Court records in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, are maintained by the Clerk of Courts and related county offices and can be accessed through online tools, official court portals, and the clerk's office. BedfordPACourt.us can help you find publicly available court record information for Bedford County. Additional access points include the Unified Judicial System (UJS) web portal, the Bedford County Court of Common Pleas page, and the Clerk of Courts office at the Bedford County Courthouse.
Bedford County Court System Overview
Bedford County is part of Pennsylvania's 57th Judicial District, which serves Bedford County exclusively. The county's trial court is the Bedford County Court of Common Pleas, which exercises broad jurisdiction over criminal, civil, family, and orphans' court matters. Magisterial district judges handle preliminary hearings, minor criminal offenses, landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and traffic violations at the local level. Cases that exceed magisterial district court authority or involve felony charges move to the Court of Common Pleas for disposition.
Courts Serving Bedford County
| Court | Address / Contact |
|---|---|
| Bedford County Court of Common Pleas | 200 S. Juliana Street |
| Magisterial District Courts (Bedford County) | Multiple locations within Bedford County. Contact the Court Administrator's office at 814-623-4812 for specific magisterial district judge locations and phone numbers. |
| Clerk of Courts – Bedford County | 200 S. Juliana Street |
| U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania | Joseph F. Weis Jr. U.S. Courthouse |
| U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania | U.S. Steel Tower, Suite 5100 |
Bedford County falls within the federal Western District of Pennsylvania for both civil and criminal federal matters, as well as bankruptcy proceedings.
What Types of Cases Bedford County Courts Hear
Bedford County courts handle a wide range of case types across the Court of Common Pleas and the magisterial district courts. The major categories include:
- Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases
- Summary offenses and infractions
- Civil litigation (contract disputes, personal injury, property matters)
- Small claims
- Landlord-tenant disputes
- Family law — divorce, custody, child support, protection from abuse orders, paternity
- Probate and estate administration (Orphans' Court division)
- Guardianship and trust matters
- Juvenile delinquency and dependency proceedings
- Adoption and termination of parental rights
- Traffic violations and DUI cases
The sections below explain which court handles each type and how cases proceed.
District Court Cases in Bedford County
The Bedford County Court of Common Pleas is the general trial court and handles all felony criminal cases after a preliminary hearing at the magisterial district level. It also hears civil cases where the amount in controversy exceeds $12,000, which is the upper limit for magisterial district courts in Pennsylvania. Appeals from magisterial district court decisions — both criminal summary convictions and civil judgments — are heard de novo by the Court of Common Pleas. Post-conviction relief petitions, including PCRA filings, are also resolved at this level. Cases are assigned to judges of the Court of Common Pleas, with the president judge managing the court's overall calendar and administrative operations.
Magistrate Court Cases in Bedford County
Magisterial district judges in Bedford County preside over a broad range of matters at the local level. They conduct preliminary hearings for felony and misdemeanor charges, after which cases may be bound over to the Court of Common Pleas. Summary criminal offenses, traffic violations, and DUI arraignments are typically resolved at the magisterial level.
On the civil side, magisterial district courts hear cases where the amount in dispute is $12,000 or less. Small claims — civil disputes involving $12,000 or less filed under simplified procedures — are also handled here. Landlord-tenant disputes, including eviction actions, fall within magisterial district court jurisdiction. Given Bedford County's smaller population, magisterial district judges generally handle a mixed docket rather than being assigned to specific case types.
Family Law, Probate, and Juvenile Matters in Bedford County
Family Law
Divorce, custody, child support, protection from abuse (PFA) orders, paternity, and termination of parental rights are handled by the Court of Common Pleas. Bedford County's domestic relations section manages support matters, while custody and divorce cases proceed through the civil division of the court. PFA petitions may be filed at the courthouse during business hours or through an on-call magisterial district judge after hours.
Probate and Orphans' Court
Decedent estates, guardianships of incapacitated persons, trust matters, and adoptions are heard by the Orphans' Court division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court in Bedford County is Sheri Lowery, located at the Bedford County Courthouse (phone: 814-623-4833).
Juvenile Matters
Juvenile delinquency and dependency cases are handled by the Court of Common Pleas. The Bedford County Probation Office provides supervision and services for juvenile offenders. Juvenile records are confidential under Pennsylvania law and are not available through public docket searches.
How Cases Move Through the Bedford County Court System
- Filing or initiation: Criminal cases begin with a complaint filed by law enforcement or a private citizen at the magisterial district court. Civil cases start with a complaint filed at the Prothonotary's office (Court of Common Pleas) or at the magisterial district court for smaller claims. Family and orphans' court matters are initiated by petition.
- Assignment to judge: At the Court of Common Pleas level, cases are assigned to a judge. Magisterial district cases are heard by the magisterial district judge for the geographic area where the matter arose.
- Initial hearings: Criminal defendants appear for a preliminary arraignment and then a preliminary hearing. Civil cases receive a scheduling conference or case management order.
- Pre-trial phase: Criminal cases may involve plea negotiations, pre-trial motions, and discovery. Civil cases proceed through discovery, motions practice, and possible mediation or settlement conferences.
- Trial or resolution: Cases are resolved by plea agreement, jury or bench trial verdict, settlement, or default judgment.
- Post-judgment: Criminal cases move to sentencing and possible appeal. Civil judgments may be enforced or appealed. Appeals from the Court of Common Pleas go to the Pennsylvania Superior Court or Commonwealth Court.
Court Administration, Local Rules, and Public Access in Bedford County
The Bedford County Court of Common Pleas is administered by the president judge, supported by a court administrator. For questions about scheduling, local procedures, or court operations, contact the Court Administrator's office at 814-623-4812.
Local rules for the 57th Judicial District can be found through the Bedford County court page on the Unified Judicial System website. These rules supplement the statewide Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, and other procedural codes.
Public Access to Records
Most court records in Bedford County are generally open to the public under Pennsylvania's public access policy for court records. Docket sheets for Court of Common Pleas cases can be searched online through the UJS Portal case search. Certain records — including juvenile proceedings, adoption files, and some mental health and protection from abuse records — are restricted or sealed by law. Requests for records not available online can be directed to the Clerk of Courts at the courthouse. For records that fall under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, you can submit a request through the Office of Open Records request form.
Attending Hearings
Court hearings at the Bedford County Courthouse are generally open to the public. Contact the Court Administrator's office to ask whether a specific hearing will be conducted in person or by videoconference, as some proceedings may use remote technology.
Court Records and Related Court Resources in Bedford County
- Case and docket search: Search Bedford County Court of Common Pleas docket sheets through the UJS Portal case search. You can search by name, docket number, or other criteria. The docket sheets information page explains usage restrictions under the Criminal History Record Information Act (18 Pa.C.S. § 9101 et seq.).
- Clerk of Courts: The Clerk of Courts maintains criminal, civil, and orphans' court records. Contact Sheri Lowery at 814-623-4833 for copies or in-person record requests.
- Criminal background checks: The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) system, operated by the Pennsylvania State Police, provides online criminal history checks.
- Inmate search: Use the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections inmate locator to find individuals incarcerated in state facilities, including those transferred from Bedford County Jail. For county jail inmates, contact the Bedford County Sheriff's Office at 814-623-4807.
- Probation and parole: Bedford County probation and parole services are based at the Bedford County Courthouse, 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA 15522.
- Vital records: Birth, death, and adoption records are managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records office, not the county courts. Marriage licenses are issued by the county Register of Wills.
- State Police public information: The Pennsylvania State Police publishes incident reports covering Bedford County through their public information release reports.
- Historical and genealogy records: The Library of Congress Pennsylvania courthouse records guide provides information about older county records useful for genealogical research.
- Open records requests: For government records outside the court system, the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records provides guidance and appeal processes under the Right-to-Know Law.