Butler County, PA DUI and Criminal Courts

Last updated October 5, 2026.

Butler County is the 50th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and its criminal process has two features worth knowing early: preliminary hearings stay at the district courts, and DUI cases get their own court date in Common Pleas. This page sets out the local steps from the county's court, probation, Public Defender and Clerk of Courts pages. How I approach drunk driving charges is on the DUI defense page.

How does a DUI or criminal case move through Butler County, step by step?

The county's Public Defender describes the major events of a case in this order:

Preliminary arraignment. A district judge arraigns you in person or by video from the police station or the Butler County Prison, or the charges arrive by mail.
Preliminary hearing. It is held at the district judge's office named on your scheduling paperwork. The judge decides only whether the Commonwealth has shown a prima facie case, and can dismiss some or all charges, hold them for court, and change bail conditions.
Formal arraignment, or DUI Court. A Common Pleas judge explains your rights and the deadlines for discovery and pretrial motions, and you receive dates for a status conference, the Call of the List and jury selection. A DUI case held for court gets a DUI Court date instead.
Status conference and Call of the List. Negotiation dates where a plea can be entered; the county warns the Call of the List can take all day.
Jury selection and trial, or a plea, then Sentence Court.

The statewide timing rule applies: the preliminary hearing must be set within 14 days of the preliminary arraignment for a person held only on that case, and within 21 days otherwise (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)(1)). What the judge weighs at that hearing is explained in what happens at a preliminary hearing, written for Lawrence County but built on the same statewide rules.

Which district court handles my case?

The district where the incident happened. The county says its district courts handle all summary offenses, such as disorderly conduct, harassment and traffic offenses, civil claims up to $12,000, and in criminal cases issue warrants, set bail and preside over preliminary hearings.

Butler County magisterial district courts, per the county
Court	Address	Municipalities
50-1-01	530 Fairground Hill Road, Butler	Butler Township
50-3-01	520 Kelly Boulevard, Slippery Rock	Townships listed: Brady, Franklin, Harrisville, Mercer, Muddy Creek, Slippery Rock, Worth. Boroughs: Portersville, Prospect, Slippery Rock, West Liberty
50-3-02	112 North Main Street, Chicora	Townships: Allegheny, Center, Cherry, Clay, Clearfield, Concord, Donegal, Fairview, Marion, Oakland, Parker, Summit, Venango, Washington. Boroughs: Bruin, Cherry Valley, Chicora, East Butler, Eau Claire, Fairview, Karns City, Petrolia, West Sunbury
50-3-03	333 West Main Street, Suite 103, Saxonburg	Townships: Buffalo, Clinton, Jefferson, Middlesex, Penn, Winfield. Borough: Saxonburg
50-3-04	9028 Marshall Road, Cranberry Township	Cranberry Township; Seven Fields Borough
50-3-05	107 Woody Drive, Butler	City of Butler
50-3-06	202 East Main Street, Evans City	Townships: Adams, Connoquenessing, Forward, Jackson, Lancaster. Boroughs: Callery, Connoquenessing, Evans City, Harmony, Mars, Valencia, Zelienople

Summary charges are tried at the district court itself, and an unpaid or ignored citation has its own consequences, explained in what happens if you ignore a citation. Outside business hours, Local Rule 520 says a summary bond of $500 or less is posted with the warden at the Butler County Prison, a larger one with the on-call district judge, and property bonds only during business hours with the Clerk of Courts.

What is DUI Court in Butler County?

It is the county's first Common Pleas date for a DUI held for court, and it takes the place of the formal arraignment. The Public Defender explains what happens there:

You are advised of your rights to request discovery and file pretrial motions.
If the District Attorney has offered ARD, you are accepted into the program that day.
If you are not eligible for ARD, you can accept a plea offer and be sentenced the same day, or take the case out of DUI Court and onto the regular trial track.

The county's waiver of arraignment form says it may not be used for DUI Court, so plan to attend. Adult Probation also asks DUI defendants to complete a DUI sentencing questionnaire before DUI Court and return it to its office on the second floor of the Government Center. What the courtroom side of these dates looks like is on the page about what to expect at the Butler County Courthouse.

How does ARD work for a DUI in Butler County?

ARD is a pretrial program that only the prosecutor can propose (Pa.R.Crim.P. 310). Butler County's Adult Probation describes it as a program for offenders with a reasonable probability of rehabilitation: prosecution is suspended while you are in it, you pay or arrange to pay court costs and supervision fees, you complete and pay for any treatment the court orders, and there is no jail. The general rules are in ARD in Pennsylvania.

The fee. The Clerk of Courts' fee bill, effective May 1, 2024, lists $207.25 for a misdemeanor or felony case resolved before trial by plea or ARD, plus a $5 automation fee on every new case.
The license. The ARD suspension depends on the blood alcohol level: none under 0.10%, 30 days from 0.10% to under 0.16%, and 60 days at 0.16% or higher and in some other cases, including drug DUIs (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(d)). Each tier is explained in how long ARD suspends your license.
Afterward. To have the charges dismissed and expunged, you file a motion with a probation officer's certificate that you finished, after every cost, fine and restitution amount is paid, with a $92.75 fee. The District Attorney has 30 days to consent or object.

The county notes that an ARD record is still used when deciding a later ARD request or enhancing a later sentence. Since Act 58 of 2025, a new DUI within ten years can be charged as DUI following diversion, as explained in what DUI following diversion means.

Where do I do the CRN evaluation and alcohol safety school?

Pennsylvania requires a CRN evaluation before sentencing or ARD in every DUI case (75 Pa.C.S. 3816). In Butler County it is done by appointment at the Butler Alcohol Countermeasures Program, 222 West Cunningham Street, Butler, (724) 287-8952.

You must phone for an appointment and be ready to pay for the evaluation or school at that appointment.
The approved highway safety school meets in the DUI classroom in the basement of the same building.
A follow-up interview, called Phase II, with the program's drug and alcohol consultant (724-283-0020) looks at what has changed since the arrest and whether more treatment is needed.

The county does not publish the CRN or school fees online, so ask when you book. The evaluation itself is explained in the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school, and sentences by tier are in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.

How do I reach the District Attorney or a public defender?

The District Attorney's office is on the third floor of the County Government Center, (724) 284-5222. Its pages describe a countywide DUI Task Force that uses officers from all of the county's municipal police departments for checkpoints and roving patrols. The Public Defender is on the lower level of 124 West Diamond Street, (724) 284-5335. The office asks people to apply as soon as charges are filed, or at least ten days before the hearing, in person and by appointment, with a separate application for every new case. Bring the police criminal complaint, the hearing notice and proof of income.

Where do I get court records and pay costs?

The Clerk of Courts, (724) 284-5233, is the custodian of criminal records for the Court of Common Pleas. For a personal record check the county points to the UJS Portal; for an official one, to the State Police ePATCH site. The Clerk's fee bill lists $0.50 a page for copies, $14 for a certified copy and $27.50 for a criminal search by name. Fines, costs and restitution can be paid at the Clerk's office on the first floor of the Courthouse or online through the UJS Portal, where the county lists a $2,500 limit per transaction and a 2.75% fee. Payment plans run through the Adult Probation enforcement clerk at (724) 284-3756. Sealing an old case is covered in clearing a criminal record.

Which jail and police agencies are involved?

Butler County Prison: 202 South Washington Street, Butler, (724) 284-5256.
State Police, Troop D headquarters and Butler station: 200 Barracks Road, Butler.
Municipal departments: officers from all of them work on the District Attorney's DUI Task Force.

What police may do at the roadside is in your rights during a traffic stop.

DUI questions that apply in Butler County

Criminal questions that apply in Butler County

What changes the answer?

Where the incident happened. It picks the district court, and the hearing is held at that office, from Slippery Rock to Cranberry Township. A stop across the county line to the south is handled by Allegheny County's courts instead, described on the Allegheny County page.
Whether the charge is a DUI. A DUI held for court goes to DUI Court, where ARD or a plea can be completed in one appearance.
The District Attorney's ARD decision. ARD needs a motion by the prosecutor (Pa.R.Crim.P. 310).
The test result. It sets the ARD suspension (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(d)) and, after a conviction, the penalty tier.
Treatment needs. The county runs a Drug Treatment Court (since 2011), a Veterans Treatment Court (2012) and a Behavioral Health Court (2015).

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical case (not a real one): a driver with no record is stopped in Cranberry Township and charged with a first DUI. The preliminary hearing is held at District Court 50-3-04 on Marshall Road, where the charges are held for court. The driver phones the Butler Alcohol Countermeasures Program to book a CRN evaluation and fills out the DUI sentencing questionnaire for Adult Probation. Instead of a formal arraignment, the case is listed for DUI Court in Butler. The District Attorney has offered ARD, so the driver is accepted into the program at that appearance, pays the Clerk's costs on a plan, completes the highway safety school, and serves the suspension that matches the test result. A year or two later, after certification from probation, the driver files the $92.75 dismissal and expungement motion.

Common mistakes in Butler County cases

Going to Butler for the preliminary hearing. It is at the district judge's office on your paperwork.
Waiving arraignment in a DUI case by mail. The county's waiver form cannot be used for DUI Court.
Walking in to apply for a public defender. The office requires an appointment and a separate application for each case.
Leaving the CRN until the last week. It is by appointment and paid at the time of service.
Missing a court date. A bench warrant issues; Court Administration, (724) 284-5200, schedules the appearance to resolve it.

What to do this week

Find the district court number on your paperwork and match it to the table.
Look up the case on the UJS Portal for the next date.
Call the Public Defender at (724) 284-5335 for an appointment if you need appointed counsel.
For a DUI, book the CRN at (724) 287-8952.
Write down your test result and the date you were tested.
Keep every notice from the court and from PennDOT in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is DUI Court a special program?

No. In Butler County it is simply the first Common Pleas date for a DUI held for court. ARD acceptance, pleas and same-day sentencing happen there; a case that is removed goes to the regular trial track.

Can I post bail at night?

Yes, within limits. Under Local Rule 520, summary bonds of $500 or less go to the prison warden, larger ones to the on-call district judge, and property bonds wait for business hours at the Clerk of Courts.

What if I miss a court date?

The Public Defender says a bench warrant will issue. Contact your lawyer or Court Administration to schedule an appearance and have it lifted.

I live in Lawrence or Beaver County. Does my Butler County case move closer to home?

No. It stays in Butler County, from the district court to Common Pleas. The process in your home county is different, as the Beaver County courts page shows. Lawrence County's steps are on the Lawrence County courts page.

Do you take Butler County cases?

Yes. I represent people charged with DUI and criminal offenses in Butler County. I also take cases in neighboring Mercer County, described on the Mercer County courts page.

If you have a DUI or criminal case in Butler County, I can tell you where it stands and what comes next. You can read more about my practice, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

DUI and criminal cases in Butler County: courts and local process