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Welcome to the Court of Common Pleas 43rd Judicial District

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE BOROUGH’S CAR SHOW CLOSING THE ROADS AROUND THE COURTHOUSE ALL DAY ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022, WHICH WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT PARKING FOR, AND INGRESS AND EGRESS AT, THE COURTHOUSE, JUDGE HIGGINS WILL BE CONDUCTING HIS 9/21/22 CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS VIA ACT. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY FOR THE LINK.

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The Court of Common Pleas, minor courts and all Court offices of the 43rd Judicial District are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. Upcoming Holidays where the Court will be closed:

Monday October 10, 2022 (Columbus Day)

JOB OPENINGS

For current employment openings within the Court offices of the 43^rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania (Adult Probation, Juvenile Probation, Court Administration, Court Recording/Reporting, Custody, Jury Management Law Library/Self Help Center, Law Clerks and Magisterial District Courts), please visit the Monroe County Human Resource Employment Opportunity Page:

http://www.monroecountypa.gov/Dept/HR/Pages/EmploymentOpportunities.aspx

For the Monroe County Job Application, please click here:

http://www.monroecountypa.gov/Dept/HR/Documents/MCJobApplication.pdf

The following Orders of Court were issued on March 11, 2022 and May 27,2022. These are the latest orders issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proposed Plan for the Reestablishment of the Magisterial Districts within the 43^rd Judicial District

ELECTRONIC FILING WITH THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, 43RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT

In Monroe County, e-filing with the Clerk of Courts through PACFile is mandatory for all criminal matters, with a few exceptions that can be found in our Local Rules. To access PACFile, use this link: https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/PACFile.aspx. Click on “Create New Account” in the upper right corner, or “Login” if you have already registered. For questions, select the “Help & Support” tab.

For civil cases, e-filing with the Prothonotary is optional through the C-Track E-File Portal. To access C-Track, use this link: https://efile-prod.43rdjdpacivilcms.us/login?referer=%2F. Registration and help links are under the login fields. For questions, contact the Prothonotary’s Office.

Virtual COPE classes are now available via a web-based platform; please go to our Custody Department link for the registration form and more details.

All Courts of the 43rd Judicial District, Monroe County, including Magisterial District Courts and the Court of Common Pleas, have been and shall remain fully open for business.

The Court continues to monitor COVID-19 data and guidelines as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) and local health care providers. Effective Tuesday, July 5, 2022, and as per Admin Order 112 AD 2020 (issued 7/1/2022).

1. Facial masking in any Court Facility is optional but highly recommended in all public spaces including, but not limited to, corridors, restrooms, courtrooms, hearing rooms, deliberation rooms, elevators, stairways, entranceways, and all Court offices.

2. Where practicable, it is highly recommended that all persons maintain physical distancing of a minimum of 6 feet of separation. The CDC currently recommends, “If you are not up to date on COVID-19 vaccines, stay at least 6 feet away from other people, especially if you are at higher risk of getting very sick with COVID-19.”

3. All persons entering any Court Facility, which includes 701 Main Street and the Sherman Theater, shall be screened using the COVID-19 questionnaire approved by the Court. Any person not meeting the health questionnaire criteria may be denied access to any Court facility and alternative accommodations for access to court proceedings and offices will be made. The Sheriff’s staff will continue to act as the “gatekeeper” in accordance with these procedures.

4. Any person who meets one or more of the below criteria may be prohibited from entering the Court Facility:

a. is currently directed to quarantine, isolate or self-monitor at home for COVID-19 by any doctor, hospital or health agency; or

b. has been diagnosed with COVID-19 (and has not been medically cleared from isolation), or has had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 (within the last fourteen (14) days); or

c. has flulike symptoms or a temperature over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

check http://www.monroepacourts.us/ for updates. As always, please reference the "Calendar" link on this page to see scheduled proceedings for criminal cases for the Court of Common Pleas.

For those at risk for homelessness as a result of COVID-19, please see the following:

The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides assistance to households that have experienced financial hardship and may be at risk of homelessness due to COVID-19. ERAP provides tenant households assistance with rental and utility costs to include arrearages and other related housing expenses. Eligible households can receive up to fifteen (15) months of rental and utility assistance, including payment on arrears dating back to March 13, 2020, and there are no caps on the amounts that can be paid. Interested tenants or landlords can apply online, and Monroe County residents can call Pocono Mountains United Way's ERAP team at 570-243-6677 for more information.

COVID-19 Questions? Call 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258)

If you are sick, please stay home and contact your health care professional for assistance/direction.

Updates from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can be found at

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

Links to local health care providers:

Lehigh Valley Health Network –

https://www.lvhn.org/

https://www.lvhn.org/testing-services/coronavirus-covid-19-care

St. Luke’s University Health Network

https://www.slhn.org/

https://www.slhn.org/covid-19

Mission: The Courts of the 43^rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania, as an independent branch of government, are dedicated to the administration of justice in a fair, impartial and timely manner in accordance with the rule of law and the constitutions of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Court of Common Pleas of the 43rd Judicial District is a state trial court of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. It encompasses the County of Monroe. The Court hears civil cases with a significant amount in controversy and trials for serious crimes. The Court has original jurisdiction over all cases not exclusively assigned to another court and appellate jurisdiction over judgments from the minor courts. The Court also hears appeals from certain state and most local government agencies. The courts are established by Article V, Section 5 of the Pennsylvania Constitution: "There shall be one court of common pleas for each judicial district (a) having such divisions and consisting of such number of judges as shall be provided by law, one of whom shall be the president judge; and (b) having unlimited original jurisdiction in all cases except as may otherwise be provided by law." The Court of Common Pleas of the 43rd Judicial District has 7 judges. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.