Located in Southeastern Pennsylvania and named after Lancashire, England, Lancaster County has a population of over 550,000 residents and covers an approximate land mass of 2,541 square kilometers. Established in 1729, it has its county seat in Lancaster, which served as the state capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812. Lancaster County is one of the most productive agricultural counties in the United States, known for its dairy farms, poultry, and crop production.

Courts in Lancaster County

The court system in Lancaster County comprises Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts. The Courts of Common Pleas in Lancaster County is the trial court of general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases in the county. It presides over felonies, misdemeanors, and civil cases without financial limits. The Court of Common Pleas has specialized divisions, including the Orphans Court, which handles wills, trusts, adoption, and termination of parental rights, and the Family Court Division, which presides over child and spousal support and other related issues.

The Lancaster County Magisterial District Courts handle criminal preliminary hearing cases, third-degree misdemeanors, and ordinance violations. They also adjudicate civil cases such as landlord/tenant disputes, all traffic violation cases, and small claims up to $12,000.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Lancaster County

Public court records are papers and documents submitted to or maintained by the courts that are publicly available to everyone in Lancaster County. They are available online through the Criminal Court Records Database and Prothonotary Civil Court Records Search. The Magisterial District Court records are available through the MDC Web Docket Search.

Public court records are also available at the Lancaster County Courthouse; record seekers may visit the office during business hours to view and obtain copies. The court also accepts mail requests for public court records.

Types of Public Court Records in Lancaster County

Access to private court records in Lancaster County provides residents with insights into the happenings in the judiciary. Public court records open to the public in Lancaster County include:

• Criminal Court Records: Felonies such as homicide and murder cases, and misdemeanors, including simple assaults and vandalism
• Civil Court Records: Employment contract, small claims, foreclosures, breach of contract, property disputes, and boundary disputes
• Orphan’s Court Records: wills, trusts, conservatorship, guardianships, and name change
• Traffic Records: Traffic citations, including speeding tickets and illegal parking
• Family Court Records: Divorce decrees, annulment, alimony, child custody and visitation, and child support

Confidential Court Records in Lancaster County

Confidential court records are documents maintained by the courts but inaccessible to the public. They contain private or sensitive information where disclosure may threaten the safety or privacy of the person named on the court document. Therefore, juvenile court records, adoption records, medical and mental health records, trade secrets, and drug and alcohol treatment records are excluded from public view in Lancaster County.

Similarly, personal information within a court record is confidential and restricted from public access. The court redacts personal identifiers to prevent identity theft or fraud. Consequently, private information such as driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, social security numbers, tax identification numbers, home and personal email addresses, and vehicle plate numbers are unavailable to the public.

Juvenile Delinquency in Lancaster, PA

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Lancaster County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Pennsylvania often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1207 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Lancaster County. Of that total, 78% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 938 court cases. Another 22% were dependency cases that accounted for 269 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Lancaster County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Lancaster County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Lancaster County, PA

https://www.pa.gov/

County Seat:	Lancaster
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1729
Total Square Miles:	984
2019 Population:	542,903
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Lancaster County, PA Courts