Westmoreland County, the second-largest County in southwestern Pennsylvania, was founded in 1773. It was named after Westmorland, a historic county of England, and its seat is Greensburg. The county has a land area of 1,025 square miles and was estimated as of the 2020 census to house over 364,672 people.

Courts in Westmoreland County

Westmoreland County is home to two courts, including Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts.

Courts of Common Pleas in Westmoreland County have jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. The courts hear general civil claims without financial limits. They also handle domestic relation cases, juvenile matters, cases relating to adoption, and arbitration reviews. The criminal jurisdiction of the court extends to felonies and lesser-included offenses.

Apart from the above, the court has an Orphans’ Court Division that handles estates, trusts, guardianship, adoption, and termination of parental rights. 

Magisterial District Courts have jurisdiction over criminal cases involving summary offenses, most preliminary hearings, DUI cases, some ordinance violations, and certain third-degree misdemeanors. They also handle civil cases relating to landlord/tenant cases and some general civil claims subject to financial limits.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Westmoreland County

Public court records are documents resulting from court proceedings. The Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts Office maintains court records emanating from criminal and juvenile proceedings. For records emanating from civil proceedings, the Pronotary Office is responsible. To access court records in the county, interested members of the public can either contact these offices or search for the records online using the Pennsylvania Judiciary Web Portal.

Types of Public Court Records in Westmoreland County

Examples of public court records in Westmoreland County include:

• Traffic Court Records
• Civil Court Records
• Criminal Court Records
• Probate Court Records

Confidential Court Records in Westmoreland County

While the court generally allows access to its records, some are designated as confidential or under seal and not made available to the public. Examples of such records include:

• Juvenile Records
• Adoption Records
• Mental Health Records
• Medical Records
• Minor Abortion Proceeding Records

In addition, parties to a suit are allowed to apply to the court for the redaction of personal or sensitive information from case records before the record is made available to the public. Examples of records that the parties may consider redacting include Social Security numbers,  financial account numbers, dates of birth, and names of minor children.    

Juvenile Delinquency in Westmoreland, PA

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

In 2017, a total of 802 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Westmoreland County. Of that total, 76% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 609 court cases. Another 21% were dependency cases that accounted for 165 of the juvenile cases.

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

Government of Westmoreland County, PA

https://www.pa.gov/

County Seat:	Greensburg
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1773
Total Square Miles:	1,036
2019 Population:	352,627
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	2 N Main St Courthouse Square Greensburg , PA 15601-2405 http://www.co.westmoreland.pa.us

Westmoreland County, PA Courts