Lawrence County, PA Courts | Nicholas A. Frisk III

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Lawrence County is the 53rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania, and its main court buildings are in New Castle: the Courthouse, Central Court and the county jail. Knowing which building does what saves a lot of confusion, because the place a case starts is often not the place it is decided. This page collects the local facts, from the county's own sites and official sources, for the four kinds of cases I handle: DUI defense, criminal defense, personal injury and debt defense.

How does a criminal or DUI case move through the county?

Whatever the charge, the buildings come in the same order:

Arrest and booking. Many people are released and receive a summons by mail. Fingerprints are often taken at the Ellwood City Police Department, which the borough says is a regional booking center for the county courts. A person who is held goes to the county jail at 111 S. Milton Street, New Castle, which charges a $25 booking fee.
The district court. The complaint is filed with the magisterial district court for the place of arrest (table below). Summary citations are tried there.
Central Court. Every preliminary hearing in the county is held at 202 Milton Street, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
The Court of Common Pleas. Cases held for court go to the Courthouse at 430 Court Street for arraignment, the "Call of Trial" about a month later, then a plea, ARD or a trial.
After sentencing. Adult Probation supervises probation and house arrest, and its Collections Department sets monthly payment plans for fines, costs and restitution.

Which court hears my case first?

Most cases start at a magisterial district court. The county describes these as the first level of the court system, handling all traffic cases, minor criminal cases and civil cases up to $12,000. There are four, each covering set municipalities:

Lawrence County magisterial district courts
Court	Address	Areas covered
53-1-01	430 Court Street, New Castle	City of New Castle except the 6th Ward
53-3-01	607 Lawrence Avenue, Ellwood City	Ellwood City, Ellport, Enon Valley, New Beaver and Wampum Boroughs; Little Beaver, Perry, Slippery Rock and Wayne Townships
53-3-02	4834 State Route 18, New Castle	New Castle's 6th Ward; Bessemer and SNPJ Boroughs; Mahoning, North Beaver, Taylor and Union Townships
53-3-04	3470 Wilmington Road, New Castle	New Wilmington, South New Castle and Volant Boroughs; Hickory, Neshannock, Plain Grove, Pulaski, Scott, Shenango, Washington and Wilmington Townships

The same districts were reestablished by a Supreme Court of Pennsylvania order in May 2022. A criminal case is filed with a district court, but its preliminary hearing happens somewhere else. What one district court handles, from citations to small civil claims, is described in what to expect at the Ellwood City district court.

Where are preliminary hearings held?

At Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle, a brick building next to the county jail. The county says all preliminary hearings for the county are held there, that all criminal actions must be brought before it, and that hearings take place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. It is not the courthouse. What the judge decides there is explained on the page about preliminary hearings in Lawrence County. The county's Public Defender asks people to apply for a public defender at least two weeks before the preliminary hearing, and to apply again for every new charge.

What happens at the courthouse?

The Court of Common Pleas sits at the Lawrence County Courthouse, part of the Government Center at 430 Court Street, New Castle, and the county's court page lists four courtrooms. Criminal cases held for court, ARD hearings, pleas, trials and sentencing happen here, along with civil lawsuits above the district court limit and appeals from the district courts. Which office is where, and what happens at each court date, is set out in what to expect at the Lawrence County Courthouse. Two offices in the same complex keep the records:

Clerk of Courts: keeps all criminal records at the Common Pleas level. Its schedule lists an ARD Clerk Fee of $19.50 plus a $50 DA Approval Fee.
Prothonotary: the legal custodian of civil filings. Its schedule lists $185.50 to start a civil action and $186.35 to appeal a district court judgment.

The District Attorney's office is also at 430 Court Street. Adult Probation, which runs the county's Treatment Court, is in the lower level of the Domestic Building across from the courthouse. The county describes Treatment Court as substance abuse and mental health treatment offered as an alternative to incarceration for people charged with qualifying offenses. The Law Library, on the third floor of the Old Courthouse, is open to county residents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Will a civil or debt case go to arbitration?

Often, yes. Lawrence County's Local Rule L1301 sends every case where the amount in controversy is $50,000 or less, not counting interest and costs and except cases about title to real estate, to compulsory arbitration. The court raised the limit from $25,000 to $50,000 by an order effective January 1, 2023, applying to cases filed on or after June 1, 2023. That matters for collection suits and many injury claims. The Prothonotary's schedule lists a $425 fee to appeal an arbitration award. How a collection suit starts is covered in what to do if you are sued by a debt collector. The first steps after a crash are in what to do after a car accident in Pennsylvania.

Which police agencies work here?

Pennsylvania State Police, New Castle station: 3539 Wilmington Road, the Troop D station listed for Lawrence County. Troop D covers Butler, Beaver, Lawrence, Mercer and Armstrong Counties.
New Castle Police Department: 303 E. North Street, which the city calls the largest police agency in the county.
Ellwood City Police Department: which the borough says is a regional booking center for the Lawrence County courts, fingerprinting people arrested by county law enforcement agencies with LiveScan.

DUI questions, answered for Lawrence County

Each of these pages follows a DUI through the county's courts:

The full sequence is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Lawrence County.
The county's ARD steps and fees are in getting ARD for a DUI in Lawrence County.
Every published county and state cost is in what a first DUI costs in Lawrence County.
The county's DUI Program appointments are explained in the CRN evaluation and safety school.
Drivers from across the state line can read an Ohio driver's DUI in Lawrence County.
Sentences by tier are in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.
Repeat cases are covered in what happens on a second DUI.
Earlier ARD cases are covered in DUI following diversion under Act 58.
Testing questions start with the roadside breath test versus the chemical test.
Blood tests are covered in whether police need a warrant to draw blood.
Drug cases are covered in DUI for prescription pills or medical marijuana.
Off-road riding is covered in DUI on an ATV, snowmobile or bicycle.
License suspensions after ARD are in how long ARD suspends your license.
License appeals filed in the county are explained in appealing a PennDOT license suspension.
Driving during a suspension is covered in driving under a DUI suspension.

Criminal questions, answered for Lawrence County

Release and bond are covered in how bail is set in Lawrence County.
Unanswered tickets are covered in what happens if you ignore a citation.
Hearings for alleged violations are explained in probation violation hearings.
Shoplifting grades are in whether shoplifting is a felony.
General theft grades are in theft by unlawful taking.
Buying or keeping stolen items is covered in receiving stolen property.
Property damage 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, scales and similar items are covered in drug paraphernalia charges.
Sealing old cases is explained in clearing a criminal record.
Job applications are covered in employers and old convictions.

Injury questions, answered for Lawrence County

A crash claim here runs through insurance first and, if it comes to a lawsuit, the Court of Common Pleas:

Which policy pays medical bills first is explained in who pays medical bills after a car accident.
Reports from the State Police New Castle station and local departments are covered in getting a copy of your crash report.
Coverage when the other driver had little or none is covered in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.
The rules for riders are in whose insurance pays a passenger.
Notice deadlines for road defects are in pothole claims on state roads.
The tax side of a recovery is in whether an injury settlement is taxable.

Debt questions, answered for Lawrence County

A collection suit here starts at one of the four district courts or in the Court of Common Pleas:

District court suits up to $12,000 are covered in debt suits at a Lawrence County district court.
The 20-day answer in Common Pleas is explained in answering a debt complaint.
Local Rule L1301's panel is described in debt case arbitration.
Undoing a default is covered in what to do about a default judgment.
Liens and what is protected are explained in what happens after a judgment.
Writs served through the Sheriff are covered in bank account freezes.
Collector contact rules are in how often a collector can call.
The first collection letter is explained in the debt validation notice.

What changes the answer?

Where the arrest happened. The place of the arrest decides which of the four district courts gets the complaint and tries any summary charge.
The grade of the charge. A summary offense is tried at the district court; a misdemeanor or felony goes through Central Court and the Court of Common Pleas.
Custody. After a preliminary arraignment, the preliminary hearing must be set within 14 days for a person held only on that case, and within 21 days otherwise (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)(1)).
The amount in a civil case. Up to $12,000 can be heard at a district court; above that it goes to the Court of Common Pleas, where cases of $50,000 or less go first to arbitration (Local Rule L1301).
The county line. Part of Ellwood City lies in Beaver County, and cases from that part go to Beaver County's courts, as explained on the Ellwood City page.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical case (not a real one): a person is cited for retail theft at a store in Neshannock Township and charged with a misdemeanor. The complaint goes to District Court 53-3-04 on Wilmington Road, which covers Neshannock. The preliminary hearing, though, is held at Central Court on Milton Street, on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning. If the charge is held for court, the case moves to the Courthouse at 430 Court Street for arraignment and the Call of Trial, and any probation that follows is supervised from the Domestic Building across the street. Had the same person received only a summary citation, the whole case, trial included, would have stayed at 53-3-04, with a 30-day appeal to the Court of Common Pleas.

Common mistakes with Lawrence County courts

Going to the wrong building. Preliminary hearings are at Central Court, not the courthouse and not the district court where the case was filed.
Waiting to ask for a public defender. The county asks for applications at least two weeks before the preliminary hearing.
Expecting a bond reduction on request. The Public Defender says a reduction is considered only after a significant change in circumstances.
Missing the Call of Trial. The Public Defender says attendance is required.
Asking for an accommodation at the last minute. The county recommends asking at least three business days before a court date.

What to do this week

Find the district court number on your paperwork and match it to the table above.
Look up the case on the UJS Portal for the next date and the building.
If you cannot afford a lawyer, apply to the Public Defender now, before the preliminary hearing.
If you need an interpreter or an accommodation, request it at least three business days ahead.
Plan the trip to New Castle for weekday morning hearings.
Keep every notice from the court and from PennDOT in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Court the same as the courthouse?

No. Central Court is the brick building at 202 Milton Street next to the jail, where preliminary hearings are held. The Courthouse is part of the Government Center at 430 Court Street.

How do I find my next court date?

The county points people to the statewide UJS Portal, or to the district court where the case started. Dates also arrive by mail.

Where do I pay fines, costs or restitution?

The county's website links to the UJS Portal's online payment page for fines, costs and restitution, and to a separate page for bail. Common Pleas cases on supervision follow a monthly plan set by the Collections Department.

Where do protection from abuse petitions go?

To the PFA Coordinator on the third floor of the Government Center. The county says there is no fee and no appointment is needed during set morning and afternoon hours.

Where is the nearest city page for my case?

Cases from New Castle have their own page, cases from New Castle, because the city has its own police department and two district courts.

If you have a DUI, criminal, injury or debt case anywhere in Lawrence 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, criminal, injury and debt cases in Lawrence County: courts and local facts