The Criminal Division of the Philadelphia Municipal Court processes most adult
arrests in the City
of Philadelphia. The Court conducts preliminary hearings for
most felony cases, and trials for misdemeanor cases where the sentence
of incarceration does not exceed five (5) years. Additionally,
non-traffic summary citations issued by various law enforcement
agencies are processed and tried in the jurisdiction of Municipal
Court. Below you will find additional descriptions of various criminal
division departments and the appropriate phone numbers for these
units.
MUNICIPAL COURT CRIMINAL COURTROOMS ARE LOCATED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CENTER, 1301 FILBERT STREET AND IN SEVERAL POLICE DISTRICTS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA.
Honorable Ronald B. Merriweather
Supervising Judge, Criminal
1307 Criminal Justice Center
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-683-7217
FAX (215) 683-7231
The primary objective of Criminal Listings is to schedule and maintain
misdemeanor trial and preliminary hearing lists for twenty-three
Municipal Court criminal courtrooms. This department's initial
involvement with caseflow management is through the preparation of
courtroom calendars for first listings of all Municipal Court cases
from the arraignment courtroom. Additionally, continuance date sheets
are prepared and provided daily to the general tipstaves assigned to
each courtroom.
Through daily contact with arraignment court and the General
Tipstaves, Criminal Listings maintains ongoing records on the volume
of cases listed each day in every Municipal Court criminal courtroom.
Rita Crumlish, Director
Roseanne Unger, Deputy Director
1301 Filbert Street - Suite 206
215 683-7297
The Criminal Coding unit is responsible for processing non-traffic
citations issued in the City of Philadelphia. Through coding and
filing, quality control is conducted. All case information and
scheduling for summary citations are directed through this unit.
Summary cases include but are not limited to: retail theft, underage
drinking and disorderly conduct. The unit continuously assists various
members of the criminal justice system and the public with caseflow
information. In submitting data, compliance to the City and State
Summary laws, rules and procedures are adhered to.
Most summary cases are listed daily into a status courtroom.
Defendants are presented with options by a Trial Commissioner at which
time they may plead not guilty, guilty, or attend an alternative
diversion program. If a defendant opts to plead not guilty, these
cases are listed for trial before a Municipal Court Judge.
The supervisor of this unit maintains data on special programs such as
night court, community service completion and other "quality of life"
crimes. Interactions occur daily with all members of the criminal
justice community.
JOANNE WEGLICKI - SUPERVISOR
1301 FILBERT STREET - SUITE 206
215 683-7287
Criminal Trial Commissioners preside in several criminal courtrooms to
expeditiously process cases not requiring immediate judicial
determinations. Trial Commissioners duties include but are not limited
to: accepting summary citation guilty pleas, assessing fines and
costs, insuring discovery is complete, scheduling abatement hearings,
mental health evaluations and arbitration proceedings.
In addition to courtroom responsibilities, the Criminal Trial
Commissioner assists in a variety of administrative duties such as
rescheduling approximately 2,000 fugitive cases each year on judicial
orders, District Attorney requests for abatement or withdrawal of
prosecution listings or on notification from Pretrial Services that a
detainer has been lodged against a defendant in state custody. Files
are reviewed, continuance dates are assigned and all necessary
paperwork is prepared. These employees communicate regularly with
various State Correctional Institutions, Board of Probation and
Parole, Philadelphia Sheriff's Department and other criminal justice
agencies to ensure the proper scheduling of cases.
Trial Commissioners are responsible for handling attorney
correspondence and all calls concerning summary matters. They must
complete and issue parental notification letters, license suspension
forms and trial listing notices to the Philadelphia Police Department
and Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. They assist in verifying
the accuracy of information on correspondence from other First
Judicial District offices, various criminal justice agencies and the
public.
The criminal tipstaves are the key support staff in the effective
operation of a criminal courtroom. General tipstaves are responsible
for staffing criminal courtrooms in the Criminal Justice Center, as well as remote
locations in courtrooms in police districts throughout the City of
Philadelphia. Tipstaves are responsible for insuring trial and hearing
lists are maintained in an efficient manner for the presiding judge.
Tipstaves swear-in witnesses, mark evidence, guard entrances and
exits, enforce rules and maintain the professional conduct of the
courtroom. Tipstaves must maintain and report statistical data to
insure adherence to caseflow management practices.
MARIA PUGLIESE
CHIEF, COURTROOM OPERATIONS
CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER
1301 FILBERT STREET, SUITE 401
215 683-7272
In 1996, Judge Seamus P. McCaffery recognized that quality of life
crimes were a cancer eating away at our city's neighborhoods and
driving families out of Philadelphia. The offenders often escape
punishment by simply ignoring subpoenas to appear in a center city
court. Judge McCaffery created a complete, mobile court operation to
solve this problem. This court operation goes right into the
neighborhoods, at the times when these crimes occur, at night and on
the weekends, delivering swift and fair justice.
Twelve judges are currently volunteering their time to make our city a
better place to live and raise children. With the help of federal
grants used to pay for the support staff so necessary for the success
of this program, Nuisance Night Court now reaches into every
neighborhood of the city, bringing hope to our citizens by bringing
justice where and when it is needed.
For further information contact: JANET DITOMASSO
DIRECTOR, DIVERSION PROGRAMS
1301 FILBERT STREET
ROOM 408
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19107
(215) 683-7275
FAX: (215) 683-7278
Municipal Court operates a 24 hour/7 day per week Preliminary
Arraignment Courtroom. All adults arrested and charged with a felony
or misdemeanor appear before a Bail Commissioner for a formal bail
arraignment proceeding. The principal goal of bail is to insure a
defendants appearance in court, while taking into account the safety
of the community.
Philadelphia conducts video arraignments throughout the City using
state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology. The hub of this
operation, the courtroom, is located in the basement of the Criminal
Justice Center. Remote sites are located at the Police Administration
Building and police districts geographically located within the city.
This unit operates during non-traditional hours for emergency relief
from domestic violence only. In order to obtain an emergency petition,
the petitioner must have a blood, marital or intimate/sexual
relationship with the person against whom they wish to file. Once a
relationship is established, it is necessary to determine whether the
petitioner is in an emergency situation, i.e., is in immediate and
present danger of physical abuse. Substantial threats, such as threats
with a visible weapon, are included. Generally, the incident in
question must have occurred very recently. The unit is staffed by law
trained masters who conduct ex-parte hearings (hearings without the
other party present) and review petitions to determine if a petition
should be granted in accordance with the Protection From Abuse Act.
The most common referral agency if emergency petitions are
denied is the Abuse Assistance Unit of the Domestic Relations, Family
Division of the Court of Common Pleas. This is for individuals with
the requisite relationship who are not in an emergency situation as
proscribed above.
William Love - Permanent Master B03 Criminal Justice Center (215) 683-7280
The Philadelphia Community Court is an innovative,
problem–solving court that combines criminal justice and social
service agencies under one roof for a comprehensive response to
quality–of–life crimes.
The Court emphasizes community service sentences and behavioral
treatment programs, rather than jail time, for low–level
offenses and helps to cut repeat offenses by addressing the
defendants' underlying social or medical service needs.
The Court has jurisdiction over quality–of–life offenses,
including theft from auto, retail theft, minor drug possession,
vandalism, and prostitution. Defendants receive expedited hearings, no
later than the next business day after arrest. On–site social
service staff provides professional screenings, which are provided to
the Judge prior to sentencing.
Click Here for
more information on the Philadelphia Community Court
Philadelphia Community Court
1401 Arch Street, 2nd Floor
(215) 683-1570
The Philadelphia Treatment Court, the first of its kind in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, represents the latest initiative in
addressing the drug-involvement of the criminal justice population. It
is premised on the notion that the courts need to deal with some of
the root cases of criminal activity. The Treatment Court is designed
as an alternative to and/or supplement to normal case processing to
provide treatment to substance abusing defendants. The Treatment Court
incorporates the dual aim of reducing a defendant's involvement in
crime and their return to the criminal caseload and of increasing the
chances that they can function more productively as citizens.
The Treatment Court model represents a new treatment structure which
draws on a network of treatment services to respond to the clinically
determined needs of participants and features a new and central role
for the Treatment Court judge. This court serves as a hub for delivery
of treatment and other supportive services to more fully address the
range of treatment, health, housing, literacy, educational, and other
social service needs presented by drug-involved defendants.
This department processes private citizen's complaints when a crime is
alleged without a police arrest. A vast majority of private criminal
complaints involve disputes between family members or neighbors.
Common misdemeanor cases involve simple assault, terroristic threats,
bad checks and theft by deception. Individuals must file the complaint
with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office located on the 6th
floor of 34 S. 11th Street. Cases are listed before a
trial commissioner in the Criminal Justice Center where many are
referred to the Dispute Resolution Unit for Arbitration. Cases that
are not resolved at the Private Criminal Complaint level will be given
a Municipal Court Criminal Division number and have a hearing before a
Municipal Court Judge.
Janet DiTomasso, Director
408 Criminal Justice Center (215) 683-7277
Insuring credibility in the administration of justice includes
providing equal access to justice for linguistic minorities. The
Philadelphia Municipal Court
employs two full time Spanish-speaking interpreters under the
direction of the Chief of Courtroom Operations. Both interpreters are
available five days per week in the criminal courtrooms of the CJC and
3901 Whitaker Avenue as well as lending assistance to the arraignment
courtroom during normal working hours.
