Bucks County 07-1-01 Magisterial District Court

When you or a family member has to appear in a Bucks County Magisterial District Court, and the date is fast approaching, you may be worried or anxious about what is facing you. It’s essential to have someone by your side to answer your questions and represent you in a criminal or traffic case. Fienman Defense has handled cases in Pennsylvania’s Magisterial Courts hundreds of times, providing clients with a caring and tenacious defense.

You may have received a notification to appear in Bucks County Magisterial District Court 07-1-01 in Bensalem or received a summons for a traffic citation, preliminary arraignment, preliminary hearing, bench warrant or non-jury trial in this court. If so, you will appear before Magisterial District Judge, Mike Gallagher.

Magisterial District Court 07-1-01 is located in Bensalem. The election districts covered within this Magisterial District Court are Lower East 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8; Lower West; Lower Middle 1, 2, 3, 4; and Upper West.

There are two Magisterial District Courts in Bensalem, so it is important for you to carefully check your paperwork to make certain you appear in the correct court.

The Magisterial District Court in Bensalem is a minor court responsible for deciding all traffic and non-traffic citations. Bucks County Magisterial District Courts handle preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings for criminal cases, landlord/tenant disputes up to $8,000 and civil cases with smaller damage claims.

Magisterial District Courts in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Bucks County Magisterial District Courts decide all summary offenses, Pennsylvania’s least serious offense level. These include offenses such as criminal mischief, harassment, disorderly conduct, underage drinking, driving with a suspended license and first offense retail theft (shoplifting) of items under $150.

Pennsylvania’s Magisterial District Courts are presided over by magisterial judges who can administer oaths and perform marriages. There are 20 Magisterial District Courts in Bucks County. Criminal cases start in these courts before working their way up to the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas. Every year Bucks County district courts handle approximately 130,000 cases, including approximately 10,000 criminal cases.

Bucks County criminal cases begin in Magisterial District Court. Misdemeanor and felony case start with preliminary arraignments and preliminary hearings. The next step in the court system for misdemeanor and felony cases is the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.

If you are charged with a traffic or criminal offense in Bucks County, you will need an experienced Philly defense attorney. Depending on the circumstances of your case, there are many defenses that a skilled lawyer can use to help you. Even minor offenses such as summary offenses can create major problems for you or a loved one. If you are convicted of a summary offense, you can face up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $300.  With a prior conviction, your punishment might be as many as 180 days in jail.

How a Bucks County Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help You in a Bensalem Courtroom

It may be tempting to plead guilty to a summary offense so you can put the whole experience behind you. You may believe you can handle your court case yourself. However, the outcome of your case will be critically important to your future. Not only can you land in jail, which will disrupt your life and can even cost you your job, but you may also be burdened with a criminal record that will have far-reaching implications for you.

It’s important to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney who can defend you against summary offense charges and help you attain a positive outcome. A lawyer who knows their way around the Bucks County Magisterial District Courts can give you sound advice and, depending on the circumstances, be able to get the charges against you lessened or even dismissed.

For more information on the Magisterial District Courts in Bucks County, see Bucks County court site information. To find more information about your case, visit the Unified Judicial System of Pennslyvania Web Portal here.