Lancaster Cnty. C.P. Rules of Judicial Administration Rule 520

A. Establishment

Pursuant to the Case Records Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial System

of Pennsylvania at Title 204.Chapter 213, this rule is adopted to define the procedure to

be followed by this Court.

B. Election of Procedure

In compliance with Section 7, this Court elects subsection A. As enumerated in the

Public Access Policy, attorneys and self-represented parties shall not include

confidential information in any document filed with the appropriate filing office (Clerk of

Courts, Prothonotary and Clerk of the Orphans' Court) except on a Confidential

Information Form as provided by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts

(http://www.pacourts.us/public-records/public-records-forms). The Public Access

Policy with forms may also be found at:

http://www.court.co.lancaster.pa.us/,

http://pa-lancastercountyclerkofcourts.civicplus.com/,

https://pa-lancastercounty.civicplus.com/155/Prothonotary, and

http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/159/Register-of-Wills.

Revised 6-8-18 Effective 7-1-18

Rule 1907.2 CONSTABLES – SERVICE OF WARRANTS

1. All bench warrants and warrants of arrest shall be processed through a centralized

warrant control located and operated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office as

follows:

a. All Criminal Warrants shall be issued to the Police Department of origin with a

copy of the warrant being sent to the Sheriff’s Office.

b. Any warrant issued in a Summary Case shall be issued to the Sheriff’s Office.

c. Any warrant not previously issued to the Sheriff’s Office shall be provided

immediately to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office upon request.

2. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office has exclusive authority to forward for service

a copy of any bench warrant or warrant of arrest to any Constable.

3. The Constable shall be in possession of the hard copy of the warrant to initiate

contact with the subject of the warrant.

4. The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office shall be designated as the sole authority to

approve payments to any Constable for any warrant served.

5. If a Constable contacts any Magisterial District Court or appears in any Magisterial

District Court with a defendant in custody, without a warrant ‘in hand” and who has not

been authorized by the Sheriff’s Office to serve warrants, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s

Office must be contacted immediately.

6. In the event that a defendant has been arrested on more than one warrant issued

by different Magisterial District Judges, the Constable may take the defendant before

any Magisterial District Judge who issued a warrant. That Magisterial District Judge is

authorized to conduct a hearing on all of the warrants on which the defendant was

arrested. The Constable shall first contact the Magisterial District Court with the most

issued warrants to process all the warrants for the defendant. If that Magisterial District

Judge cannot process the warrants within one hour from the time he/she was contacted,

the Constable shall contact the Magisterial District Judge with the next most issued

warrants for the defendant. In the event that no Magisterial District Judge who issued a

warrant is available, the on call duty Magisterial District Judge for the sector of the

Magisterial District Judge with the most issued warrants shall process all outstanding

warrants against the defendant.

Rule 4007. Requests for Transcripts

B. For an ordinary transcript, the party requesting the full or partial transcript of

a trial or other proceeding shall file the original request with the Clerk of Courts,

Prothonotary, or Orphans’ Court.

The requesting party shall serve copies of the formal request to:

1. The Presiding Judge

2. The court reporter(s) assigned to the proceeding

3. The Chief Court Reporter

4. Opposing counsel or party, if party is unrepresented

D. Private Litigant Requests & Payment of Costs

1. The litigant ordering the transcript shall make payment in the amount

of 95% of the estimated total cost of the transcript.

Deposit checks are to be made payable to the County of Lancaster`

and shall be delivered to the Chief Court Reporter.

2. Upon receipt of the 95% deposit, the court reporter(s) assigned to

the proceeding shall be directed by the Chief Court Reporter to prepare

the transcript.

3. The court reporter(s) shall notify the ordering party and the Chief

Court Reporter upon completion of the transcript and shall indicate the

balance due.

4. Checks for the final balance are to be made payable to the County of

Lancaster and shall be delivered to the Chief Court Reporter.

Upon payment of the balance owed, the court reporter(s) shall

obtain the signature of the presiding judge on the original transcript and

shall deliver the original transcript to the appropriate filing office. After the

original transcript has been delivered to the appropriate filing office, copies

shall be delivered to the parties pursuant to L.C.R.J.A. 4008(E).

E. Any requests by a litigant for a transcript pursuant to R.J.A 4007(E) alleging

inability to pay due to economic hardship must be directed to the President Judge for

determination as provided in L.C.R.J.A. 4008(B).

Adopted 10-18-16 Effective 1-1-17

Rule 4008. Transcript Costs Payable by the Commonwealth or a Subdivision

Thereof, shall be governed as follows:

A. Costs Payable

1. Electronic Format. The costs payable by the initial ordering party for a

transcript delivered via electronic format shall not exceed:

a. For an ordinary transcript, $2.50 per page

b. For an expedited transcript, $3.50 per page

c. For a daily transcript, $4.50 per page

d. For same-day delivery, $6.50 per page

e. For a realtime feed, $1.00 per page

f. For complex litigation, $3.00 per page

g. For rough drafts, $1.00 per page

2. Paper Format. The costs payable by the initial ordering party for a transcript

delivered via paper format shall not exceed:

a. For an ordinary transcript, $2.75 per page

b. For an expedited transcript, $3.75 per page

c. For a daily transcript, $4.75 per page

d. For same-day delivery, $6.75 per page

e. For a realtime feed, $1.00 per page

f. For complex litigation, $3.25 per page

g. For rough drafts, $1.25 per page

B. Economic Hardship

4. Legal Aid Services must provide the President Judge with a letter of

certification verifying, as provided in R.J.A. 4008(B), that the client meets

financial eligibility and that the matter is under appeal or that the transcript being

requested is necessary to advance the current litigation.

Self-represented litigants claiming economic hardship must attach to their

request for transcript a fully completed In Forma Pauperis Petition pursuant to

Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 240.

E. Copies of Transcripts

Any requests to the filing offices for copies of filed transcripts shall be directed and

produced solely by the Court Reporters’ Office.

Adopted 10-18-16 Effective 1-1-17

Rule 5102. Custody of Exhibits. General Provisions.

a. The custodian(s) shall be the proponent seeking the administration

of an exhibit during the court proceeding. Exhibits for contiguous hearings/trials

may remain in the assigned locked courtroom or the custodian may retain

possession. Exhibits for non-contiguous hearings/trials remain with the

custodian and must be returned at the continuation of the hearing/trial.

b. Absent agreement of the parties to the contrary and such

agreement being filed with the court, the custodian(s) designated in section

5102 (a) shall remain the custodian after the court proceeding. In the event of

the departure or death of the custodian/proponent from the firm or office, the

firm or office shall retain exhibits. Upon agreement of the parties, one custodian

can agree to retain custody of one or all of the exhibits. Documentation of this

must be included on the index of exhibits.

ii. Records office requirements: Prothonotary Office requires all

exhibits and custody of exhibits forms be electronically filed. Clerk of

Courts Office requires all exhibits and custody of exhibits forms be

brought to their office for filing. Each office will indicate in docket

entries that an index of exhibits has been filed.

2. Index of exhibits. Index of exhibits form must be completed, signed, and

submitted to the appropriate Records office with all exhibits sized at 8-1/2 x 11 inch

documents

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

CIVIL – CRIMINAL

:

:

vs. : Docket No:

:

:

INDEX OF EXHIBITS

Hearing Date(s) Filing Office (circle one): Judge:

Clerk of Courts Prothonotary

Custodian/Proponent Name: Custodian/Proponent/Firm/Office Address:

Company/Firm Name: Phone Number:

Exhibit DescripƟon AdmiƩed Rejected

Exhibit DescripƟon AdmiƩed Rejected

I have included all exhibits listed in this index in accordance with Rule 5103

FILED BY CUSTODIAN/PROPONENT:

__________________________________

Custodian/Proponent Signature

__________________________________

Custodian/Proponent Printed Name

Exhibit DescripƟon AdmiƩed Rejected

*** Pursuant to PA. R.J.A. 5102, this document and all exhibits must be filed by the

custodian/proponent in the appropriate records office no later than five business days after the

end of the court proceeding.

*** Failure to file could result in an order to appear for a Show Cause Hearing where you could

be held in Contempt of Court.

4. Upon the failure of the custodian/proponent to comply with filing the exhibits,

any interested party may file a petition for a show cause hearing to be held.

Rule 5103. Custody of Exhibits. Special Provisions

g. Absent agreement of the parties, a court order is required before

destruction of any exhibits, which includes non-documentary exhibits. The

parties’ agreement to destroy exhibits shall be filed with the court. All interested

parties should be given notice of the request for an order to destroy the exhibits.

Rule 5104. Local Rule. Prohibition.

b. The following hearings are excluded from this provision; Support, De

Novo, Dependency, Orphan’s Court, and Delinquency with the exception of

Contested Adjudication Hearings.

Effective 4-9-24