Forest County Court of Common Pleas in Context
The county is represented through the 37th Judicial District and serves as the state-level trial court structure for serious criminal cases, larger civil disputes, family law matters, probate-adjacent oversight, and appeals from lower-level proceedings when required. The courthouse facility for Forest filings is in Tionesta, while many judges and district administrative functions are maintained from Warren County, with travel for Forest hearings as scheduled.
Research identifies Court of Common Pleas judges and leadership as Gregory J. Hammond (President Judge), Todd Woodin, and Maureen A. Skerda. The court follows formal filing and scheduling discipline, with case records commonly first surfaced in case number-based docket systems.
Forest County Court and Divisions
Court operations in this county-level system are distributed between common pleas and Magistrate/JP channels. Use this list to choose the correct venue before requesting copies.
| Court # | Role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37th Judicial District - Court of Common Pleas (Forest) | Civil, Family, Criminal trial court (Forest filings) | 526 Elm Street, Tionesta, PA 16353 | 814-755-3537 |
| District Court 37-4-93 | Magisterial District traffic, criminal preliminary, summary civil | 526 Elm Street #7, Tionesta, PA 16353 | 814-755-3579 |
| District Court 37-4-03 | Magisterial District for outlying service areas | 271 Oak Lane, P.O. Box 425, Marienville, PA 16239-0425 | 814-927-8585 |
| 37th Judicial District Administration (Warren) | Administrative coordination and appeals support | 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 | 814-728-3530 |
Court of Common Pleas vs Magisterial District Court vs Justice Court
Pennsylvania does not operate a separate county trial court model in this county. The practical split is between Court of Common Pleas for major matters and Magisterial District Courts for summaries, with no broad Justice of the Peace court stream in modern county practice.
| Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Court | Justice / JP Court | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | General civil jurisdiction | Up to $12,000 landlord-tenant and small civil matters | Minimal historic function; typically not an active consumer channel |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies and misdemeanors that move beyond preliminary stage | Preliminary hearings, misdemeanors, summary offenses, traffic citations | Not active modern local filing source |
| Family cases | Divorce, custody, support, juvenile referrals | Limited incidental intake functions | Not a primary family venue |
| Public access | UJS filings and docket portals | UJS/MDJ office access and municipal notice channels | Generally not separate |
How a Case Moves Through Forest County
Civil path: Complaint or filing submission › docket assignment › responsive pleading › hearing or order stage › judgment › post-judgment filings.
Criminal path: Criminal complaint / information › arraignment/pretrial at Magistrate › common pleas review when required › plea or trial › verdict/disposition › sentencing › post-trial or appeal options.
For summary traffic and minor matters, Magistrate action can end as resolved docket or move forward depending on hearing outcomes.
How to Navigate Court Layers
Use the UJS case-search channel first for public docket context, then route to the proper filing office for exhibits, certified copies, or historical entries. If a Forest matter appears in the Warren calendar context, verify the correct office by district context and case number before requesting a copy.
- Open UJS Case Search for preliminary docket data.
- Confirm whether the case is in CP or MDJ branch using judicial-district and court-office fields.
- Use the appropriate counter address: Clerk of Courts for criminal channels, Prothonotary for civil filings.
- For non-court records requests, use the Open Records Officer path rather than the court filing path.
Appeals and Appellate Path
Appeals from common pleas criminal outcomes and many civil disputes can route to Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, or Supreme Court depending on case type and legal question. Federal issues move to federal forums and are not part of this county trial court file path.
Court-Resource Sources
Jurisdiction, contacts, and filing context are summarized at the official district and judiciary pages: 37th Judicial District home.
Use the PA Courts overview to confirm appellate and statewide structure links for Court of Common Pleas filings.
For federal layers and broader case references, use the Western District and PACER lookup references in the U.S. court channels.
