Mifflin County Correctional Facility

A magisterial district judge (MDJ) sets bail. MDJs are neighborhood judges who run the opening stage of a criminal case. Their bail ruling comes at a short proceeding, the preliminary arraignment. There the defendant is handed the written complaint, hears the bail terms and leaves with a preliminary hearing date (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540).

Local rule MC117 lays out the timing. Booking at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130, always comes first. The MDJ on call then sees the person over a video link from the jail, or face to face.

• Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. The on-call MDJ can take the case shortly after booking.
• Overnight, 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. The person waits at the jail. The judge is called at 8:00 a.m., and the video hearing starts by 8:30 a.m.
• Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Staff check in with the on-call MDJ three times a day, at 8:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

When the video system is down, a deputy, police officer or constable drives the person to the MDJ's office. Court Administration, upstairs on the courthouse's third floor, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-4613, can say which MDJ has the case.

State rules give an MDJ five release options, running from easiest to hardest (Pa.R.Crim.P. 524):

• ROR, short for release on recognizance. The defendant signs and promises to attend each hearing. Not a cent changes hands.
• Nonmonetary conditions. That same promise plus rules, like reporting to an officer, avoiding alcohol or having zero contact with a named person.
• Unsecured bail. An amount goes on the bail order, yet it is owed only if the defendant fails to appear. Nobody pays on the way out.
• Nominal bail. A token deposit, often $1, backed by a person or group who promises the court the defendant will return. Courts call that backer the surety.
• Monetary bail. Cash, land or a bondsman's guarantee has to be put up first. Of all five, this option alone requires money before the person goes home.

Rule 523 lists what the MDJ weighs, including the charge, work history, family ties, past convictions and any record of skipping court. The county's Probation and Parole office, Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953, also handles a Supervised Bail Application. Ask the defense lawyer whether it could help.

Bail here has no fixed price tag. Each MDJ picks a number that fits the case in front of them. The law says a money condition must be reasonable, and the MDJ has to weigh the defendant's ability to pay (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528).

The grade of the charge shapes that number. Pennsylvania ranks crimes by grade, and each grade has a ceiling on punishment (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 1101, 1103-1105):

• Summary offense, the lowest level, covering many traffic and disorderly conduct cases: 90 days and a $300 fine at most
• M3, a third-degree misdemeanor: 1 year and $2,500 at most
• M2, a second-degree misdemeanor: 2 years and $5,000 at most
• M1, a first-degree misdemeanor: 5 years and $10,000 at most
• F3, a third-degree felony: 7 years and $15,000 at most
• F2, a second-degree felony: 10 years and $25,000 at most
• F1, a first-degree felony: 20 years and $25,000 at most
• Murder: life behind bars for first or second degree, with death possible for first degree (18 Pa.C.S. § 1102)

Sometimes the court allows a 10 percent deposit, so $5,000 bail would need $500 down. To see the actual figure, open the docket on the UJS case search or phone the Clerk of Courts, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146.

After the courthouse closes, MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, accepts money bail. The warden or a staff member chosen by the warden handles the bond or deposit. Once the defendant signs, they are freed. The jail then sends the paperwork on to the MDJ or the Clerk of Courts before the next business day ends. Work through this list:

1. Phone 717-248-1130 before heading over, with the arrested person's legal name and birthday jotted down.
2. Confirm that the court papers already show a bail figure. The jail can only accept an amount a judge has set.
3. Pick up a money order matching the bail to the penny, because money orders are what the jail accepts after hours.
4. Ask staff what name to write as the payee.
5. Carry a photo ID. Keep the receipt safe until the whole case closes.

Release may not be instant. The jail must receive the right court paperwork first, and it frees people as soon as it practically can.

Yes, on business days. The Clerk of Courts takes bail at the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146. The Clerk works in a joint office with the Prothonotary, who keeps civil files.

• Bail is accepted Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Other business runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Phone ahead. Find out the total, whether a 10 percent deposit is permitted, and what kinds of payment the counter accepts.
• Have a photo ID and, if you know it, the docket number.

Rule MC117 also requires the on-call MDJ to be reachable at that judge's own office to accept bail without unreasonable delay. The three MDJ offices are:

• Magisterial District Court 58-3-01, 103 West Market Street, Suite 1, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8408
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-02, 7 Ort Valley Road, Suite A, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-2607
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-03, 96 South Main Street, Reedsville, PA 17084, 717-667-9626

Call the right office first to check that the judge is in and which payments are taken.

The county's family guide for MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130, names money orders for bail posted there after hours. For the Clerk's counter or an MDJ office, phone the Clerk of Courts, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146, and ask what it takes before you travel.

State rules allow the full amount of money bail to be covered by one or more of these (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528):

• Cash, or something equal to cash if local court practice permits
• Bonds from the U.S. government, the state or a Pennsylvania town or county
• Pennsylvania real estate whose paid-off value matches or tops the bail
• A bond from a properly licensed bondsman or surety company
• A deposit of 10 percent, where the MDJ or a local rule allows

The courthouse also links UJS ePay for fines and costs. That service settles court debts on criminal cases, so use it for fines rather than bail. Never mail cash, to the jail or anyone else.

A bail bondsman promises the court the entire bail and charges a fee for doing so. Commercial bonds are lawful in Pennsylvania, with these limits (42 Pa.C.S. §§ 5741-5750):

• Every bondsman needs a producer license issued by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
• Work in a given county is allowed only after the bondsman files a license copy and an insurer's power of attorney there.
• State law set a top fee until 2015, when that cap was repealed. Today you should insist on a written price.
• That fee, the premium, never comes back, even when the charges fall apart.
• Charging someone a fee simply to find or recommend a bondsman is an offense (42 Pa.C.S. § 5749).

The family guide for MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130, says bondsmen may be used but answer to no one at the jail. Anyone who co-signs can be liable for the whole amount if court is missed. The Clerk of Courts, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146, can answer questions on a bond already on file.

Paying one bail settles one case only. Other paperwork can still keep the person at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. Check for these:

• A separate case. Two cases mean two bails, and both have to be satisfied.
• A hold for another county. The jail houses prisoners for Juniata, Snyder, Huntingdon and Dauphin counties too, and their warrants or sentences remain in force.
• Supervision trouble. A probation or parole violation can trigger its own detainer. Adult and juvenile supervision is run from the Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953.
• A bench warrant. Someone picked up for a missed hearing often must see a judge before leaving.
• Federal custody or an ICE detainer. These run on rules apart from state bail.

Before handing over money, call MCCF at 717-248-1130 and have staff read off every hold on file.

Bail is a right for almost every defendant in this state (Pa. Const. art. I, § 14; 42 Pa.C.S. § 5701). Denial is allowed in just two situations:

• The offense is punishable by death, or its top sentence is life imprisonment.
• No mix of conditions other than jail would reasonably protect people in the community.

Either way, the prosecutor carries the burden. The DA has to bring proof to a hearing, since an accusation on its own will not do. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court spelled this out in Commonwealth v. Talley (2021).

The office that would seek detention here is the District Attorney, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-9800. The defense lawyer can answer the DA's evidence at that same hearing.

Yes. Defense counsel makes the request in writing. Early on, before any preliminary hearing, the original MDJ hears it. After the case is held for court, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas decides.

1. Contact defense counsel or the Public Defender, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-914-6590, as soon as you can.
2. Collect recent paycheck stubs, proof of where the person lives, and letters from relatives. Add an honest figure the family could post.
3. Offer safeguards the judge might accept, like supervised bail or an ankle monitor. Probation and Parole, Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953, takes applications for both.

Long waits also matter. When a jailed defendant's wait for trial passes 180 days, not counting delay from the defense side, counsel can seek nominal bail under Pa.R.Crim.P. 600.

Find the Public Defender's Office on the courthouse's third floor, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-914-6590. Its lawyers represent people without the money to hire counsel in:

• Felony and misdemeanor cases
• Summary cases where jail time is possible
• Juvenile delinquency cases

Outside Philadelphia, each Pennsylvania county must keep a public defender (16 P.S. § 9960.1 and following). To qualify, the person fills out the office's application and swears to their income, so false answers can bring a perjury charge. The income limit is set county by county.

With Act 34 of 2023, state dollars began flowing to county defender offices, a first for Pennsylvania. Apply quickly, because a lawyer at the preliminary hearing can argue for a lower bail.

A criminal case usually passes through two tiers of state court. Federal crimes go elsewhere.

• Court of Common Pleas, 58th Judicial District, a one-county district. It sits in the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, and Court Administration on the third floor answers at 717-248-4613. Felonies and misdemeanors come here once a preliminary hearing is done.
• Clerk of Courts, in the same building, 717-248-8146, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Criminal files and bail run through this office.
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-01, 103 West Market Street, Suite 1, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8408
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-02, 7 Ort Valley Road, Suite A, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-2607
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-03, 96 South Main Street, Reedsville, PA 17084, 717-667-9626
• Federal court, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Sylvia H. Rambo United States Courthouse, 1501 North 6th Street, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-221-3920

Every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., the courthouse's Main Courtroom hosts Central Court. One of the three MDJs presides, taking turns by month, and defendants either waive their preliminary hearing or ask for one.

Save the itemized receipt. Whoever accepts money bail, whether clerk or MDJ, must hand one to the depositor (Pa.R.Crim.P. 535).

• The normal refund. Roughly 20 days once the whole case wraps up, the deposit returns to the depositor on the receipt. A county fee for running the bail program may come out first.
• Bail in the defendant's own name. On the prosecutor's request, a judge may apply it to the defendant's fines, costs and restitution.
• Bail from a parent or friend. When a third person deposits 10 percent, the clerk must explain in writing that signing makes them a surety, liable for the full figure (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528).
• Skipping court. Missing a date invites a bench warrant, and the court can keep the entire bail, which is called forfeiture.

The Clerk of Courts, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146, can tell you its fee and the timing of the refund check.

Settle the money and property questions before release day at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. Ask staff at 717-248-1130 how a leftover account balance is returned.

• A relative or friend can collect stored items once the inmate signs a property release form naming them.
• Show a photo ID at pickup.
• Any outfit dropped off for release day stays at the jail until the person walks out.

The administration office works 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays and closes on holidays. Our guide to inmate trust accounts covers deposits and refunds.

A federal complaint or indictment from this area is filed in the Harrisburg division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Its clerk is at 1501 North 6th Street, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-221-3920.

1. At the first court appearance, a detention hearing decides if the defendant may live at home while the case moves (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services supplies that judge with background. Its Harrisburg office is at 1501 N. 6th St., Suite 100, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-901-2860.
3. Anyone not released stays under U.S. Marshals Service custody. The district office is at 235 North Washington Avenue, Unit 215, Scranton, PA 18503, 570-346-7277. Some Marshals prisoners stay at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
4. The federal defender's office represents those who cannot pay, from 100 Chestnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (third floor), 717-782-2237.
5. After sentencing, find the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Yes. A detainer stays in force no matter how the state bail is paid. Expect these steps:

1. ICE, the federal immigration agency, sends Form I-247A to MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
2. That form, called a detainer, requests that MCCF keep the person for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Pennsylvania falls under the Third Circuit federal appeals court. In Galarza v. Szalczyk (3d Cir. 2014), it held that detainers ask for help but cannot force a jail to act, and holding someone on that request with no other basis can expose the county to liability. That is why detainer practice varies from jail to jail, so ask MCCF about its approach.
4. ICE's Philadelphia Field Office covers the state from 114 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-656-7164.
5. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator by name and birth country.

Every Pennsylvania sentence has a bottom number and a top number. The top number, called the maximum, controls where it is served (42 Pa.C.S. § 9762):

• Maximum below 2 years: county jail, here MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130
• Maximum of 2 years or more, short of 5: in most cases a state prison. Staying local needs sign-off from three parties: MCCF, the DA and whichever judge imposed the sentence.
• Maximum of 5 years and up: the state system, with no local option

Anyone sentenced to state time begins at a classification site. Staff there spend a stretch of time setting the security level and treatment needs. Only then does the move to an assigned prison happen. Search the DOC inmate locator, and our guide to Pennsylvania state prisons describes every facility. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections answers at 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050, 717-728-2573.

Charges against people younger than 18 are almost always heard in juvenile court (42 Pa.C.S. § 6301 and following). The county's Probation and Parole office oversees both youth and adult cases from the Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953.

• If a teen must be detained, juvenile detention is used. The county co-owns the Central Counties Youth Center, 148 Paradise Road, Bellefonte, PA 16823, 814-355-0650, with four other counties, and the owners get priority for beds.
• The local rule says a youth who can't pay a summary fine is never kept at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
• Murder, and some weapon-related violent felonies, put teens 15 and up in adult court from the start. Defense counsel may later seek a transfer to the juvenile side.
• Juvenile files stay private and are left off the public UJS portal.

Two levels of state court split the criminal work in this county:

• Magisterial district courts. Each is run by a local judge called an MDJ. MDJs decide summary cases, like traffic tickets and disorderly conduct. Every larger case begins before an MDJ, who handles its first two hearings. Those are the bail hearing, called the preliminary arraignment, and the preliminary hearing.
• Court of Common Pleas, 58th Judicial District. Misdemeanors and felonies come here after they are held for court. This court also gives a fresh trial when someone appeals a summary conviction. It meets in the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, and Court Administration answers at 717-248-4613.

What separates the two is the possible sentence. A misdemeanor can bring as much as 5 years. A felony can bring far longer, up to 20 years for most first-degree felonies (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 1103-1104). The Clerk of Courts, in the same courthouse, 717-248-8146, keeps the file once a case moves up.

The upper court and the offices tied to it work from the courthouse at 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. Each office keeps its own line:

• Court Administration, third floor, 717-248-4613. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:45 to 4:00 p.m. It runs the court calendar and oversees the MDJ offices, Probation and Domestic Relations. To ask for an interpreter or a disability aid, call at least 72 hours before court.
• Clerk of Courts, which shares an office with the Prothonotary, 717-248-8146. Open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• District Attorney, 717-248-9800
• Public Defender, third floor, 717-914-6590
• Sheriff's Office, 717-242-1105, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Probation and Parole sits apart in the Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953.

The county has no city or municipal court. Every borough and township belongs to one of three magisterial district courts, and cases from that town begin there:

• Magisterial District Court 58-3-01, 103 West Market Street, Suite 1, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8408. Open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:45 to 4:00 p.m. It serves Granville Township, Juniata Terrace Borough, and wards 1 through 5 of the borough of Lewistown.
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-02, 7 Ort Valley Road, Suite A, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-2607. Same weekday hours. It serves Burnham Borough, Decatur Township, Derry Township, and wards 6 and 7 of the county seat.
• Magisterial District Court 58-3-03, 96 South Main Street, Reedsville, PA 17084, 717-667-9626. Open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 12:45 to 4:00 p.m. It serves Armagh, Bratton, Brown, Menno, Oliver, Union and Wayne Townships, plus Kistler, McVeytown and Newton Hamilton Boroughs.

Unsure which ward or office applies? Court Administration in the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-4613, can sort it out.

Central Court is a weekly session held each Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in the Main Courtroom of the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. One of the three MDJs runs it, and the job passes to another MDJ each month.

• Each defendant makes one choice there: give up the preliminary hearing, which sends the case straight to Common Pleas, or ask for the hearing.
• A hearing that is asked for gets set at the MDJ's own office, within about 10 days.
• Speak with a lawyer before that Wednesday, so the choice is an informed one.

Two more sessions meet on two Tuesdays a month. Miscellaneous Court, 9:00 a.m. to noon, takes pleas in cases other than DUI. DUI Court, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., takes DUI pleas and ARD entry. Court Administration, 717-248-4613, can give the dates.

The opening hearing, called the preliminary arraignment, takes place before an MDJ. Here it usually runs by video from MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130, often within hours of booking. People booked late at night are on screen by 8:30 a.m. During it (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540):

• The defendant is handed the criminal complaint.
• The MDJ goes over each charge and the right to counsel.
• Release terms, money bail or otherwise, get decided.
• A preliminary hearing date is picked: 14 days out when the defendant stays locked up, 21 days out when they are free.

At the preliminary hearing, the prosecutor must make out a prima facie case. That means showing a likely crime and a likely link to this defendant. If the MDJ agrees, the case is held for court and goes up to Common Pleas. If not, the charges are thrown out.

Misdemeanors start down the same road as felonies here: the bail hearing, Central Court, then a preliminary hearing or a waiver. When the case moves up, the District Attorney files the formal charges, a document known as the information. Still ahead are the formal arraignment and a pretrial conference, where many deals get struck, then a plea or trial follow.

• M3: a year in jail and a $2,500 fine at the most
• M2: 2 years and $5,000 at the most
• M1: 5 years and $10,000 at the most (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 1101, 1104)

Under the general impairment tier, DUI number one or two is graded a misdemeanor and can bring six months in jail at most (75 Pa.C.S. § 3803). A refusal, a higher alcohol level or more past offenses push the grade up. Lawmakers changed this law in 2022, 2025 and 2026. A defense lawyer can say which version applies. DUI pleas go to DUI Court at the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, and Court Administration, 717-248-4613, keeps that calendar.

Two programs can steer a case away from a regular conviction:

• Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD). Who gets offered it is up to the District Attorney, and it goes mostly to first offenders. The defendant applies, the DA has to recommend them, and a judge approves and sets the terms. Plan on fees, classes, a period of supervision and some unpaid service hours. Finish every piece and the judge dismisses the charges, which can usually be expunged later (Pa.R.Crim.P. 310 and following). DUI defendants are accepted into ARD at DUI Court.
• Adult Treatment Court. This program is for county residents whose non-violent crimes grow out of addiction. It can come before or after a plea. Homicide, robbery, sex offenses and other listed crimes are barred. A team reviews each person every two weeks.

Ask the District Attorney's Office, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-9800, about either one. The ARD expungement form comes from Probation and Parole, Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953.

A felony climbs through these stages:

1. Preliminary arraignment by video or in person, where bail is set.
2. Central Court on a Wednesday, to waive or ask for the preliminary hearing.
3. Preliminary hearing at the MDJ's office, if asked for, to test for a prima facie case.
4. Formal arraignment before the Common Pleas judge, often six to eight weeks later. Here the defendant is given the information and a plea is entered.
5. Pretrial conference, a meeting where many cases end in a plea deal.
6. Trial before 12 jurors or a judge sitting alone. To convict, the DA needs proof beyond a reasonable doubt and a unanimous jury.
7. Sentencing, after the court's probation staff write a pre-sentence report.

Top penalties run like this: F3, 7 years and $15,000; F2, 10 years and $25,000; F1, 20 years and $25,000 (18 Pa.C.S. §§ 1101, 1103). Appeals from a conviction go to the Superior Court. The District Attorney's Office, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-9800, handles felony prosecutions here.

The District Attorney's Office, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-9800, takes these cases through the Court of Common Pleas. Several rules change when a charge is grave:

• Holding without bail. This is allowed only for charges that could mean execution or life imprisonment, or when only jail can keep others from harm. The DA carries the burden of proof (Pa. Const. art. I, § 14).
• Murder sentences. For first degree, the options are death or life behind bars. Second degree means a life sentence. Third degree is punished by as much as 40 years (18 Pa.C.S. § 1102).
• Teens tried as adults. Murder, or certain armed violent crimes, puts a youth of 15 or older in adult court from day one.
• Victims weigh in. In injury crimes and burglaries, the victim may comment on a plea offer and speak before sentencing.
• Longer terms. A maximum of 5 years or beyond means the Department of Corrections takes over (42 Pa.C.S. § 9762).

Adult Treatment Court also turns away violent offenses, so these cases usually follow the full felony path.

Charges in this county are brought and argued by the District Attorney's Office, which works from the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-9800. Crime Victim Services operates inside that office at 717-242-3372.

Defendants who can't cover private counsel are served by the Public Defender. It sits on the courthouse's third floor, 717-914-6590. Its caseload covers felonies, misdemeanors, juvenile matters and summary charges that could bring jail. To apply, the person signs a sworn statement about income (16 P.S. § 9960.1 and following). Pick up the form at the office or start from the Public Defender's page.

Families may hire a private lawyer instead. Either way, bring the docket number to the first meeting.

Pennsylvania's courts run one free website for criminal dockets. To use the UJS case search:

1. Pick the search type for a participant's name.
2. Enter the person's last name, then first name, and choose Mifflin in the county menu.
3. On the results, the docket sheet lists each count, the bail, upcoming dates and the courtroom.

You need no account. Brand-new filings may show up late. Sealed, expunged and juvenile files are kept off the site. Stuck? The Clerk of Courts, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-8146, can search for you with a name and birth date.

Sheriff's deputies take charge of Common Pleas bench warrants. Any other kind is usually served by a police officer or a constable. Ask the Sheriff, at the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-242-1105. Wanted lists: the PSP Ten Most Wanted (tips 800-472-8477), the FBI wanted list and the Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted. Domestic Relations keeps a support bench warrant list, 717-248-3955. Any pending case will be listed in the UJS case search. The usual fix is a planned surrender, arranged by defense counsel, in front of the issuing judge. The Clerk of Courts, same building, 717-248-8146, issues criminal bench warrant orders.

Federal crimes charged in this county land in the Harrisburg division of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Its clerk's office: Sylvia H. Rambo United States Courthouse, 1501 North 6th Street, Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-221-3920.

• Soon after the first court appearance, a judge holds a hearing on release or custody until trial (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• The judge's background report on the defendant is drafted by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, 1501 N. 6th St., Suite 100, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-901-2860.
• The U.S. Marshals Service locks up federal defendants awaiting trial and escorts them to each hearing. District office: 235 North Washington Avenue, Unit 215, Scranton, PA 18503, 570-346-7277. A few stay at MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
• The federal defender's Harrisburg office takes clients who cannot pay, at 100 Chestnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (third floor), 717-782-2237.
• Once a sentence is imposed, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

It does not; the local charges go forward as usual. A detainer matters at the moment the person would be set free.

1. ICE sends Form I-247A to MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
2. It requests a hold of up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Galarza v. Szalczyk (3d Cir. 2014) lets jails turn a detainer down; that appeals court's circuit includes Pennsylvania. Keeping someone on that basis alone may leave a county paying damages. Policies therefore vary from jail to jail; MCCF staff can describe the local one.
4. ICE's Philadelphia Field Office, 114 N. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-656-7164, covers every Pennsylvania county.
5. Find a person ICE has taken with the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

The longest possible stay under the sentence, its maximum, picks the place (42 Pa.C.S. § 9762):

• A maximum shorter than 2 years means the county jail, MCCF, 103 West Market Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-1130.
• A maximum of 2 years but less than 5 usually means state prison. To keep the term local, the warden, the prosecutor and the judge all have to agree.
• Any top term from 5 years upward is served in a state prison.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections first sends new prisoners to a classification center for weeks or months. Then it assigns a prison. Use the DOC inmate locator to follow the move, and see our page on Pennsylvania state prisons. DOC headquarters is at 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050, 717-728-2573.

A youth under 18 is usually charged in juvenile court, not adult court (42 Pa.C.S. § 6301 and following). One county office supervises both adults and youths: Probation and Parole, Courthouse Annex, 101 West Third Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-248-3953.

• Youths who need secure custody go to juvenile detention. The county is a co-owner of the Central Counties Youth Center, 148 Paradise Road, Bellefonte, PA 16823, 814-355-0650.
• Juvenile Drug Court is a 9 to 12 month program for youths with drug problems.
• The Public Defender takes juvenile cases from the courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-914-6590.
• Youths 15 and up facing murder, or one of the listed armed violent crimes, have their cases begin in adult court.
• The public docket website leaves out juvenile files.

Crime Victim Services in the District Attorney's Office, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, 717-242-3372, walks victims through each court date. Pennsylvania's Crime Victims Act gives them rights (18 P.S. § 11.101 and following):

• To be told about the case and about release or escape in injury crimes
• To comment on bail
• To comment on plea deals and sentencing in injury cases and burglaries
• To seek restitution for losses

PA SAVIN sends free custody alerts through VINELink or by phone at 866-972-7284 (TTY 866-847-1298). The state's victim compensation program answers at 800-233-2339. For abuse, The Abuse Network, 31 South Dorcas Street, Lewistown, PA 17044, runs a 24-hour hotline at 717-242-2444.

Relatives and friends of a defendant should stay well away from the victim, since sending messages through them can break bail conditions.