Union County Criminal Court Filings

Union County criminal court records are on file with the Clerk of Courts at the Court of Common Pleas in Lewisburg. The county has a population of about 45,000 and is home to Bucknell University as well as USP Lewisburg, a federal penitentiary. The 17th Judicial District serves both Union County and neighboring Snyder County. All criminal matters at the Common Pleas level for Union County are handled at 103 S. 2nd Street in Lewisburg. You can search case dockets free through the UJS Portal or contact the clerk's office directly for certified copies.

Union County Clerk of Courts in Lewisburg

The Clerk of Courts at 103 S. 2nd Street in Lewisburg maintains all criminal court records for Union County. This office stores every document filed in a criminal case, from the initial complaint through the final order. Staff can search records by defendant name or docket number. Certified copies of court documents are available for a fee. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Call (570) 524-8751 ahead of time to confirm current procedures.

Union County is part of the 17th Judicial District along with Snyder County. Each county has its own clerk and maintains its own files. Union County records are in Lewisburg, not Middleburg. The presence of Bucknell University and USP Lewisburg means the county has a somewhat different mix of cases than a typical rural Pennsylvania county. The university population brings certain types of cases, while the federal prison complex generates related criminal matters handled in federal court, not the state court in Lewisburg. State criminal cases for Union County residents are filed at 103 S. 2nd Street.

Union County Criminal Docket Access Online

The UJS Portal gives you free access to Union County criminal docket sheets at any time. Search by defendant name or case number to find records. Each result shows the charges, bail status, all court event dates, and the final disposition. The portal also shows whether a case has any active proceedings or whether it is fully closed.

Searching the portal for Union County records returns both state criminal cases and any district court cases that were appealed to Common Pleas. If you are trying to research a person with cases in both Union and Snyder counties, the portal allows you to search both at once by name. This can be particularly useful when investigating a matter that may have started in one county and involved activity in another. All searches through the portal are free, and no registration is required. For the actual filed documents behind the docket entries, contact the Union County Clerk of Courts in Lewisburg.

Note: Federal cases at USP Lewisburg or involving the federal court system are not in the Pennsylvania UJS Portal. Those records are in the federal court system and must be accessed through PACER or the relevant federal courthouse.

Union County Criminal Record Contents

Criminal court records in Union County document the full arc of a criminal case. The criminal complaint or information is filed first, setting out the charges. Bail orders follow at the preliminary arraignment. Docket entries track every motion, hearing, and court order from filing to final judgment. The disposition record shows whether the defendant was convicted, acquitted, or had the charges dropped.

Pennsylvania's Criminal History Record Information Act at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101 through § 9183 governs access to these records. Most are public. Juvenile records and certain sealed matters are exceptions. Felony records are retained for 75 years, misdemeanor records for 25 years, and summary offense records for 7 years. These long retention periods mean even old Union County cases remain accessible in the clerk's files.

• Criminal complaint or information
• Bail and pretrial release documents
• Preliminary hearing records
• Trial records and jury instructions
• Sentencing orders and probation terms
• Appeals and post-conviction petitions

Pennsylvania PATCH and Union County Criminal History

For a full statewide criminal history that covers Union County along with all other Pennsylvania counties, use the PATCH system at epatch.pa.gov. The Pennsylvania State Police maintain this database using records submitted from courts across the state. Each PATCH search costs $22 and requires the subject's full name and date of birth. Call 1-888-783-7972 for assistance. Results are typically returned quickly for online requests.

Combining PATCH with the UJS Portal gives you the most thorough search. PATCH gives the broad picture of whether someone has a Pennsylvania criminal history. The UJS Portal gives you the case-level details. Both sources draw on records from Union County. If a record has been sealed under Clean Slate at 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.1 or expunged under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122.2, it will not appear in either system. You can learn more about Pennsylvania open records rights at the Office of Open Records website.

Nearby Counties

Union County is in central Pennsylvania. Each neighboring county maintains its own court and clerk of courts for criminal case records.

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