Preparing for your proceeding in district court does not have to be a stressful experience, if you have an experienced attorney by your side to work with you. The Pennsylvania court system is easy enough to navigate when your lawyer can work with you to understand the process and develop a strong and convincing defense.

The district court system, also called magisterial courts, in Pennsylvania covers the entire state. Each county has multiple district courts within them, with each specific district court serving wards within boroughs and townships, or sometimes entire boroughs and townships. These courts only hear certain kinds of cases: traffic violations, summary criminal offenses, small civil claims of under $12,000, municipal code violations, and landlord tenant suits.

After you have been charged with or arrested for one of these kinds of offenses, you will receive a notice or summons to appear in your local district court. This notice will tell you what the charges against you are and where you are expected to appear, and your attorney can also assist in helping you understand what you need to do. In district court, you will participate in an arraignment, a preliminary criminal hearing, a traffic hearing, or a non-jury trial, depending on the offense. To make sure that you go in as prepared as possible, contact our offices as soon as you receive your summons.

Havertown District Court

District Court 32-1-25 is located at 525 West Chester Pike, Suites 103 and 105 in Havertown, Pennsylvania (located within Delaware County). The Honorable Judge Robert R. Burke, Esquire presides over this court, and the court serves Wards 1, 2, and 7 of Haverford Township. The phone number for the court is 610-449-8250, and its fax number is 610-789-9167.

If you have been summoned to appear before Judge Burke, it is probably because you have been arrested for or received a citation for either a summary criminal offense or a traffic offense. These are the most common kinds of cases handled in district court. Common summary criminal offenses include shoplifting, loitering, harassment, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, or drinking underage. Common traffic offenses are driving with a suspended license, failing to yield, ignoring stop signs or red lights, speeding, and some cases of driving under the influence or drugs or alcohol.

These offenses can come with surprisingly steep penalties. You may be required to pay hundreds of dollars in fines if you are convicted of one of these offenses, and you may even end up spending several months in prison. Your sentence may even increase if it is not your first offense.

In order to prevent you and your family from having to bear the burden these punishments, you should consult an experienced district court attorney as soon as possible. Our attorneys have dealt with hundreds of cases like yours in district courts throughout Delaware County and Pennsylvania, so we are familiar with the system and the proceedings. We will work closely with you before your court date to make you feel prepared and to help you develop a defense against your charges. By going into your proceeding with a strong defense, you are more likely to convince Judge Burke to reduce your penalty or even to dismiss your charges. Do not hesitate to give us a call.