Washington County Court Overview
The Washington County Court of Common Pleas is part of Pennsylvania's 27th Judicial District. The Unified Judicial System describes Courts of Common Pleas as the state's general trial courts. They hear major civil and criminal cases, family matters, and appeals from the minor courts. Washington County's lower courts are Magisterial District Courts, which handle preliminary criminal proceedings, summary offenses, traffic citations, landlord-tenant filings, small civil claims, and arraignment-related work.
The county court page lists the general Court of Common Pleas contact address as Washington County Courthouse, 1 South Main Street, Suite 2004, Washington, PA 15301, phone 724-228-6700. The UJS county page lists President Judge Honorable Valarie S. Costanzo at Suite 2003, phone 724-228-6826. The court has seven judges elected to ten-year terms and eligible for retention elections.
Washington County Court of Common Pleas
Washington County Courthouse
1 South Main Street, Suite 2004
Washington, PA 15301
724-228-6700
General trial court for civil, criminal, family, Orphans' Court, and minor-court appeal matters.
Washington County Court Structure
Pennsylvania's court structure places the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania at the top, with the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court serving as intermediate appellate courts. The Superior Court handles most criminal and civil appeals. The Commonwealth Court focuses on government, regulatory, and public-agency matters. Below those appellate courts, the Courts of Common Pleas serve as general trial courts across 60 judicial districts.
The Washington County Court of Common Pleas sits above the county's Magisterial District Courts for appeals and for cases that move beyond the minor-court level. The Court of Common Pleas contains specialized divisions and records, including criminal, civil, family, Orphans' Court, Register of Wills-related estate and marriage functions, and problem-solving courts.
The Pennsylvania courts learning page gives statewide context for how common pleas courts fit into the court pyramid.
That statewide structure explains why a Washington County case may start locally, move through a Common Pleas docket, and later appear in a state appellate court.
| Court level | Role | Washington County link |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court of Pennsylvania | Highest state appellate court and administrative authority | Statewide authority over Pennsylvania courts |
| Superior Court of Pennsylvania | General intermediate appeals | Most criminal and civil appeals |
| Commonwealth Court | Government and public-agency appeals | Agency and regulatory matters |
| Court of Common Pleas | General trial court | Washington County 27th Judicial District |
| Magisterial District Courts | Minor and preliminary matters | Traffic, summary, landlord-tenant, small civil, preliminary criminal work |
Washington County Court Divisions
Court of Common Pleas records are not all filed with one clerk. Civil records go through the Prothonotary. Criminal records go through the Clerk of Courts. Wills, estates, guardianships, adoptions, and marriage-license petitions route through the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court. Divorce and custody are civil or family matters and may use FD after 2023, while older family cases may use CV. Abuse act matters use AA and may be restricted.
This filing-office split is the key to a correct Washington County Court of Common Pleas record search. Criminal docket sheets are searched through UJS. Civil, estate, and marriage records use C-Track or public terminals, with access limits. Orphans' Court case records are not remotely public in the same way as ordinary civil records, although estate records may be available through C-Track or terminals.
| Division or record | Filing office | Primary access channel |
|---|---|---|
| Civil actions, judgments, liens | Prothonotary | C-Track, public terminals, Prothonotary counter |
| Criminal cases | Clerk of Courts | UJS docket search, Clerk of Courts file request |
| Family and divorce | Prothonotary | C-Track or Prothonotary, subject to confidentiality rules |
| Estates and Orphans' Court | Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court | C-Track where available, public terminals, office request |
| Marriage records | Register of Wills | C-Track for 1999-present records or office access |
Washington County Magisterial Courts
Magisterial District Courts are lower courts in Washington County. They handle local criminal preliminary events, summary cases, traffic citations, landlord-tenant cases, and smaller civil claims. These courts are important for case lookup because a traffic citation or criminal complaint may appear first as an MDJ docket. A case may later move to the Court of Common Pleas if charges are held for court, an appeal is filed, or another matter belongs in the general trial court.
| District | Judge | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27-1-01 | Kelly J. Stewart | 26 South Main Street, 1st Floor, Washington, PA 15301 | 724-228-8836 |
| 27-1-02 | Mark A. Wilson | 604B Park Avenue, Monongahela, PA 15063 | 724-258-5106 |
| 27-1-03 | Eric G. Porter | 250 Chamber Plaza, Charleroi, PA 15022 | 724-483-6373 |
| 27-2-01 | Charles A. Tenny Jr. | 68 E Pike Street, Suite 205, Canonsburg, PA 15317 | 724-745-5754 |
| 27-3-01 | Phillippe A. Melograne | 453 Valleybrook Road, Suite 100, McMurray, PA 15317 | 724-941-1015 |
| 27-3-03 | Joshua P. Kanalis | 685 National Pike West, Brownsville, PA 15417 | 724-632-3143 |
| 27-3-05 | Michael L. Manfredi | 3000 Park Place Drive, Suite 106, Washington, PA 15301 | 724-746-1227 |
| 27-3-06 | Louis J. McQuillan | 3441 Millers Run Road, Suite 103, Cecil, PA 15321 | 724-746-8515 |
| 27-3-07 | Gary Havelka | 2038 Smith Township State Road, Suite 3, Burgettstown, PA 15021 | 724-947-5492 |
| 27-3-10 | John P. Bruner | 200 Buffalo Center Lane, Suite C, Washington, PA 15301 | 724-222-8122 |
Note: Several MDJ offices have distinct hours or lunch closures, so confirm the specific office schedule before traveling.
Common Pleas vs Magisterial Courts
Washington County does not use a separate county court in the way some other states do. The key local comparison is between the Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts, with state appellate courts above them. Common Pleas handles major trial-court matters and appeals from minor courts. Magisterial District Courts handle smaller, preliminary, and local matters.
| Issue | Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Courts | State appellate courts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil role | Major civil actions, judgments, liens, family and divorce matters | Small civil claims and landlord-tenant matters | Appeals after trial-court proceedings |
| Criminal role | Common Pleas criminal cases, pleas, trials, sentences, expungements | Preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, summary offenses | Appeals from trial-court decisions |
| Traffic role | Serious criminal traffic cases or appeals where applicable | Most citations and summary traffic matters | Not the first stop for citation lookup |
| Search channel | UJS for criminal, C-Track for civil and some related records | UJS docket and citation search | State appellate docket search through UJS |
Washington County Case Flow
A criminal case may begin with an arrest, citation, complaint, preliminary arraignment, or preliminary hearing in a Magisterial District Court. If charges are held for court, the case moves into the Washington County Court of Common Pleas criminal docket. The record can then show arraignment, motions, plea negotiations, trial events, disposition, sentence, costs, restitution, bail, and later post-disposition filings.
Criminal flow: MDJ complaint or arrest › preliminary arraignment › preliminary hearing › Common Pleas filing › arraignment › motions › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal or post-disposition filing.
A civil case generally starts with a complaint, petition, praecipe, or other filing through the Prothonotary. The docket may then show service, answers, motions, orders, discovery events, judgment, and appeal activity. Family and divorce cases follow civil filing channels but may have more confidentiality limits than ordinary civil litigation.
Civil flow: complaint or petition filed › service and response › motions or discovery › hearing, conference, or trial › order or judgment › post-trial or appeal activity.
Search Washington County Court Records
There is no single Washington County database for every court record. UJS Case Search handles Pennsylvania appellate cases, Court of Common Pleas criminal dockets, Magisterial District Court docket sheets, citation searches, complaint numbers, incident numbers, OTN, SID, and participant-name searches. C-Track handles Washington County civil division records, estate records, marriage-license records from 1999 to present, and party-linked access to some records.
The Washington County case-dockets page directs civil and Orphans' Court searches to C-Track and criminal searches to UJS. Public terminals in the Prothonotary, Register of Wills, and Law Library give free terminal access for records not remotely viewable or for users who want to avoid remote document-access fees.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania is separate from Washington County Court of Common Pleas records.
Federal civil, criminal, and bankruptcy records are searched through federal systems, not through the county Prothonotary or Clerk of Courts.
Washington County Specialty Courts
Washington County has problem-solving court programs that can affect criminal case progress and outcomes. Drug Treatment Court is described as a program for non-violent substance-abusing offenders, using supervision, drug testing, treatment services, and immediate sanctions or incentives. Veterans Court was implemented in 2011 to identify, treat, and supervise veterans who enter the criminal justice system, with cases often tied to the social and psychological impact of military service.
The District Attorney page also identifies ARD, Fast Track, and Probation Without Verdict. ARD can apply to first-time DUI and non-DUI offenders if recommended by the District Attorney and accepted by the court. Fast Track handles relatively minor or non-violent criminal cases earlier to reduce docket congestion. Probation Without Verdict applies to certain non-violent drug-dependent offenders under Pennsylvania controlled-substance law and is available only once at the discretion of the District Attorney's Office.
Washington County Court History
Washington County was created March 28, 1781 from Westmoreland County so residents west of the Monongahela River had closer access to courts and public offices. The town of Basset, later Washington, hosted the first county courthouse, a log structure built in 1787. The current courthouse was completed in 1900 by the F. J. Osterling Company of Pittsburgh and is described by the county as a registered national landmark.
The court-history research notes that the 1842 courthouse had become strained by telephones, electricity, and typewriters by the 1890s. In 1897, the Washington County Bar Association and county commissioners held a design competition. Pittsburgh architect Frederick J. Osterling won, influenced by Parisian architecture.
The Washington County victim notification page is part of the broader criminal justice path that can follow Common Pleas criminal cases.
Victim notification does not replace court docket access, but it is a county-linked resource for custody or case status awareness.