Mercer County Common Pleas Court
The UJS Mercer County Common Pleas page lists the court at the Mercer County Courthouse, 125 S. Diamond Street, Mercer, PA 16137. The main court phone is 724-662-3800, fax is 724-662-0620, and hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court Administration is in Suite 310 and uses courtadmin@mercercountypa.gov.
The Court of Common Pleas is the primary trial court for Mercer County. It hears major civil cases, criminal cases, family matters, juvenile matters, Orphans' Court matters, and appeals from minor courts. It is different from the Magisterial District Courts, which handle traffic citations, non-traffic summary cases, small civil claims, preliminary arraignments, and preliminary hearings.
Mercer County Court of Common Pleas
125 S. Diamond Street
Mercer, PA 16137
724-662-3800
Fax: 724-662-0620
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The UJS court page is the official statewide court source for Mercer County Common Pleas contact information.
The UJS page ties the Mercer County trial court to Pennsylvania's statewide court system and confirms the courthouse contact path.
Mercer County Common Pleas Judges
Mercer County is the Thirty-fifth Judicial District. The county judges listed in the research file sit at the Mercer County Courthouse on South Diamond Street. Senior Judges Christopher J. St. John and Robert G. Yeatts are also listed on the county court homepage.
| Judge | Role | Phone | Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel P. Wallace | President Judge, serving since 2014 | 724-662-3800 ext. 2523 | 724-662-0117 |
| Tedd C. Nesbit | Judge, serving since 2020 | 724-662-3800 ext. 2123 | 724-662-5319 |
| Ronald D. Amrhein Jr. | Judge, serving since 2020 | 724-662-3800 ext. 2527 | 724-662-5319 |
| D. Neil McEwen | Judge, serving since 2022 | 724-662-3800 ext. 2521 | 724-662-7524 |
Mercer County Trial Courts
The main trial court and minor courts work together. Common Pleas takes major trial matters and appeals. Magisterial District Courts are the first stop for many traffic, summary, small civil, and preliminary criminal matters.
| Court | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court of Common Pleas | General trial court | 125 S. Diamond Street, Mercer, PA 16137 | 724-662-3800 |
| 35-2-01 | Magisterial District Court | 1217 Hall Avenue, Sharon, PA 16146 | 724-346-6541 |
| 35-2-02 | Magisterial District Court | 425 Idaho Street, Farrell, PA 16121 | 724-346-3591 |
| 35-3-01 | Magisterial District Court | 123 West Market Street, Mercer, PA 16137 | 724-662-5230 |
| 35-3-02 | Magisterial District Court | 574 Barkeyville Road, Grove City, PA 16127 | 724-458-4931 |
| 35-3-03 | Magisterial District Court | 14 North Race Street, Greenville, PA 16125 | 724-588-3210 |
Common Pleas vs MDJ Courts
Pennsylvania does not use a separate county court tier for Mercer County trial work in the way some states do. The key split is Court of Common Pleas versus Magisterial District Courts.
| Topic | Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Civil scope | Major civil cases, divorce, custody, PFA, foreclosure, equity, appeals | Civil actions up to $12,000 |
| Criminal scope | Felony and serious misdemeanor cases after bound-over proceedings | Preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, some M3 matters, summary offenses |
| Traffic scope | Appeals or related higher-court matters | Traffic citations and many non-traffic summary citations |
| Records office | Prothonotary for civil, Clerk of Courts for criminal, Register/Orphans for probate | UJS docket search and the issuing MDJ office |
Mercer County Case Flow
Traffic and summary matters often begin and end in a Magisterial District Court. More serious criminal cases begin at the MDJ level for preliminary arraignment and preliminary hearing. If enough evidence is found, the case is bound over to the Court of Common Pleas and becomes a Common Pleas criminal case.
Criminal flow: Charge or arrest › MDJ preliminary arraignment › MDJ preliminary hearing › held for court or discharged › Common Pleas arraignment › motions, plea, trial, disposition, sentence › appeal.
Civil flow: Complaint or petition › Prothonotary filing › service and response › motions or conference › hearing, trial, order, judgment, or settlement › appeal when allowed.
Estate flow: Register of Wills filing › letters or short certificates › inventory, inheritance-tax, claims, or accounting › Orphans' Court dispute if needed.
Mercer County Court Divisions
Civil Common Pleas records are kept by the Prothonotary. Criminal Common Pleas records are kept by the Clerk of Courts. Probate, guardianship, adoption, estate proceedings, and marriage-license record matters are handled by the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court side of the combined Clerk/Register office. That split affects where a person must search or request certified copies.
Family matters also split by record type. Divorce and custody are civil records with the Prothonotary. Marriage licenses and correction petitions belong to the Clerk of Orphans' Court. Juvenile and dependency records are handled through the combined Clerk/Register office, but Mercer County's records inventory identifies those records as confidential.
The Mercer County court records search path changes by division, so a docket on UJS may not be enough when the user needs a certified paper, older archive record, or sealed-case status.
Visit Mercer County Courthouse
The Mercer County Courthouse houses Common Pleas courtrooms, Court Administration, Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts/Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphans' Court, Recorder of Deeds, Victim Witness, Law Library, and other county offices. The county access policy says the main singular entrance is on the south side and that security screening is required.
People using basement public restrooms may need to pass through security again when re-entering. Outside parties using conference rooms for depositions or meetings must vacate before 4:30 p.m. Sheriff deputies clear and lock exterior doors at closing. The courthouse animals policy does not allow personal pets and separately addresses ADA service animals and support animals.
The Western District of Pennsylvania jurisdiction page is the source for placing Mercer County in the federal Pittsburgh Division rather than the county Court of Common Pleas.
Jurisdiction references help distinguish Mercer County Common Pleas records from federal cases filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Mercer County Federal Courts
Some cases involving Mercer County are not filed in the Court of Common Pleas at all. Federal crimes, federal civil rights cases, federal agency cases, diversity cases, prisoner or habeas matters, and other federal-question cases are handled by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Mercer County is in the Pittsburgh Division.
The Western District of Pennsylvania uses the Joseph F. Weis, Jr. U.S. Courthouse at 700 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, phone 412-208-7500. Bankruptcy is separate in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The Western District of Pennsylvania homepage is a source for federal district court access.
Federal court records use PACER or federal clerk channels, while Mercer County Court of Common Pleas files use county and Pennsylvania UJS channels.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania homepage is the source for separate bankruptcy access.
Bankruptcy files should not be requested from Mercer County Common Pleas because they belong to the federal bankruptcy court system.