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Court Administration

Court Administration

Berks County Court of Common Pleas
Brendan L. Harker, District Court Administrator


Coat of Arms

Mission Statement

Provide administrative services and technical assistance to Court of Common Pleas judges and magisterial district judges that helps to build public trust and confidence in the judiciary.

Overview

The office of the District Court Administrator was established in Pennsylvania to reduce the burden of administrative duties of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. Over the years, the court administration function grew to include four Deputy Court Administrators and over 30 specialists working as court interpreters, protection from abuse facilitators, jury clerks, secretaries and data analysts.

The District Court Administrator's Office today provides technical assistance and administrative support to the Court of Common Pleas judges, magisterial district judges and the various departments of the Court. In addition, the District Court Administrator is the President Judge's chief delegate for coordination and communication with the County of Berks executive branch officials, including the Board of Commissioners. Other Court business that involves this office includes human resources management and development for the more than 400 Court-appointed employees in the 23rd Judicial District, budgetary responsibility for the more than $28 million operating budget, jury management, scheduling of court hearings, information systems development, public relations, and liaison functions with various groups and agencies.

Services

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Language Access and Interpreter Services
Committed to ensuring that persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), or who are deaf or hard of hearing, have equal access to the Courts and all available court services. 
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How To Pay Court Fines
Follow the link below to learn more about how to pay your fines and cost in Berks County.
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Information and Resources

Court Schedules

Featured Links

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which provides that “no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of the services, programs, or activities of a public entity, or be subjected to discrimination by any such entity”.
All transcripts of official court proceedings shall be prepared only upon written authorization or order of Court. No transcript of any official court proceeding may be prepared without the written consent of the Common Pleas Court judge assigned to the respective case. In the event that the assigned judge cannot be contacted by all exhaustive means, the authorization must be made by the respective Administrative Judge or the President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
The mission of the Berks County Bar Association is to support the legal profession by promoting professional excellence, encouraging collegiality and exercising advocacy on its behalf. The Association also strives to support the community by publishing the Berks County Law Journal, providing educational programs for the public, assuring access to justice and protecting the integrity of the legal system in Berks County.