Departments & Staff, District Court 15-1-04

• District Court 15-1-04

• Judge Knapp

• Court Contacts & Hours

• Facts & Figures

Departments & Staff

• The District & Directions

• Citations & Warrants

• Civil Complaints

• Wedding Ceremonies

• YACC

• Teen Court

• Useful Resources

Judge Gwenn S. Knapp / District Court 15-1-04

Departments & Staff
Criminal • Traffic • Non-Traffic • Civil

Please Note: Court employees may not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice or representation, feel free to call Legal Aid of Chester County at 610-436-4510 or visit them at 14 E. Biddle Street, West Chester, PA 19380.
Office Manager Jenn's job is to keep court operations running smoothly, provide oversight to all departments and to assist in each when needed. She prepares reports, tracks data, and ensures compliance with procedures.	Criminal Department Amber manages cases filed as Criminal Complaints. These are violations graded as Misdemeanors and Felonies. Preliminary Arraignments, including setting of Bail, and Preliminary Hearings in these cases occur at the District Court level. They are transferred to the Court of Common Pleas for trial. Search Warrants and Arrest Warrants are also processed at the District Court level, and are part of Amber's area of expertise.	Traffic Department Brenda is in charge of Traffic Citations – including Parking – filed in the court. These are graded as Summary violations, have fines set by statute, and proceed according to specific timetables beginning when a Defendant receives their Citation or Summons. Brenda dockets these cases, sends out Summonses, receives pleas and payments, schedules hearings, sets up payment plans, and prepares Arrest Warrants for failure to respond or failure to pay, if needed. [Click: How to respond to a Citation]	Non-Traffic Department Karen manages Summary Citations for Non-Traffic violations. These include Statutory matters such as Underage Drinking, Public Drunkenness, Disorderly Conduct, Simple Trespass, and some Retail Theft, and also violatons of local Ordinances related to such things as Noise, Open Container, Snow and Trash Removal, and other Building Code matters. Karen's duties relative to Non-Traffic Citations mirror those in the Traffic Department. [Click: How to respond to a Citation] [Click: Interested in Teen Court?]
Civil Department Janet is responsible for Civil Complaint filings. This includes Landlord-Tenant matters, and claims for monetary values up to $8,000 arising out of Contract and Liability disputes. Civil cases can have many variables within the guidelines of the applicable Rules. For example, Filing Fees depend upon things like amount of judgment sought, number of Defendants, and type of Service. [Click: Civil Forms & Fees]	Traffic & Non-Traffic Brooke is knowledgable in all departments, and assists primarily in the traffic department with docketing, mailings, managing pleas and payments, and scheduling hearings. Her strong experience and expertise make her a go-to person wherever extra help is needed. She is also the main support person for weddings at the court. [Click: Wedding Information]	Traffic & Non-Traffic Becky is trained to backup each department as needed. Her efficiency, willingness to help, and great disposition make her a great asset to those needing assistance in person or by phone, and a great team player to the rest of the staff.	Traffic & Non-Traffic Heather is also trained to backup each department as needed. Her background includes having been a "floater" for District Justice Administration, in which capacity she provided support to various district courts throughout the county. She kindly offers her knowledgeable assistance to all.