Delaware County Magisterial District Courts

If you've been charged with a criminal offense in Delaware County, there's a high chance your charges may be adjudicated in a magisterial district court. Delaware County is massive and is home to a whopping 32 magisterial courts. In each of these respective courtrooms, there will preside an elected district judge.

Magisterial district courts have limited jurisdiction. They are responsible for some criminal matters, like preliminary hearings, arraignments, and summary offenses - the least serious grade of criminal offenses in Pennsylvania. Aside from criminal offenses, these courts also handle small civil actions and landlord-tenant disputes.

The following chart lists the magisterial district courts that are scattered throughout Delaware County.

Court	Judge	City	Address	Contact
32-1-20	Wilden H. Davis	Chester	160 E. Seventh Street	610-876-2151 Fax: 610-874-7864
32-1-21	Dawn L. Vann	Chester	160 E. Seventh Street	610-874-7180 Fax: 610-874-7864
32-1-22	Spencer B. Seaton Jr.	Chester	160 E. Seventh Street	610-874-1790 Fax: 610-874-7864
32-1-23	Gregory J. Loftus	Collingdale	100 Clifton Avenue	610-534-3443 Fax: 610-534-5978
32-1-24	Robert M. D'Agostino	Broomall	796 Parkway Boulevard	610-338-2250 Fax: 610-338-2253
32-1-25	Robert R. Burke	Havertown	525 West Chester Pike Suites 103 & 105	610-449-8250 Fax: 610-789-9167
32-1-27	David H. Lang	Newtown Square	4655 West Chester Pike	610-356-7430 Fax: 610-356-0692
32-1-28	Deborah Krull	Media	349 West Baltimore Avenue	610-566-0827 Fax: 610-566-2732
32-1-30	Vincent D. Gallagher	Folsom	100 MacDade Boulevard	610-532-0320 Fax: 610-532-0953
32-1-31	Philip S. Turner	Crum Lynne	1201 Haverford Road	610-833-2581 Fax: 610-833-2651
32-1-32	Andrea B. Puppio	Springfield	56 Powell Road	610-543-2366 Fax: 610-543-1920
32-1-33	Harry J. Karapalides	Upper Darby	1550 Garrett Road	610-626-6900 Fax: 610-623-0463
32-1-34	Robert J. Radano	Upper Darby	1550 Garrett Road	610-626-6900 Fax: 610-622-2751
32-1-35	Ann Berardocco	Upper Darby	1550 Garrett Road	610-626-6900 Fax: 610-623-0463
32-1-36	David R. Griffin	Linwood	526 W. Ridge Road	610-859-9748 Fax: 610-859-9751
32-2-37	Leonard V. Tenaglia	Darby	150 S. MacDade Boulevard Suite E	610-534-3504 Fax: 610-534-0714
32-2-38	Diane Holefelder	Aston	1 New Road	610-558-3520 Fax: 610-558-3528
32-2-39	VACANT	Brookhaven	2 Cambridge Road Suite 300	610-874-8178 Fax: 610-874-7893
32-2-40	Steven A. Sandone	Glenolden	11 Bartram Avenue	610-583-6646 Fax: 610-583-1197
32-2-42	Michael A. Burns	Glenolden	36 E. Boon Avenue	610-583-6647 Fax: 610-583-0386
32-2-43	Leon Hunter	Newtown Square	4655 West Chester Pike	610-356-2997 Fax: 610-356-0692
32-2-44	Jack D. Lippart	Prospect Park	1028 Lincoln Avenue	610-534-5627 Fax: 610-534-5610
32-2-46	Andrew Goldberg	Media	939 N. Providence Road	610-566-3495 Fax: 610-566-7016
32-2-47	W. Keith Williams II	Yeadon	536 Church Lane	610-259-8848 Fax: 610-259-8920
32-2-48	Walter A. Strohl	Lima	27 S. Pennell Road	610-565-4110 Fax: 610-565-1640
32-2-49	Wendy B. Roberts	Glen Mills	485 Baltimore Pike	610-558-3605 Fax: 610-558-3618
32-2-51	Christopher R. Mattox	Upper Darby	1550 Garrett Road	610-626-6900 Fax: 610-623-0463
32-2-52	Kelly A. Micozzie-Aguirre	Secane	409 Ashland Avenue Suite 1	610-622-8102 Fax: 610-622-8105
32-2-53	Elisa C. Lacianca	Havertown	525 West Chester Pike Suites 103 & 105	610-449-5189 Fax: 610-789-9167
32-2-54	James J. Merkins	Springfield	56 Powell Road	610-690-7668 Fax: 610-543-1920

For more information about the Delaware County magisterial district courts and their locations, visit the county website.

The Role Of An Attorney

Although one of the roles of Delaware County magisterial district courts is to decide upon summary offenses, their other roles shouldn't be overlooked. Most serious offenses involving misdemeanor and felony charges are conceived in these courts, requiring most defendants to attend preliminary hearings and arraignments held by them. It is the initial stages of the criminal prosecution that are the most important, especially for defendants. And it is these court appearances that will influence the outcome of your case. This is why the presence if an attorney throughout the entire process, from beginning to end, is incredibly important.

The initial and most critical step in the criminal prosecution process is the preliminary hearing. A preliminary hearing in Delaware County will be held at any of the magisterial district court locations above, depending on your location and the court's jurisdiction. Defendants are sent a notice within 10 days of an arrest that includes the date and time of their first mandatory court hearing. At this hearing, it will be determined whether or not there is sufficient evidence to put a defendant on trial. If you seek an attorney, they can help you maximize your chances of a favorable outcome at this stage in the process.

Following a preliminary hearing is an arraignment. At an arraignment, several things will take place. The court will detail your charges, your bail amount will be set, and most importantly, you will be asked to enter a plea. A plea is one of the single most important factors in how your case will play out. Only an experienced attorney will be able to decide which course of action is best for your case.

Understand that in the criminal justice process, the end goal for every defendant is to avoid the creation of a criminal record, or to avoid adding additional charges and/or a conviction to their existing record. A conviction and charges on an individual's criminal record come with serious collateral consequences that will make things like landing a job, getting government aid, living in certain places, and flexing certain rights difficult.

This is why it's important for you to consider retaining a Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney. An experienced and skilled legal professional will know the ins and outs of the magisterial district courts and bring valuable insight and expertise to your case. Familiarity with the process and major players has its perks, as an attorney can properly assess the chances of reducing your charges or even dismissing your case.

Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney

If you've been arrested and charged with a criminal offense in Bucks County, you should consult with an experienced criminal defense attorney to discuss your options. Attorney Joseph D. Lento has helped numerous clients with misdemeanor and felony charges get their sentence reduced, and even get their charges dismissed. For more about his representation or case evaluation, contact him online or by phone at (215) 535-5353 today.