Pennsylvania Legal Overview: Altoona The Altoona metropolitan area in Pennsylvania is defined by the Census Bureau as covering Blair County. The Blair County Court of Common Pleas, located in the county seat of Hollidaysburg, is the main trial court with general jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases that are filed in the county. Listed below are the main cities in the Altoona metro area.
Top Pennsylvania cities for Legal Issues: Altoona
1. As the county’s main trial court, the Blair County Court of Common Pleas handles everything from major felonies to large civil actions, family law, probate cases and juvenile matters. Hollidaysburg, Altoona and other cities in the county have access to limited jurisdiction magisterial district judge courts. These courts can take care of traffic violations, civil claims not exceeding $12,000, non-jury trials, landlord-tenant disputes, and preliminary felony hearings and arraignments. They can also fix and accept bail and issue arrest warrants.
Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against trial court verdicts in Blair County must be filed with the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which is one of the two intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court can hear appeals against decisions made by government agencies. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the court of last resort. Federal cases for Blair County have to be filed with the Johnstown Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Appeals against federal court verdicts in Pennsylvania go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. |