## Searching the Pennsylvania UJS Portal The UJS Web Portal is the most direct way to locate criminal court dockets and general case summaries. To perform a search: 1. Visit the official Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal. 2. Navigate to the docket search section and select "Court of Common Pleas." 3. Choose a search method. The portal allows for a partial or full name search of participants. You can also search by docket number, Offense Tracking Number (OTN), or State Information Technology (SID) number. 4. Select "Philadelphia" from the county filter to limit the results to local cases. 5. Enter the required search terms and execute the search. Once the search is complete, the system displays matching cases. Users can view, print, or save the official docket sheets and case summaries.
## Searching the First Judicial District Civil Portal For civil cases in Philadelphia, the First Judicial District website serves as the official search tool. 1. Access the official First Judicial District of Pennsylvania website. 2. Navigate to the civil electronic filing and inquiry system. 3. Select the option to search by party name, business name, or case number. 4. Enter the name of the plaintiff or defendant. 5. Select the relevant case from the search results to view the detailed docket, which lists filings, scheduled hearings, and court orders. ## Information Needed for a Search
To locate the correct docket quickly, it is helpful to have the following information available: * The spelling of the participant's first and last name. * The approximate filing date or year of the case. * The specific docket number, if known. ## Search Limitations and Record Availability While many records are accessible online, there are important limitations to keep in mind:
* **Older Records:** The availability of older records is not guaranteed online. Historical cases may require an in-person request or a search of physical archives at the courthouse. * **Confidential Cases:** Certain case types, such as juvenile records, adoption cases, and cases sealed by court order, are not available for public viewing online. * **Accuracy Verification:** Online dockets are provided for informational purposes. For official or certified copies of court records, users should contact the Office of Judicial Records in Philadelphia. ## What to Do If You Cannot Find a Docket If your online search does not return any results, consider the following troubleshooting steps: * **Check Name Spelling:** Verify the spelling of the participant's name. Try searching with just the last name if the system permits, as middle initials or spelling variations can affect search results. * **Verify the Court Jurisdiction:** Ensure the case was filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Cases filed in federal courts (such as the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania) or municipal courts will not appear in the Common Pleas database. * **Contact the Record Custodian:** If the record is not online but is public, you can contact the Philadelphia Office of Judicial Records. They can assist with manual searches of physical archives or provide guidance on accessing older files.
