Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania, boasts of being the sixth-most-populous city in the United States. The Pennsylvania District Court records shows - To have proper and efficient law and order system, the administration is divided into three districts: Eastern district of Pennsylvania, Middle district of Pennsylvania and Western district of Pennsylvania. The court is composed of 14 active judges and is based at the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of thirteen United States courts of appeals.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. Originally, it used to sit in Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania, and is now located at the James Byrne Courthouse at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia. Reports show that the Court's jurisdiction includes Philadelphia, as well as Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton counties. The district is a part of the Third Circuit, and appeals are taken to that Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania represents the people in the district. There are Eastern District federal courtrooms in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading, and Easton.
In 1901, The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania with jurisdiction over approximately one half of Pennsylvania was created. The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania was subdivided to create this District Court. The court is under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). As Harrisburg, the state capital is located within the district's jurisdiction, the Philadelphia District Court records show the ones most suiting against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are filed in the Middle District. Similarly, because York County Prison served as the largest Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) facility in the Northeast, the Middle District also adjudicated a large number of immigration cases. The courts of appeal are now responsible for most judicial review of immigration decisions, bypassing the Middle District and other district courts.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law.
While going through the records, one gets to know that the District Courts has jurisdiction over certain types of civil and criminal cases. Criminal cases heard by District Courts include most summary offenses, most preliminary hearings, certain DUI cases, certain third-degree misdemeanors and some ordinance violations. On the other hand, the civil cases heard by Magisterial District Courts include certain landlord/tenant cases and some general civil claims subject to financial limits. Magisterial District Courts do not have jurisdiction over civil cases brought by or against the state.
With the government sites and commercial websites providing a huge database with the Philadelphia district court records , one can easily fetch civil and criminal records for the purpose of background checks. This ensures to maintain a transparency in the society and keep us alert of the rising unlawful activities around us.
