Philadelphia Cnty. C.P. Judicial Administration 3

approved electronic case information.

Note: Adopted by the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District of

Pennsylvania on November 13, 2017, effective January 6, 2018. See Administrative

Governing Board Order No. 02 of 2017. Published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on

December 2, 2017. Amended by Order dated May 10, 2018, effective on July 1, 2018.

Amended by Order dated December 14, 2021, effective on January 1, 2022.

Rule *403. Financial Records of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County and

Philadelphia Municipal Court.

(a) Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration No. 509 implements Section 304 of The Right

to Know Law which requires Judicial Agencies to provide financial records. See Act 3 of

2008, 65 P.S. § 67.304. Financial Records maintained by the First Judicial District are

presumed to be open to any member of the public for inspection or copying during

established business hours as provided in Pennsylvania Rule of Judicial Administration No.

509 and this rule.

(1) Information regarding First Judicial District Contracts and Purchase Orders of $5,000 or

more issued after July 1, 2008 is available through the UJS Web Portal,

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocumentPostings/Search.aspx, by selecting "Philadelphia"

in the "Judicial Office" field.

(2) Financial records may also be requested by competing the First Judicial District Financial

Records Request Form, which is available on the First Judicial District’s website at

www.courts.phila.gov.

(b) The First Judicial District shall designate an Open-Records Officer and Appeals Officer, as

required by 65 P.S. § 67.502 and 65 P.S. § 67.503.

(c) The First Judicial District shall adopt a Fee Schedule, which shall be available on the First

Judicial District’s website at www.courts.phila.gov. The Fee Schedule may be amended from

time to time. Pre-payment will be required if expected compliance costs exceed $100.

Note: Adopted by the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District of

Pennsylvania on November 13, 2017, effective January 6, 2018. See Administrative

Governing Board Order No. 02 of 2017. Published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on

December 2, 2017. Amended by Order dated May 10, 2018, effective on July 1, 2018.

Rule *404. Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic Division Public Access Policy

Note: Adopted by the Administrative Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court Traffic

Division on November 6, 2017, effective January 6, 2018. See Philadelphia Municipal

Court Traffic Division Administrative Order No. 01 of 2017. Published in the

Pennsylvania Bulletin on December 2, 2017. Rescinded by Order dated May 10, 2018,

effective on July 1, 2018.

Rule *1900. Protocols to Mark, Inventory, Store and Retain Exhibits, Physical Evidence and

Electronic Evidence Offered During Trials and Evidentiary Hearings in the Philadelphia

Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division.

(a) General Rule. Counsel and unrepresented parties shall pre-mark all exhibits, physical

evidence and electronic evidence used and offered during trials or evidentiary hearings, which

shall be inventoried, filed and retained as provided in this rule.

(b) Physical evidence. Physical evidence and oversized exhibits must be photographed by the

proponent, converted to letter sized pdf and appropriately marked and produced during the trial

or evidentiary hearing. Unless otherwise provided by the presiding judge, at the conclusion of

the trial or evidentiary hearing, physical evidence shall be returned to the police in criminal

cases and to counsel in civil cases for safekeeping as required by any applicable retention

schedule, statute, rule, regulation or policy, or until further order of court.

(c) Electronic Evidence. Electronic evidence, including audio or video exhibits, must be

produced by the proponent on a USB drive, or other medium specified by the Office of Judicial

Records from time to time, together with any associated player.

(d) Confidential Documents. Confidential documents offered as Exhibits shall be produced with

a Confidential Document form as provided by the Public Access Policy of the Unified Judicial

System of Pennsylvania: Case Records of the Appellate and Trial Cou rts (UJS Case Records

Policy) as provided in Phila.R.J.A. No. *401. Confidential Documents are not accessible by

the public.

(e) Confidential Information. Documents offered as Exhibits which contain confidential

information listed in the UJS Case Records Policy shall be produced in a Redacted Format and

Unredacted Format as provided in Phila.R.J.A. No. *401. Unredacted Documents which

contain confidential information are not accessible by the public.

(f) Sealed Documents. Any documents the presiding judge deems necessary to seal will not be

accessible by the public.

(g) Exhibit List. At the conclusion of the trial or evidentiary hearing, designated court staff shall

inventory all exhibits and evidence, whether documentary, physical, electronic, audio, video

or otherwise, and whether admitted or marked for identification. Any oversize exhibit, physical

evidence or visual evidence not previously convert ed to letter size pdf format as provided in

subsection (b) shall be photographed and/or converted to pdf letter size and marked. Each

Exhibit and piece of evidence shall be clearly marked and placed on the Exhibit List which

shall be reviewed and approved by the presiding judge, filed of record and copies provided to

all parties.

(h) Uploading Exhibits and Evidence. Exhibits and evidence shall be made part of the record as

follows:

(1) Trial Division, Civil: within five (5) days of the conclusion of the trial or evidentiary

hearing, counsel for each proponent of the exhibits and evidence shall upload their

documentary exhibits through the Electronic Filing System and, if not already done,

provide to the Office of Judicial Records any USB drive with audio or video evidence,

as provided in this rule. The Office of Judicial Records shall either upload the contents

of any USB drive to a documentary-evidentiary program, or retain any USB drive as

required by any applicable retention schedule, statute, rule, regulation or policy, or until

further order of court.

(2) Trial Division, Criminal: at the conclusion of the trial or evidentiary hearing, the

Office of Judicial Records shall take possession of all exhibits and any USB drive, shall

upload all documentary exhibits through the Electronic Filing System and shall either

upload the contents of any USB drive to a documentary-evidentiary program, or retain

any USB drive as required by any applicable retention schedule, statute, rule, regulation

or policy, or until further order of court.

(3) Self-represented Parties: at the conclusion of the trial or evidentiary hearing,

designated court staff shall take possession of all exhibits and USB drive proffered by

self-represented Parties and shall deliver them to the Office of Judicial Records which

shall either upload the contents of any USB drive to a documentary-evidentiary

program, or retain any USB drive as required by any applicable retention schedule,

statute, rule, regulation or policy, or until further order of court.

Note: Adopted on November 22, 2017, effective January 6, 2018. See Trial

Division Administrative Judge Order No. 04 of 2017. Published in the

Pennsylvania Bulletin on December 9, 2017.

Rule *4007. Requests for Transcripts.

(A) Requests for transcripts must be submitted through the electronic Transcript Ordering

System (“TOS”) accessible through the website of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania at

www.courts.phila.gov. A standard Request for Transcript form may be utilized by Requestors

who cannot access the Transcript Ordering System. The Request for Transcript form is

available on the Court’s website at www.courts.phila.gov/forms and must be emailed to

transcripts@courts.phila.gov.

(B) Cases on Appeal. As provided in Pa. R.A.P. 1922 (b), unless an order authorizing

diminution of transcription has been issued by the trial court in a civil case or pursuant to

Pa.R.Crim.P. 115 in a criminal case, the court reporter or transcriptionist shall transcribe the

entire proceedings.

(C) The party requesting the transcript shall serve a copy of the Request on:

(1) the court reporter;

(2) the judge presiding over the matter; and

(3) all counsel who have entered an appearance in the case and on any unrepresented

party(ies).

(D) The court reporter, transcriptionist or other staff designated by the District Court

Administrator shall provide an estimate of the cost of the transcript, and the requestor must make

a non-refundable, partial payment of 95% of the estimated cost before the court reporter or

transcriptionist will begin transcribing the proceeding.

(E) The time within which the transcript must be delivered begins to run upon the First Judicial

District’s receipt of the requestor’s partial payment.

(F) When the transcript has been completed, it shall be filed in the Court Reporting System

(“CRS”), shall be made available to the judge presiding over the matter, and shall be delivered to

the requestor upon the payment of any balance owed.

(G) The delivery date of the transcript shall be the date the transcript is filed in the Court

Reporting System.

(H) All requests by a litigant for the waiver or reduction of the transcript cost due to economic

hardship, as provided in Pa.R.J.A. 4007 (E), shall be accompanied by proof that the litigant meets

the requirements set forth in Pa.R.J.A. 4008 and Phila. R.J.A. 4008 (D). Such request shall be

supported by an affidavit substantially in the form required by Pa.R.C.P. No. 240 (h), which is

available through the TOS and on the Court’s website at: www.courts.phila.gov/forms. Requests for

the waiver or reduction of the transcript cost due to economic hardship are limited to the requested

transcript and shall be reviewed and determined as may be provided by the District Court

Administrator from time to time. A litigant who wishes to proceed in forma pauperis for the

duration of the case must file a Petition to Proceed in Forma Pauperis in accordance with

established rules of court.

Note: Adopted on June 14, 2017, effective July 1, 2017. See President Judge General

Court Regulation No. 2017 - 02. Published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on June 24,

2017.

Rule *4008. Transcript Costs

(A) Transcript Costs.

The costs payable by a requesting party, other than the Commonwealth or a subdivision thereof,

for transcripts in an electronic or paper format shall be as follows:

(1) for an ordinary transcript, $3.00 per page;

(2) for an expedited transcript, $4.50 per page;

(3) for a daily transcript, $6.00 per page;