How does a criminal or DUI case in West Chester work?

Last updated October 25, 2026.

Most West Chester cases are filed by the West Chester Police Department, 401 East Gay Street, and start at one of two district courts split by ward. Wards 3, 6 and 7 go to District Court 15-1-01 inside the Chester County Justice Center; wards 1, 2, 4 and 5 go to District Court 15-1-04 at 21 West Market Street. A case held for court moves to the Court of Common Pleas in the same Justice Center. Many borough cases never get that far: they are summary citations, such as public drunkenness, open bottle or noise, decided at the district court.

Giribaldi Law serves clients in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties from our office in Media. For how cases are routed across the rest of the county, see our overview of criminal, DUI and family cases in Chester County.

Which court and office handles each step?

The borough is split between two district courts by ward, so the ward where the stop or incident happened decides your courtroom, not where you live. The police department's own advice is simple: the district information is printed at the top of the citation. Read it before you go anywhere.

The department also covers more than the borough. When someone calls 911 about an incident in West Chester Borough or East Bradford Township, the Chester County 911 Center transfers the call to the West Chester Police Communication Center, and the department's annual reports cover both places. A case from East Bradford goes to District Court 15-1-01 along with wards 3, 6 and 7.

How does a West Chester case move, step by step?

1. The stop, arrest or citation, usually by West Chester police. Lower-level offenses are usually charged by summons; the department's 2023 report counts 1,066 criminal summonses.
2. Preliminary arraignment and bail. A district judge sets bail. On weekdays until 4:00 p.m., bail for Common Pleas cases is posted at the Clerk of Courts in the Justice Center; after hours it is posted at Chester County Prison, after calling ahead. How release types work is explained in how bail works in Pennsylvania.
3. The preliminary hearing at your ward's district court. It must be scheduled within 14 days of the preliminary arraignment if you are held only on this case, or 21 days otherwise (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)). What happens there is covered in the preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania.
4. ARD or the trial track. For a DUI, Chester County's DUI-ARD application is made at the preliminary hearing, together with a waiver of that hearing; our comparison of DUI ARD in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties sets out the local rules.
5. The Justice Center for the ARD hearing, formal arraignment, trial and sentencing; see what to expect at the Chester County Justice Center.

The statewide stages, from booking to trial, are laid out in our guide to what happens after an arrest, written with Delaware County details for comparison. Drunk driving cases add a license case and county classes, covered in what happens after a DUI arrest, step by step.

What do West Chester police statistics show?

The department's 2023 annual report, the latest one posted on the borough's site, gives a picture of local enforcement in the borough and East Bradford Township. Officers answered 39,707 calls for service in 2023, up 6 percent from 2022, and the police lobby took 5,244 walk-in complaints. Reported crime fell about 10 percent, from 1,770 to 1,592.

The pattern is clear: criminal summonses outnumber criminal arrests about three to one, and public drunkenness alone accounts for more than a quarter of them. The 2022 report explains why. It describes assaults and combative behavior in the early morning hours in the Central Business District, attributes them to alcohol consumption, and points to patrons from across the tri-state area as well as West Chester University. These are counts of police activity, not convictions, but they show what a typical West Chester case looks like.

What happens with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct or underage drinking?

Most of these are summary offenses, the lowest grade in Pennsylvania, decided by the district judge without a jury. Public drunkenness is a summary offense with a fine of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $1,000 for later ones (18 Pa.C.S. 5505). Disorderly conduct, which includes making unreasonable noise, is usually a summary offense, but it becomes a third-degree misdemeanor if the person meant to cause substantial harm or serious inconvenience, or kept going after a reasonable warning to stop (18 Pa.C.S. 5503(b)). How the two charges differ in practice is covered in whether disorderly conduct and public drunkenness are crimes.

Underage drinking matters in a college town. Under 18 Pa.C.S. 6308, a person under 21 who buys, possesses, consumes or transports alcohol commits a summary offense, with a fine of up to $500 for a first violation and $1,000 after that. The district judge may admit someone who has not had a preadjudication disposition for this offense before to an adjudication alternative or another preadjudication disposition, and the police must notify the parents or guardian of a minor who is charged. Open bottle and noise ordinance summonses are counted separately in the department's report.

A summary conviction can still be appealed. The Chester County Clerk of Courts accepts a notice of summary appeal within 30 days of the guilty plea or verdict, with a $51 filing fee, and a later appeal needs a petition to file nunc pro tunc. Whether a summary conviction stays on your record is explained in what a summary offense is in Pennsylvania.

How do I get a police report or deal with a parking ticket?

The Records Division, on the first floor of the Borough Municipal Building, lists these fees: $15 for an accident report, $15 for a crime report, $10 for miscellaneous non-criminal reports, $25 for a complete fatal accident report and $25 for a recorded disc. The department posts its own Right-to-Know form and a separate form for police recordings under Act 22 of 2017. In a pending criminal case, though, the full file and video usually come through discovery from the District Attorney.

Parking tickets run through the borough's Parking Services office, not the police. You can pay online, by phone, by mail or in person from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays; in person, cash must be exact change and cards carry a 3 percent fee. Tickets paid by mail within the first 14 days get a $10 discount. Disputes must be filed through the online portal, not by mail, and the office says it responds within five business days. If the appeal is denied, you can ask for a hearing before a district judge, which can add court costs. Tickets written by a West Chester police officer are disputed through the police department instead. Borough Council passed new Chapter 104 vehicle and traffic rules in 2026, including Ordinance 03-2026 on street sweeping and parking meter zones, so check the signs.

What changes the answer?

• Which ward. Wards 1, 2, 4 and 5 go to 15-1-04; wards 3, 6 and 7 go to 15-1-01 (county district court directory).
• Your age. Under 21, a drinking charge falls under 18 Pa.C.S. 6308, with a possible preadjudication disposition for a first offense.
• Whether you kept going after a warning. That can turn summary disorderly conduct into a misdemeanor (18 Pa.C.S. 5503(b)).
• Whether it is a DUI. DUI cases add the CRN evaluation, Alcohol Highway Safety School at the county's Government Services Center, and a PennDOT suspension that depends on the test result; if ARD is not available, weigh whether to accept ARD or fight the DUI.
• Your record. Chester County's DA denies ARD for a prior ARD, diversion or conviction within 10 years, among other reasons.
• A record you want cleared later. Summary convictions and dismissed charges can sometimes be expunged; see expungement, limited access and Clean Slate.

For example: a Friday night downtown

Here is a hypothetical. A 20-year-old visiting friends is stopped by West Chester police on a Friday night in ward 4 and cited for underage drinking and public drunkenness. Because the stop was in ward 4, both citations name District Court 15-1-04 on West Market Street. With a lawyer, the person asks whether a first-offense preadjudication disposition is available, instead of paying the citations by mail. A conviction for both would have meant two separate summary fines, each up to $500 for a first violation.

The same night, a driver leaving the borough is stopped on a street in ward 3 and charged with a first DUI at 0.09 percent. That case goes to District Court 15-1-01 in the Justice Center, where the driver applies for DUI-ARD at the preliminary hearing. At that result there is no ARD license suspension. This example only shows the local path; it does not predict a result.

What mistakes do people make with West Chester cases?

• Going to the wrong court. The borough has two district courts, and your ward decides which one.
• Treating a summary citation as nothing. Public drunkenness and underage drinking each carry a fine of up to $500 for a first violation, and a conviction goes on your record.
• Arguing with officers on the street. Persisting after a warning can raise disorderly conduct to a misdemeanor.
• Disputing a parking ticket by mail. The borough accepts disputes only through its online portal.
• Missing the 30-day appeal window. After that, only a nunc pro tunc petition is possible.
• Waiting on DUI-ARD. In Chester County the application is made at the preliminary hearing.

What should I do this week?

1. Find the district court number at the top of your citation or complaint, and match it to your ward.
2. Write down the time, place and names involved while you still remember them.
3. If you were released on supervised bail, call Pretrial Services at 610-344-6886 within 48 hours.
4. For a DUI, follow our first-week checklist after a DUI arrest; the statewide steps apply here.
5. Before paying any citation, ask what a conviction would mean for your record, your school or your job.
6. Arrange a consultation before the hearing date.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the West Chester police station?

At 401 East Gay Street, open 24 hours a day with a full-time dispatch center. The non-emergency number is 610-696-2700, and reports must be filed in person with proper ID.

How much is a West Chester police report?

The Records Division lists $15 for an accident or crime report, $10 for miscellaneous non-criminal reports, and $25 for a complete fatal accident report or a recorded disc.

Which district court hears my West Chester case?

District Court 15-1-01 in the Justice Center for wards 3, 6 and 7, or District Court 15-1-04 at 21 West Market Street for wards 1, 2, 4 and 5. The court is printed on your citation.

Can I get fingerprinted at the West Chester police station?

The department fingerprints residents of the borough and East Bradford Township, with proof of residency and a fingerprint card.

Is public drunkenness a crime?

It is a summary offense under 18 Pa.C.S. 5505, with a fine of up to $500 for a first violation. It is the largest named category of criminal summonses in the department's 2023 report.

Do you handle cases elsewhere in Chester County?

Yes. See our page on cases in Coatesville. For Bridge Street, see cases in Phoenixville. For Boot Road and East Caln, see cases in Downingtown.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about a West Chester case.