Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts

Criminal Clerk vs Civil Clerk

Pennsylvania splits county court records across several elected offices. The Clerk of Courts is the criminal clerk. The Prothonotary is the civil clerk. The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court handles estates and marriage licenses. So the office you contact depends on the kind of case you want.

This split trips up many searchers. A felony sentence and a civil money judgment both come from the Court of Common Pleas, yet they sit in different offices. Criminal and juvenile files belong to the Clerk of Courts. Divorce, liens, and judgments belong to the Prothonotary. Knowing which clerk holds the record saves time.

• Clerk of Courts - criminal and juvenile Common Pleas records, fines, costs, and restitution.
• Prothonotary - civil and family Common Pleas records.
• Register of Wills / Orphans' Court - estates, wills, and marriage licenses.

Each office has its own elected official and its own counter. A request for a criminal docket, a guilty plea, or a restitution balance starts here. A civil case starts with the Prothonotary instead.

About the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts

Megan A. Loughner is listed by the county as the Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts. The office is responsible for keeping records and dockets for the Court of Common Pleas in criminal and juvenile proceedings. It works out of the courthouse complex in downtown Greensburg, near the other county row offices.

The office states its mission as securing and keeping accurate, up-to-date information on all criminal and juvenile proceedings. It serves the courts, the public, the legal community, and the media when they need to record or retrieve records. The office also collects fines, costs, and restitution, with a stated goal of restoring restitution to crime victims.

What the Clerk of Courts Does in Westmoreland County

The office handles the criminal and juvenile docket from start to finish. Once a case is held for court and moves up from a magisterial district judge, the Clerk of Courts records it. Staff log filings, track court events, and keep the official criminal file for each defendant.

The main duties group into a few categories.

• Keep records and dockets for criminal Common Pleas cases.
• Keep records and dockets for juvenile proceedings.
• Collect fines, costs, and restitution from defendants.
• Direct restitution money back to crime victims.
• Serve the public, the bar, and the media seeking criminal case data.

Money handling is a big part of the job. The bookkeeping line is separate from the main office line, which is useful if you are paying or asking about a balance. For how a criminal case reaches this office, see the Court of Common Pleas page, and for arrest records see arrest records.

Criminal Record Terms to Know

Criminal docket language can be hard to read at first. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt. A disposition is the result. The terms below show up often on a Westmoreland County criminal docket and help explain what you are looking at.

Commonwealth

Pennsylvania as the prosecuting party in a criminal case.

Defendant

The person accused in a criminal matter.

Disposition

The result of a charge or the case as a whole.

OTN

Offense tracking number that links police and court records in Pennsylvania.

Restitution

Money a defendant must pay to make a victim whole.

Bail

Security set for release while a case is pending.

A docket can show a charge that was later dropped, so a filing is not the same as a conviction. Read the disposition before you draw any conclusion about the outcome.

How to Request Criminal Court Copies

A certified copy carries the office seal and proves the record is genuine. Courts, employers in lawful settings, and agencies often want a certified copy of a sentence or plea, not a screen print. An uncertified portal printout will not always be accepted. Plan for a short wait if you mail your request.

1. Find the criminal docket number first; use UJS or call the Clerk of Courts if you do not have it.
2. Tell the office which document you need and how many certified copies.
3. Submit the request in person or by mail to Suite 203 in Greensburg.
4. Pay the copy and certification fee the office quotes you.
5. Pick up the copy at the counter or wait for it to arrive by mail.

Some criminal records are not open. Juvenile files are restricted, and expunged or limited-access cases are removed from public view. If a record is sealed, you may need a court order before the office can release it.

Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts Fees

Copy and certification fees are set by the office, and the county did not post a single combined fee sheet in the sources reviewed. Rather than guess at amounts, confirm the current charge with the Clerk of Courts before you mail a request or visit the counter. Fees can change, and they vary by document and page count.

The bookkeeping line is the right number for payment and balance questions. The main office line is best for copy requests and docket help.

Searching Criminal Dockets Online

Public docket sheets for criminal cases are available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. The Clerk of Courts keeps the official paper file, but the statewide portal lets you view dockets for free. Set the county to Westmoreland so common names do not pull the whole state. The docket number is the most exact way to search.

Use the UJS docket-sheet search for a docket formatted by court level, or the UJS Case Search for a broad lookup. The county also points to UJS for inmate charges and bond. Its inmate page sends searchers to UJS docket sheets for that detail, since the jail roster does not show charges.

One caution: not every case shows online. UJS warns that juvenile cases, expunged cases, and limited-access cases under Clean Slate may not display even with the right terms. When the portal shows nothing, the case may still exist, be sealed, or be too old for the portal. The county also links the Clerk of Courts public-records page to UJS for this reason. For more on docket formats, see court dockets.

A criminal docket from the Clerk of Courts shows more than a name. It carries the docket number, the charges with their statute and grade, the bail, the attorney of record, and the disposition. It also lists the fines, costs, and restitution the office collects. Because the Clerk of Courts works to restore restitution to victims, the financial section is a real part of the record, not an afterthought. Reading those fields together gives the full picture of a criminal case.

Related Westmoreland County Resources

For civil cases, divorce, and judgments, see the Prothonotary page, since the civil clerk keeps those files, not the Clerk of Courts. For arrest and booking information, see arrest records. For a full view of the court system and how to search dockets, see court records and court dockets. A criminal case often starts in a Magisterial District Court before it reaches the Clerk of Courts, so the Court of Common Pleas page explains how a case moves up through the system.