Search Mifflin County Court Cases

Mifflin County Common Pleas Court

The Mifflin County Court of Common Pleas sits at 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. The county court page lists phone 717-248-4613 and fax 717-248-8337. Local court office hours are 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM. The Pennsylvania UJS county court page lists the same courthouse address and gives general court hours as Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, so office-specific hours should be used for counter business.

The listed President Judge is Hon. Aaron L. Gingrich, and the other Court of Common Pleas judge is Hon. Jonathan W. Reed. Court Administrator Christine Stuck supervises the Court of Common Pleas office, the Magisterial District Judges, Probation and Parole, and Domestic Relations. Deputy Court Administrator Rachel Burchfield, Case Coordinator and Digital Court Recorder Angela Crisswell, Jennifer Sheaffer, Janette Ouedraogo, and Court Reporter Jan Smith are listed in the court office staff research.

Mifflin County Court Structure

Pennsylvania uses a unified judiciary. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort. The Superior Court and Commonwealth Court are intermediate appellate courts. Courts of Common Pleas are general trial courts in judicial districts that mostly follow county lines. Magisterial District Courts are the entry-level courts for many local matters. Mifflin County is its own Court of Common Pleas judicial district and has three Magisterial District Judge offices.

Common Pleas vs MDJ Courts

The Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts both create court records, but their work is different. A user searching for a felony preliminary hearing, traffic citation, landlord-tenant case, or small civil claim may need the MDJ court first. A user searching for a Common Pleas criminal case, major civil file, divorce complaint, custody matter, PFA, or appeal from a lower court may need the Common Pleas level and the correct courthouse clerk office.

Mifflin County Case Flow

Case flow depends on the type of matter. Criminal charges often begin at the MDJ level, then move to Common Pleas if held for court. Civil cases can begin at an MDJ office if they are small civil or landlord-tenant cases, or at Common Pleas if they exceed the MDJ scope or involve a Common Pleas civil category. Family and divorce filings route to the Prothonotary, while criminal Common Pleas records route to the Clerk of Courts.

Criminal flow: complaint or charge › MDJ preliminary arraignment and bail › preliminary hearing › transfer to Common Pleas if held for court › arraignment, motions, plea or trial › disposition and sentencing › fines, costs, restitution, or appeal.

Civil flow: complaint or petition › service and answer › motions or orders › hearing, settlement, trial, or judgment › enforcement or appeal. For MDJ civil matters, the first court may be the local Magisterial District Court rather than Common Pleas.

Mifflin County MDJ Coverage

The county currently has three Magisterial District Judges. MDJ 58-3-01 covers Granville Township, Juniata Terrace Borough, and Lewistown Wards 1 through 5. MDJ 58-3-02 covers Burnham Borough, Decatur Township, Derry Township, and Lewistown Wards 6 and 7. MDJ 58-3-03 covers Armagh, Bratton, Brown, Menno, Oliver, Union, and Wayne townships, plus Kistler, McVeytown, and Newton Hamilton boroughs.

Weston and Ettinger office hours are listed as Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM. Smith's office lists Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM. The Kent Smith page records a court-structure change: the Pennsylvania Supreme Court granted the request for a third Mifflin County MDJ office on December 12, 2002, with realignment effective January 5, 2004.

Mifflin County Court Records Access

Public docket sheets for Common Pleas and MDJ matters are searched through Pennsylvania UJS Case Search. The county does not publish a separate county-built civil or criminal docket search in the researched sources. UJS docket sheets may show docket number, court, caption, case type, filing date, parties, charges, disposition, sentence, fines, costs, restitution, and docket entries depending on case type and access limits.

Official copies and records not visible online route back to the local custodian. Civil Common Pleas records go to the Prothonotary. Criminal Common Pleas records go to the Clerk of Courts. MDJ records can require the correct MDJ office. Probate, guardianship, adoption, and marriage-license records route to the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Judicial case records are governed by UJS public-access policy, while agency records outside a case file may use Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law procedures.

Mifflin County ADA and Jury Rules

The court FAQ says the Court of Common Pleas must comply with the ADA. Disabled individuals who need accessible facilities or reasonable accommodations should contact the court office at 717-248-4613. Arrangements must be made at least 72 hours before a hearing or other court business. The research did not locate official security details, parking rates, or locker policies, so those should be verified before a court visit rather than assumed.

Jury service rules have both statewide and local detail. The county FAQ says criminal trials usually do not last longer than one or two days, while civil trials generally do not last longer than three or four days, although some take longer. People may report for jury service and not sit on a jury because more people are called than are needed. Mifflin County also adds a local rule: anyone who served as a juror for one day does not have to serve again for three years if they report the prior service date and request excuse.

Mifflin County Specialty Court

Official sources identify Adult Treatment Court and related supervision programs, but they do not publish a full public program profile in the researched material. The 2026 annual court calendar includes recurring Adult Treatment Court dates. The Probation and Parole page links County Intermediate Punishment, Adult Treatment Court and Supervised Bail Application, Electronic Monitoring Application, and ARD Expungement Application and Instructions.

Probation and Parole operates from the Mifflin County Courthouse Annex at 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. Phone is 717-248-3953, fax is 717-248-4425, and hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon and 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM. The office mission is supervision of court-ordered adults and juvenile offenders as an alternative to imprisonment or placement, with public safety, enforcement of court rules, and guidance toward a crime-free lifestyle.

Mifflin County Court History

The historic courthouse context is useful but should not be confused with the active court address. The official historic preservation page identifies the Historic Mifflin County Courthouse as built in 1843 and rededicated on September 19, 2004, the 215th anniversary of the county's creation. That rededication followed a six-year renovation process after roof leaks, courtroom ceiling deterioration, and basement water were identified in 1998.

Renovation work included exterior repairs, tower base work, fascia, columns, exterior painting, courtroom restoration, basement and floor renovations, elevator installation, HVAC replacement, and electrical upgrades. The current active courthouse for Court of Common Pleas records and hearings is the 20 North Wayne Street facility. Note: Visitors should use the current court office address for filings, hearings, copies, ADA requests, and jury service.