Montgomery County 38-1-12 Magisterial District Court

If you or someone in your family receives a notification informing them that they need appear at Montgomery County Magisterial District Court, it is understandable that you will feel nervous. It’s understandable that you will feel anxious about what’s in front of you, especially if this is your first time interacting with the criminal justice system.

It is important for you to work with an experienced attorney and have them standing by your side as you go through the judicial process. They can answer any questions that you have and give you advice, be it for a traffic case or a criminal case. The Law offices of Amato T. Sanita, Esq have defended many people in Pennsylvania’s Magisterial Courts. The goal is to provide clients with personalized care while at the same time providing an aggressive defense.

Montgomery County Magisterial District Court 38–1–12 is located in Pottstown. You may receive a summons for a traffic citation, a preliminary hearing, a bench warrant, a preliminary arraignment, or a non-jury trial, which will require you to appear in this court. The Magisterial District Judge who oversees this court is Judge Edward C. Kropp Senior.

Pottstown, the home of Magisterial District Court 38–1–12, is situated approximately 32 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The following election districts are covered by this Magisterial District Court:

• Pottstown Burrell voting districts 1 – 1, 1 – 2, 6, 7 – 1 and 7 –2
• Lower Pottsgrove Township

Pottstown is home to two magisterial district courts. So you need to review your paperwork carefully to make sure that you make your appearance in the appropriate court. The Pottstown Magisterial District Court is a minor court. It handles non-traffic citations as well as traffic citations. It is also responsible for preliminary hearings and preliminary arraignments in criminal cases. Civil disputes with damages of $12,000 or less and tenant/landlord disputes are heard here.

Pennsylvania’s Magisterial District Courts for Montgomery County

Summary offenses are decided in the Montgomery County Magisterial District Courts. In Pennsylvania a summary offense is the lowest offense level. A summary offense could include things such as:

• Disorderly conduct
• Underage drinking
• Criminal mischief
• Harassment
• Driving with a suspended license
• Retail theft (as long as it is the first offense and the items stolen had a value of less than $150)

Magisterial judges in Pennsylvania have the authority to perform marriages. In Montgomery county there are 30 Magisterial District Courts. When a criminal case is heard, it starts in that court. This is where the preliminary hearings and preliminary arraignments are held. As the case progresses, be it a misdemeanor or felony, it will be dealt with in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.

You do not want to find yourself in a Montgomery County Magisterial District Court without having a criminal defense attorney at your side. A criminal defense attorney can present a variety of defenses that might protect you from needing to spend between 90 days for the first offense and 180 days for subsequent offenses in jail. They may also be able to protect you from paying fines up to $300.

How Having a Lawyer with You in a Pottstown Courtroom Can Help

When you are charged with a summary offense, it’s easy to want to plead guilty in order to put the entire affair behind you. However, if you do this, you put yourself at risk of consequences that could last for years. There’s no guarantee at what a guilty plea might mean. It could land you in jail, which would disrupt your life and could likely lead to you losing your employment. Or it could leave you with a criminal record that will haunt you for years to come.

An experienced criminal defense attorney may be able to get the charges against you lessened or dropped completely. For example, if you are charged with underage drinking, your attorney may be able to prove that you were not really drinking alcohol at all. They may even be able to produce witnesses that will prove your innocence.