Court Information

Court of Common Pleas

History
Courts of Common Pleas are Pennsylvania's courts of general trial jurisdiction. They have existed in Pennsylvania at least since the Constitution of 1776, under which they were given constitutional status.

Prior to the Commonwealth's Constitution of 1968 there existed in addition to Courts of Common Pleas -- Courts of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery, Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Orphans' Courts. The new constitution abolished these latter separate courts and incorporated them into existing Common Pleas Courts.

Composition
The Common Pleas Courts are organized into 60 judicial districts which generally follow the geographic boundaries of the Commonwealth's counties; however, seven of the districts are comprised of two counties. Each district has from one to 95 judges. Judges are elected to ten-year terms.

Jurisdiction
Common Pleas Courts have original jurisdiction over all cases not exclusively assigned to another court and appellate jurisdiction over judgments from the special courts (also referred to as minor courts, presided over by Magisterial District Judges). They also hear appeals from certain state and most local government agencies.

Bucks County
The Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County, a class 2A county, is the 7th Judicial District of Pennsylvania. First established in 1683, it hears all Criminal, Civil, Family, and Orphan's (Probate) matters. The Court consists of thirteen judges, and is located in Doylestown, Bucks County Pennsylvania. It supervises all Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation (including the Bucks County Youth Center), and Domestic Relations services, the Law Library, and provides administrative services for a twenty court system of limited jurisdiction courts (special courts) - issuing authority in all felony and misdemeanor cases, and hears all traffic and summary cases. It has concurrent jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in controversy is less than $8,000.

Judges
Honorable David W. Heckler, President Judge
Honorable Susan Devlin Scott
Honorable John J. Rufe
Honorable Daniel J. Lawler
Honorable Rea B. Boylan
Honorable Alan M. Rubenstein
Honorable Robert J. Mellon
Honorable C. Theodore Fritsch Jr.
Honorable Albert J. Cepparulo
Honorable Clyde W. Waite
Honorable Mitchell S. Goldberg
Honorable Jeffrey L. Finley
Honorable Diane E. Gibbons

Senior Judges

Honorable Paul R. Beckert
Honorable Ward F. Clark
Honorable William Hart Rufe, III
Honorable R. Barry McAndrews
Honorable Michael J. Kane

Helpful Links
Bucks County Bar Association
Bucks County Local Court Rules