Butler County Courthouse: What to Expect

Last updated October 5, 2026.

Butler County's court offices are spread across two connected buildings: the original Courthouse on South Main Street and the Government and Judicial Center on West Diamond Street. This page explains what each Common Pleas date is for, where the offices are, and what the county charges. The district courts where cases start are on the Butler County courts page. How I defend cases once they reach this court is on the main criminal defense page.

What happens at each court date, step by step?

The county's Public Defender describes the Common Pleas stages this way:

Formal arraignment, or DUI Court. A Common Pleas judge explains your rights and the timelines for discovery and pretrial motions, which start running from this date. You receive a scheduling form with your status conference, Call of the List and jury selection dates. A plea offer can sometimes be accepted that day. In a DUI case held for court, DUI Court takes the place of this hearing.
Pretrial motions. Requests such as suppression of evidence go into one omnibus motion, due within 30 days after arraignment (Pa.R.Crim.P. 578, 579(A)). The Public Defender says it files for discovery automatically at arraignment.
Status conference. Lawyers meet their clients and negotiate with the Commonwealth; the court can take a negotiated plea that day.
Call of the List or judicial conference. Held just before jury selection. You may enter a plea, be scheduled for jury selection, or receive a continuance. The county warns these days are long.
Jury selection and trial. A Butler County jury must agree unanimously to convict; some cases are tried by a judge without a jury instead.
Sentence Court. After a plea or a guilty verdict, you are sentenced, and you or your lawyer can address the court.

Rule 600 sets an outer limit: trial in a court case must generally start within 365 days of the complaint, not counting delay the Commonwealth did not cause (Pa.R.Crim.P. 600). Before any of this, the preliminary hearing at the district court decides whether the case comes here at all, as explained in what happens at a preliminary hearing.

Where are the offices?

Court offices in Butler, per the county
Office	Where and how to reach it	What it handles
Clerk of Courts	First floor of the Courthouse, reached through the Government Center; (724) 284-5233; weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.	Criminal files, bonds, fines and costs, summary appeals, expungements
Court Administration	Third floor, 124 West Diamond Street; (724) 284-5200	Scheduling, bench warrant appearances, transcripts, interpreters
District Attorney	Third floor, County Government Center; (724) 284-5222	Prosecution, ARD offers
Public Defender	Lower level, 124 West Diamond Street; (724) 284-5335	Appointed counsel, by appointment
Adult Probation	Second floor, Government Center; (724) 284-5259; reporting hours 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.	Pre-trial supervision, pre-sentence reports, house arrest, payment enforcement
Prothonotary	First floor, Government Center; (724) 284-5214	Civil records, appeals of district judge decisions and license suspensions
Sheriff	First floor, County Courthouse, 300 South Main Street; (724) 284-5245	Warrants, courtroom security
Law Library	Third floor, Government Center; (724) 284-5206	Public research, no borrowing; closed noon to 1:00

Courtroom 6 is on the third floor of the original Courthouse building. The county's weekly motion court list also uses Courtrooms 1, 3 and 4 and the Jury Assembly Room, and it warns of frequent last-minute continuances and that its online schedule is not an official docket.

What happens at DUI Court?

DUI Court serves as the formal arraignment for a DUI held for court, and the county's waiver of arraignment form cannot be used for it. If the District Attorney has offered ARD, you are accepted into the program at that appearance. If not, you can plead and be sentenced the same day or move the case to the regular trial track. Before DUI Court, Adult Probation asks you to return the DUI sentencing questionnaire to its second-floor office. Pennsylvania requires a CRN evaluation before sentencing or ARD (75 Pa.C.S. 3816), and the county's sentencing questionnaire tells DUI defendants to have it done at Butler Alcohol Countermeasures, 222 West Cunningham Street. What the evaluation covers is explained in the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school, and how the license is affected during ARD is in how long ARD suspends your license.

What does the Clerk of Courts charge?

Selected Butler County Clerk of Courts fees (fee bill effective May 1, 2024)
Item	Fee
Misdemeanor or felony case resolved before trial, by plea or ARD	$207.25
Misdemeanor or felony case during or after trial	$277.50
Summary case	$42.75
Summary appeal filing (non-refundable)	$77, plus the $5 automation fee
Cash bond or property bond	$69
Bench warrant	$42.50
Expungement, per case	$92.75
Certified copy	$14
Criminal search, per name	$27.50

Fines, costs and restitution are paid at the Clerk's office or online through the UJS Portal, and the county does not accept checks to lift a bench warrant. The fines and minimum sentences themselves are in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.

What happens at and after sentencing?

Before sentencing, Adult Probation may prepare a pre-sentence report covering education, family history, finances, health, your own statement, prior record and victim information. Everyone who pleads guilty fills out the county's sentencing questionnaire. The county explains that a sentence with a maximum under two years is a county sentence, paroled by the sentencing judge and supervised locally, while a maximum of two years or more is a state sentence.

House arrest for a DUI. To ask for probation with restrictive conditions on electronic monitoring, you must have finished and paid for the CRN, completed a drug and alcohol evaluation at a state-certified facility (or the VA for veterans), and signed a release. Monitoring costs $15 a day plus a $25 connection fee, with the first 30 days due when it starts, and you must pass a urine and breath test on the day of sentencing.
Day Reporting Center. A restrictive-conditions program for about 30 people who live in the county, with an interview required within seven business days of receiving the requirements.
Supervision rules. The county says no one under active supervision may have a firearm, and leaving Pennsylvania requires a travel permit from the probation officer.

A violation can lead to the hearing described in what happens at a probation violation hearing.

How do I appeal a summary conviction from a district judge?

You have 30 days from the district judge's decision (Pa.R.Crim.P. 460(A)). The Clerk of Courts' instructions, dated May 1, 2024, say to send the notice of appeal with an $82 check or money order, non-refundable, and that an in forma pauperis motion is available if you cannot pay. If you miss the hearing, the appeal may be dismissed and the district judge's sentence reinstated, including fines, costs and any license suspension. For a motor vehicle conviction other than parking, you are responsible for having the Clerk certify a copy and mailing it to PennDOT. What follows an unanswered citation is covered in what happens if you ignore a citation.

What changes the answer at the Courthouse?

A DUI or not. DUI cases skip ordinary arraignment and go to DUI Court.
An ARD offer. With one, ARD can begin at the first Common Pleas date; without one, the case follows the trial track.
Custody. A defendant held more than 180 days from the complaint, apart from delay the defendant caused, can ask for release on nominal bail (Pa.R.Crim.P. 600(B)).
A substance or mental health problem. The county's Drug Treatment Court, Veterans Treatment Court and Behavioral Health Court each have a referral form; the drug court's handbook says the team reviews each case at 18 months.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical case (not a real one): a woman from Butler Township is charged with misdemeanor DUI, and the charges are held for court at District Court 50-1-01. Before her DUI Court date she books her CRN at Butler Alcohol Countermeasures and mails the DUI sentencing questionnaire to Adult Probation. The District Attorney does not offer ARD because of an earlier case, so at DUI Court she decides not to plead and moves her case to the trial track. She receives status conference and Call of the List dates, clears the whole day for the Call of the List, and checks the Government Center monitors for her courtroom on arrival. If she later pleads, the Clerk's fee for a case resolved before trial is $207.25, and she can ask for house arrest on electronic monitoring if she meets Adult Probation's requirements.

Common mistakes at the Courthouse

Mailing a waiver for DUI Court. The county's form says it may not be used for DUI Court.
Going straight to a courtroom. Assignments change; check the monitors first.
Planning a short day for the Call of the List. The county says to be available all day.
Paying a warrant with a check. Checks are not accepted to lift a bench warrant.
Missing the hearing on your own summary appeal. The district judge's sentence can be reinstated.

What to do this week

Check your next date and courtroom on the UJS Portal and your mail.
For a DUI, book the CRN and return the DUI sentencing questionnaire.
Call the Public Defender for an appointment if you need appointed counsel.
File a change of address with the court if you have moved; the county has a form for it.
If you need a disability accommodation, use the court's ADA request form well ahead of the date.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Courthouse the same as the Government Center?

They are linked. The county lists the Sheriff on the first floor of the County Courthouse at 300 South Main Street, and the Government and Judicial Center at 124 West Diamond Street. It says the Clerk of Courts, on the Courthouse's first floor, is reached through the Government Center.

How do I find out when my next court date is?

Search the UJS Portal by docket number or name, and read your mail. The county's online court schedule is useful but, as it says, not an official docket.

Can I pay fines and costs without coming to Butler?

Yes. The county accepts mailed checks or money orders payable to the Clerk of Courts and online payments through the UJS Portal; payment plans are set by the enforcement clerk at (724) 284-3756.

Can I visit someone held in the Butler County Prison?

Only if you are on the person's visitation list and bring photo identification. The prison does not allow visits by anyone with pending charges, on probation or parole, or released from the prison within the last six months.

Do you handle cases at this Courthouse?

Yes. I represent people in DUI and criminal cases in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. If your case is in Mercer County instead, see what to expect at the Mercer County Courthouse.

If you have a court date in Butler for a DUI or criminal case, I can tell you what that date is for and how to prepare. You can read more about my practice, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

What to expect at the Butler County Courthouse for a DUI or criminal case