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The Philadelphia Municipal Court is a
trial court A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually made by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). Mos ...
of
limited jurisdiction Limited jurisdiction, or special jurisdiction, is the court's jurisdiction only on certain types of cases such as bankruptcy, and family matters. Courts of limited jurisdiction, as opposed to general jurisdiction, derive power from an issuing auth ...
seated in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. It has 27 judges elected by the voters of Philadelphia. The Municipal Court has three divisions: the Criminal Division, the Civil Division, and the Traffic Division. Within the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, it serves as a substitute for the magisterial district courts that serve the rest of the Commonwealth. It is a part of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. The Criminal Division hears trials for misdemeanors and summary offenses. It also hears preliminary matters in
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that res ...
cases before they are transferred to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The Criminal Division is seated at the Justice Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice. The Civil Division has jurisdiction over small claims,
landlord A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, t ...
tenant Tenant may refer to: Real estate *Tenant, the holder of a leasehold estate in real estate *Tenant-in-chief, in feudal land law *Tenement (law), the holder of a legal interest in real estate *Tenant farmer *Anchor tenant, one of the larger stores ...
eviction Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee (often, the prior owners who defaulted on a mortgag ...
s, and civil enforcement claims by the City of Philadelphia for violations of the Philadelphia Code. The maximum principal amount allowed to be filed for in most cases is $12,000. However, the City of Philadelphia may seek up to $15,000 in delinquent
real estate tax A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inherit ...
debt and up to $12,500 in other delinquent taxes or utilities debt. There is also no limit for landlord tenant evictions in cases that leave the landlord with back rent and damages. The Civil Division is seated at the Widener Building at 1339 Chestnut Street (adjoining
One South Broad One South Broad, also known as the Lincoln-Liberty Building or PNB Building, is a 28-storey, story office tower in Center City, Philadelphia, Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The art deco tower, designed by architect John ...
). The Traffic Division of Municipal Court was established by Act 17 of 2013 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly which abolished the former Philadelphia Traffic Court and transferred its jurisdiction to the Municipal Court. The Traffic Division is seated at the Traffic Court's former facilities at 800 Spring Garden Street, making it the only courthouse in Philadelphia outside Center City (at least by some definitions).


See also

*
Judiciary of Pennsylvania The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania is the unified state court system of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Courts The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the state supreme court and court of last resort."Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,Rydal-M ...
*
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System. It also claims to be the oldest appellate court in the United States, a claim that is disputed by the Massachusetts Supreme Ju ...
*
City court City court or municipal court is a court of law with jurisdiction limited to a city or other municipality. It typically addresses "violations of city ordinances and may also have jurisdiction over minor criminal cases...and over certain civil case ...


External links


Philadelphia Municipal Court Homepage


References

{{Reflist Government of Philadelphia Pennsylvania state courts Municipal courts Courts and tribunals with year of establishment missing