Berks County Court of Common Pleas

Berks County Court of Common Pleas Overview

Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. The state is divided into 60 judicial districts, and most follow county lines. Berks County is the 23rd Judicial District. The court hears the serious cases: felonies, major civil suits, family and juvenile matters, and Orphans' Court work. It is the level where trials happen and where most appeals from the district courts land.

The state describes this court level on its courts pages.

The state's Courts of Common Pleas page explains the role this court plays statewide, which the Berks court fills locally.

What the Court of Common Pleas Hears

The Berks County Court of Common Pleas handles the bulk of serious court business. Criminal felony and misdemeanor cases reach it after a district judge holds them for court. Civil suits over the district court limit, equity actions, and family matters are filed here through the Prothonotary. Juvenile and Orphans' Court matters also belong to this court.

Records split by division and by clerk. Criminal records go to the Clerk of Courts, while civil and family records go to the Prothonotary. Probate and Orphans' Court matters go to the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court. For the case search itself, the court records page covers the statewide portal.

The court organizes its work into divisions. The criminal division handles felony and misdemeanor trials and sentencing. The civil division handles money disputes, equity, and arbitration. The family division handles divorce, custody, support, and Protection From Abuse matters. Juvenile matters and Orphans' Court estate and guardianship cases each have their own track. A single courthouse campus in Reading houses these divisions, with offices split by floor.

What Magisterial District Judges Handle

The magisterial district judges carry a heavy and varied caseload. They are the first stop for most local matters and for the early stages of criminal cases. Each judge is elected for a six-year term. The list below shows the main work of a Berks County magisterial district court.

• Traffic and non-traffic summary offenses.
• Landlord-tenant disputes and civil claims under $12,000.
• Preliminary arraignments, bail, and preliminary hearings in criminal cases.
• Arrest warrants and search warrants.
• Emergency protection relief and marriage ceremonies.

Because these courts handle the entry-level work, a case may begin here and then move up to the Court of Common Pleas if it is serious or appealed.

Magisterial District Courts in Berks County

Below the Court of Common Pleas sit the Magisterial District Courts, the local entry-level courts. Berks County has 17 magisterial district judges, each elected for a six-year term, plus two centralized courts. These courts handle traffic, summary offenses, landlord-tenant disputes, civil claims under $12,000, and the first steps of criminal cases. The county publishes a full listing of the offices.

The magisterial district court listing gives each office with its judge, address, and phone. The table below sums up the courts.

A 2026 magisterial realignment has been proposed for the 23rd Judicial District, so confirm the current office for your area before you travel.

The 23rd Judicial District and Its Judges

Berks County operates as the 23rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The district's mission is to administer justice equally and to provide independent, accessible forums for fair and prompt dispute resolution. The Court of Common Pleas judges hear the trial-level cases, while the President Judge supervises the wider district, including the minor judiciary of magisterial district judges.

Court Administration coordinates scheduling, records, and the offices that support the court. The courthouse and the adjacent Services Center hold these functions on a single downtown campus, which is why floor and office name matter when you visit. Because the system is statewide, a Berks docket can be searched online even though the file stays in Reading.

Central Arraignment and Reading Central Court

Berks County runs two centralized magisterial courts on the 1st floor of the courthouse. The Berks County Central Arraignment Court serves as an after-hours emergency duty court, making sure at least one issuing authority is available in the 23rd Judicial District at all times. It is listed as MDC 23-0-01.

Reading Central Court was set up to dispose of preliminary hearings efficiently in misdemeanor and felony cases filed in any of the five magisterial districts within the City of Reading. Together these two courts keep the criminal process moving before cases reach the Court of Common Pleas.

Common Pleas vs Magisterial District Court

The two trial levels split the work by case size and stage. The Court of Common Pleas takes the serious and the appealed cases. The Magisterial District Court takes the local, smaller, and early-stage cases. The comparison below shows the line between them.

In Pennsylvania, a search for "district court" usually means a Magisterial District Court, not a federal court. Use the full name to avoid confusion.

How a Case Moves Through the System

Cases climb the ladder in a set order. A criminal case starts low and moves up if it is serious. A civil claim is filed at the level that matches its size. The flows below show the common paths in Berks County.

Criminal flow: Arrest › Magisterial District Court › Preliminary Hearing › Held for Court › Court of Common Pleas › Trial and Sentencing › Appeal

Civil flow: Complaint Filed › Answer › Discovery › Arbitration or Trial › Judgment › Appeal

Appeals from a magisterial district judgment generally go to the Court of Common Pleas. From there, appeals move to the Superior Court or the Commonwealth Court, and finally to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The court dockets page explains how the linked dockets appear along this path.

Courthouse Location and Contact

The Court of Common Pleas sits in the Berks County Courthouse at 633 Court Street in downtown Reading, near Sixth and Court Streets. The adjacent Services Center holds several court-related offices. Public parking is available across Court Street.

The map above shows the courthouse at 633 Court Street. Court departments split by floor, so check the office and floor before you visit. The Berks County courts page routes you to each department.

Appeals from the Court of Common Pleas

The Court of Common Pleas is not the last word. Appeals from its decisions go to one of two intermediate appellate courts. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania hears most civil and criminal appeals. The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania hears government, agency, and election matters. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort and also runs the statewide court system.

This structure means a Berks case can travel from a magisterial district court all the way to the state's highest court. An appeal must be filed within set deadlines, and the appellate court reviews the trial record rather than holding a new trial. For related records, see court records, the Prothonotary for civil files, and the Clerk of Courts for criminal files.