When you receive a traffic ticket or arrested in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, you will be expected to report to district court for a traffic hearing, an arraignment, a preliminary criminal proceeding, or even a non-jury trial. These proceedings will be handled by the elected district judge, or magisterial judge, who is responsible for all of the proceedings that take place in that particular court.

District courts in Pennsylvania handle certain kinds of cases. These cases include traffic violations, summary criminal offenses, small civil claims under $12,000, landlord tenant disputes, and municipal code violations. Because these types of cases are extremely common, there are many district courts in the state and in each county to handle these cases. Each district court will serve certain wards, precincts, or entire townships or boroughs depending on their size.

You will be notified of when your court date is and what court you will need to go to after you receive your citation or are arrested. Be sure to provide your attorney with this information, so that they will be able to best prepare you prior to your district court proceeding.

Upper Darby District Courts

Because of its size, Upper Darby is represented by several different district courts. District Court 32-2-51 is one of the thirty two district courts in Delaware County, and it represents the following areas in Upper Darby: Ward 5 (Precincts 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9), Ward 6 (Precincts 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11), and Ward 7 (Precincts 1, 6, 7, 9, and 11). The court is located at the Barclay Square Building at 1550 Garrett Road in Upper Darby. The court’s phone number is 610-626-6900, and its fax number is 610-623-0463.

The Honorable Judge Christopher R. Mattox, Esquire presides over District Court 32-2-51. He will be the one who handles your proceeding, whether you are before the court for a traffic violation (such as speeding, driving with a suspended license, running a stop sign or red light, or failing to yield) or for a summary criminal offense (such as disorderly conduct, shoplifting, loitering, harassment, underage drinking, and criminal mischief).

These offenses may seem unimportant or minor, but they come with some pretty serious penalties if you are convicted in district court. If this is your first offense, you may be facing up to 90 days in jail (or even up to 180 days if you have been convicted before), and in addition, you may have to pay a fine that can be as high as $300.

Our experienced attorneys understand that these penalties can often be more than you and your family can take on, and so we fight to make sure your penalties are reduced or eliminated in your district court proceeding. We have handled cases in district courts throughout Delaware County and are familiar with how the proceeding will work. We will also help you prepare a defense that can convince the judge to keep your sentence minimal, or even to entirely dismiss your case. As soon as you know your court date, call our offices right away so we will have plenty of time before your court date to work with you.