | 25 E. State St., Quarryville, PA 17566 | 717-786-7368 |
| Raymond S. Sheller | 02-3-05 | 3 Heritage Dr., Suite 100, Gordonville, PA 17529 | 717-768-3312 |
| Jonathan W. Heisse | 02-3-06 | 745B E. Main St., New Holland, PA 17557 | 717-354-4206 |
| Clark A. Bearinger | 02-3-07 | 935 Stone Hill Road, Denver, PA 17517 | 717-336-2801 |
| Frank H. Ember Jr. | 02-3-09 | 5 Municipal Dr., Elizabethtown, PA 17022 | 717-367-4330 / 717-653-1969 |
Lancaster County Common Pleas Divisions
Civil matters are filed through the Prothonotary. Criminal and juvenile matters are filed through the Clerk of Courts. Probate, estates, adoptions, guardianships, and marriage licenses are handled by the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. This division-by-office structure means a searcher may need a court docket and the right office. UJS can show many dockets, but the office of record controls filings, certifications, fees, and some copies.
For courthouse visits, the court complex has screening at the Duke Street main entrance. Pocketbooks, briefcases, and packages are scanned. Weapons, pocket knives, box cutters, and mace are prohibited. Official directions place a parking garage near Duke and Chestnut Streets, and the county FAQ identifies Duke Street, Penn Square, East King Street, and Prince Street garages as visitor options.
Lancaster County Treatment Courts
The county's Treatment Courts overview lists Adult Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Treatment Courts Application materials, Treatment Courts Description, and Veterans Court.
Treatment court records remain criminal court records, but program eligibility, review, and clinical details can be more limited than ordinary docket entries.
The county's Drug Court program page describes a voluntary adult program for high-risk and high-needs offenders.
Drug Court includes Diversion, Modified, and Non-Diversion or Probation Violation tracks, with a minimum 12-month commitment plus aftercare that may extend longer.
The county's Mental Health Court page describes referral sources and District Attorney review for offenders with serious mental illness.
Mental Health Court materials identify Diversion, Modified, and Non-Diversion tracks, with a typical 12 to 18 month commitment across five phases.
The county's Veterans Court page covers current and former military members, including Reserve and National Guard members.
Veterans Court is described as post-plea and pre-sentence, with felony and misdemeanor cases considered except homicide and registerable sex offenses.
Lancaster County Court Records Access
Common Pleas docket access generally starts with UJS Case Search. Civil documents then route to the Prothonotary and CountySuite. Criminal documents route to the Clerk of Courts. Probate and Orphans' Court matters route to the Register of Wills and Paperless. The Pennsylvania UJS portal warns that recent entries may lag behind filing-office activity, so a missing or outdated online entry may require a direct office check.
Public access is also shaped by Pennsylvania court policy and case type. Sealed, expunged, limited-access, juvenile, adoption, confidential information, and mental-health related program records may not appear in public search or may appear only in redacted form. For court administrative and financial records that are not ordinary case files, Lancaster County Courts use the Rule 509 open-records process through the Office of Court Administration.
Note: The filename remains district-court.html, but the Lancaster County trial court profiled here is the Court of Common Pleas.