Lehigh County Clerk of Courts
In Lehigh County, the Clerk of Courts is the criminal-records side of the Clerk of Judicial Records. Michelle Graupner is the Clerk of Judicial Records, and the county office includes Civil Division / Prothonotary, Criminal Division / Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, and Recorder of Deeds divisions. Criminal case filings and criminal certified copies should route to the Criminal Division, not to the civil Prothonotary counter.
The Clerk of Courts record set begins after a criminal case is filed or moves through the court system. It can include docket filings, charging documents, pleas, orders, sentencing entries, costs, fines, and case-copy records. Public docket sheets help identify the case number and status, but certified criminal documents come from the official records office when access rules allow release.
Criminal Division / Clerk of Courts
Clerk of Judicial Records: Michelle Graupner
Lehigh County Courthouse
455 W. Hamilton St.
Allentown, PA 18101
Use the Criminal Division page for current counter routing.
Lehigh County Criminal Record Duties
The Criminal Division handles criminal docket filings and certified criminal case copies for the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. A felony or misdemeanor case may begin with a police complaint and preliminary proceedings before a magisterial district judge, then move to Common Pleas if charges are held for court. Once the case is in Common Pleas, the criminal docket may show the information, arraignment, motions, plea, trial events, sentencing, costs, bail entries, probation terms, and appellate activity.
The Criminal Division page should be used for criminal copy routing. Criminal filings are also connected to the Lehigh County District Attorney and Public Defender, but those offices are not the ordinary record custodians for certified case copies.
- Maintain criminal docket filings for Common Pleas criminal cases.
- Provide certified criminal case copies when the record is public and the fee is confirmed.
- Route fines, costs, and criminal filing questions through the criminal records process.
- Distinguish Common Pleas criminal files from magisterial district court dockets.
- Apply public-access limits for juvenile, sealed, expunged, victim, and restricted material.
The criminal division image was captured from the official county source, Lehigh County Criminal Division / Clerk of Courts.
The county page helps separate the Clerk of Courts route from the civil Prothonotary and Register of Wills routes.
Request Lehigh County Criminal Copies
A certified criminal copy may be needed for immigration, licensing, expungement review, employment-related self-review, appellate records, or personal case documentation. The public UJS docket sheet can show important docket information, but a certification must come from the official records office. If the record is sealed, expunged, juvenile, or otherwise restricted, the Clerk of Courts may not be able to release it to the public.
- Search Pennsylvania UJS Case Search or the Common Pleas docket sheet report for the exact criminal docket number.
- Confirm whether the case is a Common Pleas criminal case or still tied to a magisterial district court docket.
- Contact the Criminal Division / Clerk of Courts to confirm fee, access, payment method, and whether the requested document can be certified.
- Submit the docket number, defendant name, document name, copy type, delivery preference, and requester contact details.
- Review the returned copy for the correct case number, charge, disposition, and certification seal before using it for an official purpose.
Common Pleas criminal docket numbers often use the county code pattern CP-39-CR-number-year. The "39" identifies Lehigh County in that docket format, which helps separate Lehigh criminal records from similar names in other Pennsylvania counties.
Lehigh County Criminal Request Fields
Criminal copy requests should be narrow enough for the office to locate the file and confirm whether it can be released. A request that only lists a name may take longer, especially when a person has multiple cases, MDJ dockets, or a case that moved from preliminary hearing to Common Pleas.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal docket number | Best practice | Use the CP-39-CR number when the case is in Common Pleas. |
| Defendant name | Yes | Use full legal name and any known aliases only if supported by the docket. |
| Document type | Yes | Examples include docket sheet, sentencing order, plea document, information, or disposition entry. |
| Copy type | Yes | State plain, certified, or other formal copy need. |
| Requester contact | Yes | Give phone, email, and mailing address for fee and pickup or mailing questions. |
The public docket may show docket number, caption, filing date, charges, grading, offense date, bail, docket events, disposition, sentence, and attorney entries. It may not provide document images for download.
Lehigh County Clerk of Courts Fees
The research file did not locate a current official fee schedule for plain criminal copies, certified criminal copies, exemplified copies, or criminal search fees. The correct approach is to confirm the amount and payment method with the Criminal Division before mailing a request or appearing at the courthouse. Criminal costs, fines, restitution, and copy charges are different items and should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain criminal copies | Not located in official research sources; confirm with Criminal Division. |
| Certified criminal copies | Not located in official research sources; confirm before submitting payment. |
| Exemplified or attested copies | Not located in official research sources. |
| Criminal fines and costs | Case-specific; do not use copy-fee assumptions. |
| Open-records fallback | May apply to county administrative records, not sealed or restricted court files. |
Note: A criminal docket may list financial obligations, but that entry is not a quote for copy fees or certification costs.
Search Lehigh County Criminal Dockets
The statewide UJS portal is the best first step for public criminal docket information. Use Common Pleas for felony and misdemeanor cases that have moved beyond the magisterial district court stage. Use the MDJ docket reports for preliminary arraignments, preliminary hearings, summary matters, traffic matters, and lower-court criminal events.
| Field Label | Type | Format Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Court type | Dropdown/tab | Choose Common Pleas or Magisterial District based on case stage. |
| County | Dropdown | Select Lehigh when a county filter is available. |
| Docket number | Text | Use CP-39-CR format for Common Pleas criminal dockets when known. |
| Participant name | Text | Last and first name searches may vary by report. |
| Date range | Date fields | Use filing or incident date ranges to narrow broad results. |
For the full criminal case file and disposition reading, the broader Lehigh County criminal court records page explains how charges, pleas, dispositions, and sentencing entries fit together.
DA and Defense Case Context
The Clerk of Courts keeps criminal filings, but the Lehigh County District Attorney prosecutes county criminal cases. The current District Attorney is Gavin P. Holihan. The DA's Office reviews and prosecutes felony and misdemeanor cases, works with police agencies, handles victim and witness services, and appears in criminal proceedings. DA units listed in the research include victim/witness coordination, detectives, domestic abuse investigation, drug task force, child abuse investigation, and other specialized units.
The Lehigh County Public Defender provides court-appointed criminal defense services for financially eligible defendants. Kimberly F. Makoul is identified as Chief Public Defender on the official online application page. A person who needs counsel must complete the Public Defender screening process and provide case information; eligibility is not automatic just because a case appears on the docket.
- Lehigh County District Attorney handles prosecution and victim/witness functions.
- District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan began his current term in January 2024.
- Lehigh County Public Defender handles eligible court-appointed defense.
- Public Defender online application identifies Kimberly F. Makoul as Chief Public Defender.
These offices may appear in docket entries, but ordinary certified criminal copies should still be requested from the Criminal Division / Clerk of Courts.