Lawyer in Ellwood City, PA | Nicholas A. Frisk III

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Ellwood City is home for this practice, and the cases that come out of the borough follow a path that is a little different from the rest of Lawrence County. This page sets out the local facts that matter, from the borough's and the county's own sites, and points to the pages that answer the next question for each kind of case. More about how I work is on the about page. How I defend drunk driving charges is on the main DUI defense page.

How does an Ellwood City case move, step by step?

For a criminal or DUI case from the Lawrence County part of the borough:

The arrest. Ellwood City Police, which the borough says operates around the clock, makes most arrests in town. When the conditions in Pa.R.Crim.P. 519(B) are met, a DUI arrest ends with the officer releasing the driver, and the complaint follows within 5 days.
Fingerprints. The department is a regional booking center for the Lawrence County courts and uses LiveScan to fingerprint people arrested by county agencies.
The district court. The complaint or citation goes to Magisterial District Court 53-3-01, 607 Lawrence Avenue. Summary citations are tried there.
The preliminary hearing in New Castle. Lawrence County holds every preliminary hearing at its Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, as explained in preliminary hearings in Lawrence County.
The Courthouse. A case held for court moves to the Court of Common Pleas at 430 Court Street, described in what to expect at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

The DUI version of these steps, with every deadline, is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Lawrence County.

Which court handles an Ellwood City case?

For most of the borough, Magisterial District Court 53-3-01 at 607 Lawrence Avenue. The borough describes the office as handling traffic citations, non-traffic citations and the filing of criminal complaints, and holding proceedings in civil and landlord-tenant cases seeking up to $12,000. Its district also covers Ellport, Enon Valley, New Beaver and Wampum Boroughs and Little Beaver, Perry, Slippery Rock and Wayne Townships. The borough's municipal building is on the same avenue, at 525 Lawrence Avenue; parking tickets are paid at its Utility Office window or the overnight mailbox on Bell Avenue behind the building, and the borough says parking ticket complaints go to the police department. What happens at the district court, case by case, is on the page about the Ellwood City district court.

Where each Ellwood City matter goes
Matter	Where	Note
Parking ticket	Borough Utility Office window, 525 Lawrence Avenue, or the overnight mailbox on Bell Avenue	Complaints go to the police department
Traffic or non-traffic citation	District Court 53-3-01, 607 Lawrence Avenue	Plea due within 10 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 407)
Criminal complaint	Filed at District Court 53-3-01	Preliminary hearing held elsewhere
Preliminary hearing	Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle	Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.
ARD, plea, trial, sentencing	Court of Common Pleas, 430 Court Street, New Castle	53rd Judicial District
Civil claim up to $12,000	District Court 53-3-01	Includes landlord-tenant cases
Civil claim over $12,000	Court of Common Pleas	$50,000 or less goes to arbitration (Local Rule L1301)
Anything from the Beaver County part of the borough	Beaver County's district 36-3-01 and courts	Check the address of the incident

Does it matter that Ellwood City is in two counties?

It can. The 2020 Census counts 7,032 Ellwood City residents in Lawrence County and 610 in Beaver County. The Supreme Court's 2022 order for Beaver County's courts lists Ellwood City Borough in Beaver County's Magisterial District 36-3-01, so a case arising in the Beaver County part of the borough is handled by Beaver County's courts, not by the Lawrence Avenue office or Lawrence County's Central Court. The address where an incident happened, not the mailing address, is the thing to check.

What should I know about the Ellwood City Police Department?

According to the borough, the department has ten full-time and three part-time officers, including a canine handler, and runs 24 hours a day. It was the first department in Lawrence County to have license plate readers. Its non-emergency dispatch line, (724) 758-7564, is staffed around the clock, and the administrative offices keep weekday hours. The department also fingerprints job applicants who need state or federal background clearance, for $25, which can matter for someone dealing with an old record, as explained in employers and old convictions in Pennsylvania.

DUI questions for Ellwood City drivers

The sentence for each tier is in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.
The county's ARD steps are in getting ARD for a DUI in Lawrence County.
Every published cost is in what a first DUI costs in Lawrence County.
The screening and class are explained in the CRN evaluation and safety school.
Drug cases are covered in DUI for prescription pills or medical marijuana.
Tests at the car and at the station are compared in the roadside breath test versus the chemical test.
Blood draws are covered in whether police need a warrant for blood.
Repeat cases are covered in what happens on a second DUI.
Old ARD cases are covered in DUI following diversion under Act 58.
ATVs, snowmobiles and bicycles are covered in DUI on an ATV, snowmobile or bicycle.
Out-of-state licenses are covered in Ohio drivers charged with DUI in Lawrence County.
ARD license suspensions are in how long ARD suspends your license.
Fighting a suspension is explained in appealing a PennDOT license suspension.
Driving while suspended is covered in driving under a DUI suspension.

Criminal questions for Ellwood City cases

The general stages are in what to expect after a first offense.
Release after an arrest is covered in how bail is set in Lawrence County.
Unanswered tickets are covered in what happens if you ignore a citation.
Shoplifting is covered in whether shoplifting is a felony.
Other theft is covered in theft by unlawful taking.
Stolen items are covered in receiving stolen property.
Damage to property is covered in criminal mischief.
Fights are covered in simple assault and mutual fights.
Messages and contact are covered in harassment charges.
Public disturbances are covered in disorderly conduct.
Intoxication in public is covered in public drunkenness.
Citations for people under 21 are covered in underage drinking citations.
Drug charges are compared in possession versus intent to deliver.
Pipes and scales are covered in drug paraphernalia charges.
Violation hearings are explained in probation violation hearings.
Sealing old cases is explained in clearing a criminal record.
The charges I handle are listed on the criminal defense page.

Injury and debt cases from Ellwood City

First steps after a crash are in what to do after a car accident in Pennsylvania. A collection suit for $12,000 or less can be filed at the Lawrence Avenue district court; larger suits go to the Court of Common Pleas, where Lawrence County's Local Rule L1301 sends cases of $50,000 or less to compulsory arbitration. How to respond is covered in what to do if you are sued by a debt collector.

For a crash in or around the borough:

Medical bills and the order of payment are covered in who pays medical bills after a car accident.
Requesting a report from the borough police or the State Police is explained in getting a copy of your crash report.
An at-fault driver with little or no insurance is covered in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.
Riders' claims are covered in whose insurance pays a passenger.
Road defects and the six-month notice are covered in pothole claims on state roads.
Taxes on a recovery are covered in whether an injury settlement is taxable.

For a collection suit or a collector:

A suit at the Lawrence Avenue court is walked through in debt suits at a Lawrence County district court.
A larger suit in New Castle is covered in answering a debt complaint in the Court of Common Pleas.
The panel hearing for cases of $50,000 or less is described in debt case arbitration.
A judgment entered by default is covered in what to do about a default judgment.
What a creditor can do with a judgment is explained in what happens after a judgment.
A frozen bank account is covered in bank account freezes.
Repeated calls are covered in how often a collector can call.
The first collection letter is explained in the debt validation notice.

What changes the answer?

Which side of the county line. The Beaver County part of the borough is in Beaver County's district 36-3-01, so its cases go to Beaver County's courts.
The grade of the charge. Summary citations stay at 53-3-01; misdemeanors and felonies go to Central Court and the Courthouse in New Castle.
Release or custody. Release under Rule 519(B) means a summons by mail; custody means a preliminary arraignment and a hearing within 14 or 21 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)(1)).
The kind of ticket. Parking tickets are paid to the borough; traffic and non-traffic citations go to the district court.
The amount in a civil case. The district court hears claims up to $12,000; larger claims go to the Court of Common Pleas.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical case (not a real one): a driver is stopped on Lawrence Avenue late on a Friday, arrested for DUI, and released at the station after fingerprinting. Because the stop was in the Lawrence County part of the borough, the complaint is filed with District Court 53-3-01 a few blocks away. The summons sets the preliminary hearing not in Ellwood City but at Central Court on Milton Street in New Castle, on a weekday morning. If the case is held for court, the next dates, including any ARD hearing, are at the Courthouse at 430 Court Street. If the same stop had happened in the part of the borough that lies in Beaver County, the case would go to Beaver County's district court instead.

Common mistakes on Ellwood City cases

Showing up at Lawrence Avenue for the preliminary hearing. The hearing is in New Castle, at Central Court.
Paying a parking ticket at the district court. The borough handles parking tickets at its Utility Office window.
Assuming every Ellwood City address is in Lawrence County. Part of the borough is in Beaver County, with different courts.
Letting a citation sit. A plea is due within 10 days, and an unanswered traffic citation can lead to a license suspension.

What to do this week

Check whether the incident happened in the Lawrence County or the Beaver County part of the borough.
Find the district court number and the next date on your paperwork or the UJS Portal.
If the next step is a preliminary hearing, plan the trip to 202 Milton Street in New Castle.
Answer any citation within 10 days.
Keep every paper from the police, the court and PennDOT together.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Ellwood City district court?

At 607 Lawrence Avenue. The borough lists its phone number as 724-752-1185.

Are preliminary hearings ever held in Ellwood City?

No. The county holds every preliminary hearing at Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle.

Who handles cases from Ellport, Wampum or Wayne Township?

The same district court, 53-3-01, which covers those municipalities along with the Lawrence County part of Ellwood City.

Where do Lawrence County cases from other towns start?

At one of the county's four district courts, listed on the Lawrence County courts page.

Is there a page for New Castle cases?

Yes. Cases from the county seat are covered on the page for New Castle cases.

If you have a DUI, criminal, injury or debt case in Ellwood City, call the office on Fourth Street. You work directly with me, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

DUI, criminal defense, injury and debt lawyer in Ellwood City, PA