Bedford County Court Cases and Felony Records
Bedford County is part of Pennsylvania's 57th Judicial District, with its seat in the borough of Bedford. Like several rural Pennsylvania counties, Bedford uses a combined Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office to manage both civil and criminal records. Felony records are available to the public through the courthouse on South Juliana Street, through the statewide UJS online portal, and through state agency databases. This page covers where to look, who handles the records, and how Pennsylvania law shapes public access to criminal case files in Bedford County.
Bedford County Quick Facts
Bedford County Felony Records and Public Access
Felony charges in Bedford County are processed through the Court of Common Pleas in the 57th Judicial District. When a felony case is filed, it becomes a public record under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9101, the Criminal History Record Information Act. This law defines what criminal record data is public, who can access it, and under what conditions it may be restricted. Most felony dockets in Bedford County are fully open for public review unless a judge has specifically ordered a record sealed or the case falls under a protected category.
Bedford County is a rural county in south-central Pennsylvania. Its court system handles a relatively smaller volume of cases than urban counties, but the rules governing public access are the same statewide rules that apply everywhere else in Pennsylvania. Anyone can request to view or obtain copies of felony case records without needing to state a reason.
Note: While the docket sheet for a case is public, some attachments and filings within that docket may be restricted if a judge has entered a protective order or the document involves a minor.
Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary Office in Bedford
Sheri Lowery holds the combined position of Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts for Bedford County. Her office is located at 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA 15522. The main phone number is 814-623-4833, and the fax is 814-623-4831. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
As the Clerk of Courts, Lowery's office maintains all criminal case files for Bedford County, including felony charges, guilty pleas, verdicts, and sentencing records. As the Prothonotary, the same office handles civil dockets, real estate records, and other non-criminal filings. When you contact the office about a felony case, be clear that you are asking about a criminal matter so staff can pull from the right set of records.
Certified copies of docket entries and case documents can be requested in person or by mail. Fees for copies vary depending on the type of document and the number of pages. Calling ahead to confirm the current fee schedule is a good idea before making the trip to the courthouse.
The Bedford County website at www.bedfordcountypa.org provides general county information and links to department contacts. That site is a useful starting point when looking for forms, filing instructions, or contact details for county offices.
Bedford County Website and Official Resources
The image below is sourced from the Bedford County official website.
The county site includes links to the Clerk of Courts office, county departments, and other resources relevant to court record access.
For the most current information about court schedules, judge assignments, and local rules in the 57th Judicial District, the county website and the PA Courts system page work together to give a full picture. Local rules can affect how quickly records are processed and what forms are required for certain requests, so reviewing them before filing anything is worthwhile.
PA Courts Bedford County Felony Records Page
Pennsylvania's unified court administration maintains a county-specific page for Bedford at pacourts.us. That page lists the sitting judges, court administration staff, and procedural resources for the 57th Judicial District. It is the authoritative source for information about how the local court is structured and who holds key positions.
The image below is sourced from the PA Courts Bedford County page.
The PA Courts system ties Bedford County's local court operations to the statewide judicial framework, ensuring consistent access rules across all 67 counties.
The public records section of the state courts site at pacourts.us/public-records/court-case-information explains in plain language what types of court records can be requested, how to submit a request, and what to expect in terms of processing time and fees. Reviewing that page first can save time when you know exactly what kind of document you need.
UJS Docket Search for Bedford County Cases
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch is the primary online tool for searching Bedford County felony records. You can search by name, docket number, or filing date. Results display the full docket sheet, including all charges, hearing dates, dispositions, and sentencing entries. No login or account is needed for public docket searches.
The UJS system covers both the Court of Common Pleas and the magisterial district courts in Bedford County. This means you can find both the preliminary hearing record from an MDJ court and the subsequent Common Pleas docket for the same case, all in one search. Having both records side by side helps you trace the full history of a case from initial charge to final disposition.
For cases involving multiple defendants or co-conspirators, running separate searches on each name will give you individual docket sheets. The portal does not automatically link co-defendant cases, so each search must be done individually. That said, docket sheets often reference co-defendants by name within the narrative entries, which can help you identify related cases.
Note: The UJS portal shows public docket information. Records that have been sealed through Clean Slate or a court order will not appear in search results.
Magisterial District Courts in Bedford County
Bedford County has five magisterial district courts that handle preliminary hearings, bail decisions, and initial arraignments for felony cases before they are sent to the Court of Common Pleas. Knowing which MDJ serves a particular area of the county can help you locate the earliest filed records for a case.
The five MDJ offices are:
- MDJ 57-3-00: 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA, 814-624-2254
- MDJ 57-3-01: 1563 Market Street, Schellsburg, PA, 814-733-4375
- MDJ 57-3-02: 120 West John Street, Bedford, PA, 814-623-6918
- MDJ 57-3-03: 2510 Raystown Road, Everett, PA, 814-652-2128
- MDJ 57-3-04: 500 State Street, Everett, PA, 814-652-2523
Felony charges that begin at any of these offices are transferred to the Court of Common Pleas after the preliminary hearing. Both the MDJ record and the Common Pleas record are searchable through the UJS portal under different docket prefixes.
Bedford County Felony Records and Statewide Background Checks
Pennsylvania's PATCH system, run by the Pennsylvania State Police and accessible at epatch.state.pa.us, provides name-based criminal history searches covering all 67 counties, including Bedford. A PATCH search returns a consolidated record showing conviction history, charge descriptions, and sentence outcomes. It is a reliable way to check whether someone has a felony conviction anywhere in the state without knowing which county handled the case.
PATCH draws from the state's central criminal history repository, which is fed by court dispositions from all county courts. Convictions entered in Bedford County Court of Common Pleas flow into PATCH and appear in statewide searches. This makes PATCH a useful complement to the county-specific UJS docket search.
A key difference between the two tools is depth. PATCH gives you a summary of convictions. The UJS docket gives you the full procedural record. Both have their uses, and for thorough research, checking both is the most complete approach.
Expungement and Sealing of Felony Records in Bedford
Pennsylvania law gives people convicted of certain offenses the ability to have their records sealed or expunged under specific conditions. Expungement under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121 removes the record from public access entirely. Sealing under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 restricts who can see the record, keeping it visible to law enforcement but hiding it from most public searches and background check tools.
The Clean Slate 3.0 law, which became effective on February 12, 2024, expanded the automatic sealing process for eligible convictions. Under current Pennsylvania law, low-level felony convictions can be automatically sealed after 10 years if the person has had no new criminal convictions during that period. Misdemeanor convictions qualify after 7 years, and summary convictions are auto-sealed after 5. More serious felony offenses, including violent crimes and sex offenses, are not eligible for automatic sealing and require a formal petition or pardon.
Petitions for expungement or sealing in Bedford County are filed with the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk of Courts office can provide information on the required forms. For offenses that do not qualify for either process, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons at bop.pa.gov offers a path through the clemency process. A pardon from the Governor, following a recommendation from the Board, can sometimes lead to expungement of an otherwise permanent felony record.
Note: Even after sealing, some agencies retain access to sealed records under exceptions defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122, including criminal justice agencies and certain licensing boards.
Right-to-Know Requests for Bedford County Records
The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 gives Pennsylvania residents the ability to request public records from government agencies. Bedford County processes these requests through its open records officer. Court records are governed by judicial branch rules rather than RTKL, but county administrative records, law enforcement reports, and other government documents may be requested through the RTKL process.
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov is the state agency responsible for overseeing RTKL compliance. Their site has templates for filing a request, information about timelines, and guidance for handling a denial or appeal. If you are not sure whether your request should go to the court or to a county agency, the Office of Open Records can help you figure that out.
For records that fall under the judicial branch, such as felony dockets and case files, the right process is to contact the Clerk of Courts directly or use the public access tools through the court system. The judicial branch operates under its own public access policy, which is separate from RTKL but still provides broad access to most criminal case records.
DOC Inmate Locator for Bedford County Felony Cases
People convicted of felonies in Bedford County who receive state sentences serve their time in Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facilities. The DOC Inmate Locator at cor.pa.gov lets you search for current state inmates by name or inmate number. The results show the facility where the person is housed, along with sentence and release information.
Not every felony conviction in Bedford County results in a state sentence. Judges sometimes impose county jail time, probation, or other alternative sentences, particularly for lower-level felony offenses. The DOC locator only covers people who are in state custody, so someone serving a county sentence will not appear in those results. For county jail information, contacting the local facility directly is the right approach.
Combining the court docket, the PATCH record, and the DOC locator gives the most complete picture of a person's felony case history and current status in Pennsylvania's criminal justice system.
Bedford County Court Records Reference Table
| Office | Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts (combined) |
|---|---|
| Official | Sheri Lowery |
| Address | 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA 15522 |
| Phone | 814-623-4833 |
| Fax | 814-623-4831 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Judicial District | 57th |
| County Seat | Bedford |
Cities in Bedford County
Bedford County includes the borough of Bedford as its county seat, along with Everett, Schellsburg, Saxton, Claysburg, and several rural townships spread across the county. Criminal cases originating in any part of the county feed into the Court of Common Pleas in Bedford. Felony charges from communities like Everett or Schellsburg typically start at the nearest magisterial district court before moving up to Common Pleas, where the main public docket is maintained and searchable through the statewide UJS system.
Nearby Counties
Bedford County shares borders with several Pennsylvania counties. If a case involves activity in a neighboring jurisdiction or you are researching records from a nearby area, the links below connect you to those county record pages.