Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas Overview
Pennsylvania's trial court of general jurisdiction is the Court of Common Pleas. Huntingdon County is Judicial District 20, with its Court of Common Pleas seated at the Huntingdon County Courthouse, 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652. The courthouse phone listed by UJS is 814-643-4510, and court administration is 814-643-5078.
The Court of Common Pleas handles major civil and criminal cases, family matters, divorce, custody, protection from abuse, Common Pleas appeals from lower courts, and other filings assigned to the county trial court. The Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts is the filing office for civil and criminal Common Pleas records, while the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court handles probate, guardianship, adoption, and marriage records.
The county MDJ page lists the local lower-court offices that work alongside the Court of Common Pleas.
View the Huntingdon County Magisterial District Judge office list.
Huntingdon County also uses three Magisterial District Courts for local lower-court matters.
Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas Judges
UJS lists two Common Pleas judges for Huntingdon County and identifies the district court administrator. These contacts are tied to the court, not to legal advice or informal case discussion. Judges and chambers staff cannot discuss pending cases with the public.
| Name | Role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| George N. Zanic | President Judge, Court of Common Pleas of Huntingdon County | 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652 | 814-643-5078 |
| Ray A. Ghaner | Judge, Court of Common Pleas of Huntingdon County | 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652 | 814-643-5078 |
| Angela J. Robinson | District Court Administrator | 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652 | 814-643-5078 |
Huntingdon County Magisterial District Court Offices
Magisterial District Courts are Pennsylvania's local minor courts. In Huntingdon County they handle traffic citations, non-traffic summary offenses, preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, landlord-tenant actions, smaller civil claims, and local process or warrant matters. The county has three MDJ districts.
| Court Number | Judge | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-3-01 | Douglas L. Gummo | Porter Township Building, 7561 Bridge Street, Suite 1, P.O. Box 361, Alexandria, PA 16611 | 814-669-4550 |
| 20-3-02 | Rufus S. Brenneman | Bailey Building, 233 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652 | 814-643-2270 |
| 20-3-04 | Lisa M. Covert | 1 West Shirley St, Suite B, P.O. Box 25, Mount Union, PA 17066 | 814-212-9123 or 814-212-9124 |
The official statewide MDJ search page can help verify a district office before traveling.
Use the Pennsylvania Magisterial District Judge search page.
Use the county and district number when matching a citation, complaint, or hearing notice to the correct MDJ office.
Huntingdon County MDJ Mount Union Move
A June 2026 official court notice states that MDJ Lisa Covert's 20-03-04 office moved from Orbisonia to 1 West Shirley St, Suite B, P.O. Box 25, Mount Union, PA 17066. This matters for traffic, summary, preliminary criminal, and small civil users because stale directories may still show the old Orbisonia location.
Before appearing for a hearing or paying a citation in person, check the docket, court notice, or MDJ page for the district address. Going to the wrong MDJ office can cause missed hearings, late responses, or extra phone calls to correct the issue.
Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas vs Magisterial District Courts
The difference between Common Pleas and MDJ court affects where records are filed, which office can answer questions, and how a case moves after a hearing or appeal.
| Issue | Court of Common Pleas | Magisterial District Courts |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Trial court of general jurisdiction for Huntingdon County. | Local minor courts for district-level matters. |
| Criminal matters | Felony and misdemeanor cases after charges are held for court, pleas, trials, sentencing, and post-sentence proceedings. | Preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, traffic, and non-traffic summary cases. |
| Civil matters | Major civil actions, custody, divorce, PFA, judgments, liens, and appeals. | Smaller civil claims and landlord-tenant matters. |
| Record office | Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts for civil and criminal filings. | MDJ office and UJS docket system for district docket sheets. |
| Appeals | Appeals go to Pennsylvania appellate courts depending on case type. | Summary and civil appeals may move to Common Pleas. |
How Cases Move Through Huntingdon County Courts
Many criminal cases start in a Magisterial District Court. The MDJ handles the complaint, preliminary arraignment, bail, and preliminary hearing. If charges are held for court, the case moves to the Huntingdon County Court of Common Pleas for information, arraignment, plea, trial, sentencing, and post-sentence proceedings.
Criminal flow: Complaint › Preliminary arraignment › Bail › Preliminary hearing › Held for court › Common Pleas information and arraignment › Plea or trial › Sentencing › Appeal.
Traffic and summary flow: Citation or summary complaint › MDJ response, plea, payment, or hearing › Disposition › Summary appeal to Common Pleas when filed.
Civil flow: Small civil or landlord-tenant matter in MDJ court when within that court's role, or civil complaint in Common Pleas for larger civil, family, custody, divorce, PFA, judgment, lien, or appeal matters.
Huntingdon County Court Appeals Path
Appeals from the Court of Common Pleas generally go to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania for most criminal and civil matters or to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania for government-related and administrative matters. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort and usually reviews cases by discretionary allowance of appeal.
Appeals from MDJ traffic, non-traffic summary, and smaller civil matters may first move to Common Pleas. The 2026 Huntingdon County fee schedule lists a $51.00 summary appeal fee from MDJ traffic or non-traffic cases and a $115.50 appeal from magistrate civil cases.
Huntingdon County Court Records vs Federal Court Records
Huntingdon County state court records are not the same as federal court records. Huntingdon County is within the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Federal cases can include federal crimes, civil rights, constitutional claims, federal-question civil cases, diversity civil cases, habeas petitions, prisoner civil rights, and federal agency litigation.
PACER and federal CM/ECF are the official federal docket and document systems. The Middle District of Pennsylvania is separate from the county Court of Common Pleas and the MDJ courts, even when the person, incident, or property is located in Huntingdon County.
Visit the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Use the state court offices for Huntingdon County cases and federal court systems for federal district or bankruptcy cases.
Check the PACER CM/ECF lookup for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
PACER access is federal and should not be used as a substitute for UJS docket sheets or county courthouse filings.
Review the U.S. Attorney Middle District of Pennsylvania district overview.
The U.S. Attorney page describes the federal district, not the county trial court's public case-record process.