Northumberland County Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania's trial court of general jurisdiction is the Court of Common Pleas. In Northumberland County, that court sits at the Northumberland County Courthouse, 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801. The UJS county page lists the courthouse phone as 570-988-4167, with public hours Monday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court Administration is also listed at 201 Market St., 2nd Floor, with phone 570.988.4167 and fax 570.988.4497.
The Court of Common Pleas handles felony criminal cases after preliminary proceedings, civil matters beyond magisterial jurisdiction, divorce and family matters, custody, protection from abuse matters, Orphans' Court probate disputes, and other county-level judicial business. Appeals generally go to the Pennsylvania Superior Court for many criminal and civil matters or to the Commonwealth Court for government-related categories, with discretionary review by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Northumberland County Courthouse
201 Market Street
Sunbury, PA 17801
570-988-4167
Monday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Northumberland County Trial Court Locations
The county court-location research identifies one Court of Common Pleas courthouse and four Magisterial District Courts. The lower courts are not Common Pleas divisions. They are separate minor courts that handle traffic, non-traffic summary cases, landlord-tenant disputes, smaller civil claims, bail, preliminary arraignments, and preliminary hearings.
| Court | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas | General jurisdiction trial court | 201 Market Street, Sunbury, PA 17801 | 570-988-4167 |
| MDJ William Cole, District Court #08-2-01 | Magisterial District Court | 150 S Market Street, Mount Carmel, PA 17851 | 570-339-2140 |
| MDJ Michael Diehl, District Court #08-3-02 | Magisterial District Court | 45 Locust Street, Milton, PA 17847 | 570-742-7446 |
| MDJ William Zalinski, District Court #08-3-03 | Magisterial District Court | 2 E Arch Street, Shamokin, PA 17872 | 570-644-0736 |
| MDJ Racheal Wiest-Benner, District Court #08-3-04 | Magisterial District Court | 399 Stadium Drive, Sunbury, PA 17801 | 570-988-4485 |
Common Pleas vs Magisterial District Courts
Northumberland County does not use a county court or justice of the peace structure like some other states. The practical split is Court of Common Pleas versus Magisterial District Court. The correct court depends on the type of case, where the event occurred, and whether the matter is still at the preliminary or lower-court stage.
| Function | Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Civil jurisdiction | Major civil actions, judgments, equity, family, divorce, PFA, and appeals. | Small civil claims up to $12,000 and landlord-tenant matters. |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felony and higher-level criminal cases after preliminary proceedings. | Criminal complaints, preliminary arraignments, bail, preliminary hearings, and summary offenses. |
| Traffic | DUI and appeals can reach Common Pleas. | Most traffic citation dockets start at MDJ level. |
| Record custodian | Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, or Orphans' Court clerk depending on case type. | The relevant MDJ office keeps lower-court docket material. |
Northumberland County Case Movement
Criminal case flow often starts outside the Court of Common Pleas. Police file a criminal complaint with the MDJ where the alleged offense occurred. The MDJ issues a summons or arrest warrant depending generally on the seriousness of the allegation. If a warrant is issued or a warrantless arrest occurs, the defendant appears before the MDJ for preliminary arraignment, receives the complaint and rights advisement, and receives a preliminary hearing date.
Criminal flow: Police complaint › MDJ summons or arrest warrant › preliminary arraignment › bail and preliminary hearing › held for court if a prima facie case is shown › Court of Common Pleas arraignment, motions, plea or trial, disposition, sentencing, and appeal.
Civil flow: Filing with the correct court or office › service › response › motions or conference › hearing or trial › judgment or order › post-judgment activity or appeal.
Note: The preliminary hearing is usually within 3 to 10 days of arrest and preliminary arraignment, according to county criminal process material.
Northumberland County MDJ Routing
The local MDJ pages identify which municipalities each district serves. That is useful for traffic tickets, small civil claims, landlord-tenant cases, summary offenses, and preliminary criminal matters because the place of the event often determines the lower court. If a record is not in Common Pleas, the right MDJ office may hold the more direct docket.
- Mount Carmel MDJ 08-2-01 serves East Cameron Township, Kulpmont, Marion Heights, Mount Carmel Borough and Township, Ralpho, West Cameron, Riverside, and Rush.
- Milton MDJ 08-3-02 serves Delaware, East Chillisquaque, Lewis, McEwensville, Milton, Point, Turbot, Turbotville, Watsontown, and West Chillisquaque.
- Shamokin MDJ 08-3-03 serves Coal Township, Shamokin City and Township, Snydertown, and Zerbe.
- Sunbury MDJ 08-3-04 serves Herndon, Jackson, Jordan, Little Mahanoy, Lower Augusta, Lower Mahanoy, Northumberland Borough, Rockefeller, Sunbury City, Upper Augusta, Upper Mahanoy, and Washington.
Common Pleas Record Custodians
Common Pleas is one court, but record custody is split by case type. The Prothonotary is the civil record custodian for the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk of Courts handles criminal court record functions. The Register and Recorder also serves as Clerk of Orphans' Court for probate and marriage license records. Knowing the correct custodian reduces misdirected copy requests.
| Record Type | Northumberland County Office | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Civil and family Common Pleas | Prothonotary | Complaints, judgments, divorce, custody, PFA, name changes, certified civil copies. |
| Criminal Common Pleas | Clerk of Courts | Criminal dockets, pleas, dispositions, sentencing orders, costs, restitution. |
| Probate and estates | Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court | Wills, estates, letters, guardianships, probate appointments. |
| Traffic and small claims | Magisterial District Court | Citations, landlord-tenant, summary offenses, small civil claims, preliminary hearings. |
Northumberland County Court Location Sources
The county court locations page is the core local source for the Common Pleas courthouse and Magisterial District Court address list.
That location list ties each court record path to a physical office rather than a generic statewide search result.
The Mount Carmel Magisterial District Court page identifies MDJ William Cole and the municipalities served by District Court #08-2-01.
Mount Carmel records are a lower-court source for local traffic, landlord-tenant, small civil, and preliminary criminal matters.
The Milton Magisterial District Court page supplies the district address, phone, and community routing for MDJ Michael Diehl.
Milton district routing helps separate lower-court records from Common Pleas filings in Sunbury.
The Shamokin Magisterial District Court page documents the local MDJ office for Shamokin-area matters.
The research notes special public-hour details for Shamokin, so users should check the office before visiting.
The Sunbury Magisterial District Court page identifies the lower court at the county Administration Center.
The Sunbury MDJ page also notes that hearings may be scheduled outside office hours and the office will open for scheduled hearings.