Blair County Criminal Court Records
The Blair County Clerk of Courts is the county office identified as the keeper of criminal records for the Blair County Court of Common Pleas. The office also keeps summary appeals, juvenile criminal records where accessible, oaths of office, financial statements of municipalities, private detective roster records, constable bonds, and road and bridge ordinances. For criminal case records, the Clerk of Courts is the local source for copy and certification questions after the online docket has been checked.
Criminal cases in Blair County may begin at the Magisterial District Court level with complaints, preliminary arraignments, traffic or non-traffic matters, and preliminary hearings. Felony and misdemeanor cases that move forward are handled in the Court of Common Pleas. Public Defender materials list representation through preliminary hearings, Common Pleas trial, pretrial motions, post-trial motions, appeals, probation and parole revocations, fugitive or extradition matters, and some summary matters that carry jail exposure.
The official Blair County Clerk of Courts page identifies the criminal records office and its public contact block.
That office page is the local anchor for criminal case records when UJS docket data is not enough for the user's purpose.
Search Blair County Criminal Court Records
The online starting point is Pennsylvania UJS Case Search. The portal supports criminal Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court docket searching. Useful search modes for Blair County criminal court records include Participant Name, Docket Number, Complaint Number, OTN, SID, Date Filed, and sometimes Citation Number for summary or traffic-related matters. Setting County to Blair or Judicial District to Blair - 24 keeps the search local.
- Open UJS Case Search and choose Participant Name, Docket Number, OTN, Complaint Number, or Date Filed.
- Filter to Blair County or Judicial District Blair - 24 when the field is available.
- Check whether the case is a Magisterial District Court record, a Court of Common Pleas criminal docket, or an appellate docket.
- Open the docket sheet and review charges, case status, pleas, hearings, bail, warrant events, disposition, sentence, and financial entries.
- Request certified copies or document-level records from the Clerk of Courts if a docket sheet is not sufficient.
Public web docket access can lag after office entry, and limited-access cases do not appear through public UJS search. When the public docket is not enough, the Blair County Clerk of Courts is the local criminal case-file office.
Blair County Criminal Case Flow
A criminal court record changes as the case moves through the courts. A charge may start in a complaint or citation before a preliminary event. If the case is held for court, later entries can appear in the Court of Common Pleas docket. The case file may then show arraignment, pretrial motions, plea negotiations, trial events, verdict or plea, disposition, sentence, costs, fines, restitution, supervision, and later bench warrant or violation activity.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial and Motions › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
| Stage | What the Criminal Court Record May Show |
|---|---|
| Charges filed | Complaint number, OTN, statute citation, charge grade, arresting agency, and prosecutor information. |
| Arraignment | Formal case start, defendant information, counsel status, bail or bond events, and hearing schedule. |
| Pretrial and motions | Continuances, conferences, suppression or other motions, orders, and hearing entries. |
| Plea or trial | Guilty plea, ARD-related event, jury or non-jury trial entry, verdict, acquittal, or dismissal. |
| Disposition and sentence | Final status for each count, sentence terms, probation or parole violation entries, costs, fines, and restitution. |
What Blair County Criminal Records Show
Blair County criminal court records can include more than one docket layer. A Magisterial District Court docket may show the first complaint or preliminary hearing. A Court of Common Pleas docket may show the main criminal case. The fields should be read together because a docket entry at one stage may be changed, narrowed, transferred, or resolved later.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Docket number | The criminal case identifier for the court level that created the entry. |
| Defendant and parties | Participant names, roles, defense attorney, prosecutor, and sometimes surety or agency entries. |
| Charges | Count, statute citation, grading, complaint number, OTN, and charge status where public. |
| Hearings and events | Arraignment, preliminary hearing, criminal conference, continuance, motion, bail hearing, trial, or sentencing event. |
| Plea and disposition | Guilty plea, not guilty finding, dismissal, ARD-related event, acquittal, or other result. |
| Sentence and money | Sentence terms, costs, fines, restitution, payment plan, bail actions, and collection events. |
Bench warrant entries can appear when a person misses a required court event or fails to comply with a court order. Those entries should be checked against the issuing court and, when needed, the Sheriff's Warrant Unit or Cost, Fines and Restitution office.
Charges vs Convictions
A Blair County criminal court record may show charges that never became convictions. A charge is an accusation filed in court. A conviction is a result after a guilty plea, verdict, or other qualifying disposition. Some charges may be amended, reduced, withdrawn, dismissed, or resolved differently from other counts in the same case.
| Point | Charge | Conviction |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | An accusation filed in a criminal court record. | A finding or plea that creates a criminal judgment. |
| Timing | Appears early in the case and may change. | Appears after plea, verdict, or final case action. |
| How to read it | Check later docket entries for amendments or dismissals. | Review disposition and sentence fields for final status. |
| Copy source | UJS docket and Clerk of Courts records. | UJS docket and certified records from the Clerk of Courts. |
Blair County Criminal Copy Fees
The Clerk of Courts fee bill lists several criminal-record items. Fees matter when the user needs more than a public web docket. A certified document, exemplified record, written criminal background search, expungement petition, or copy request should be confirmed with the Clerk of Courts before filing or mailing payment.
The official criminal fee bill lists copy, certification, appeal, background search, bench warrant, and expungement items.
The fee bill supports the distinction between free docket lookup and paid certified criminal court record services.
| Item | Listed Amount |
|---|---|
| Photocopies or computer print-out | $0.50 per page |
| Certification of document, decree, or order | $9.00 |
| Certified letter | $11.00 |
| Written criminal background search | $13.00 |
| Exemplified record for another county or state | $21.00 |
| Petition for expungement | $132.00 |
Costs and Sentencing Entries
Criminal court records often include money entries after disposition. Blair County's Cost, Fines and Restitution office collects and disburses costs, fines, fees, and restitution for Common Pleas cases. Payment-related docket entries can help show whether a sentence includes financial obligations, but payment instructions and current balances should be confirmed through the official payment route or the Cost/Fines office.
The Blair County Cost, Fines and Restitution page is part of the criminal court records source set.
Financial docket entries are part of the case record, while payment handling is an office function that may require a docket number.
Note: Mail payments to Cost/Fines should include the docket number so the office can apply the payment to the correct case.
Sealed vs Expunged Records
Sealed and expunged criminal records are not the same. A sealed or limited-access record is hidden from general public view, but a court or authorized agency may still have controlled access. An expunged record is handled under Pennsylvania expungement law and depends on statutory eligibility, case outcome, offense, age, and other conditions. The public should not assume that every Blair County criminal case can be expunged.
| Point | Sealed or Limited Access | Expunged |
|---|---|---|
| Public portal | Not publicly visible when marked limited access. | May be removed or treated according to the expungement order. |
| Legal path | Depends on court rule, statute, or court order. | Controlled by Pennsylvania law, including 18 Pa.C.S. section 9122. |
| Practical step | Contact the filing court or seek an order if access is needed. | Review eligibility, file the proper petition, and verify updates after order entry. |
Public Access to Blair Criminal Records
Public access to Blair County criminal court records begins with UJS public docket sheets and continues through the Clerk of Courts when copies or certifications are needed. 204 Pa. Code section 213.81 defines Pennsylvania case records and excludes internal notes, drafts, and court work product. 18 Pa.C.S. section 9121 addresses dissemination of criminal history record information, which is separate from casually viewing a public docket sheet.
Restricted criminal court records include juvenile matters where not public, sealed cases, expunged records, limited-access dockets, and documents with protected identifiers. The Clerk of Courts fee bill identifies the local expungement filing item, but eligibility must be based on Pennsylvania law and the facts of the case. Public docket entries should be read as court data, not as a substitute for legal advice or a certified criminal history product.
Blair County Clerk of Courts
The Clerk of Courts contact block in the research lists Robin G. Patton as Clerk of Courts, Erin George as First Deputy, and Gabriel Fera PC as solicitor. The office is in Suite 144 of the Blair County Courthouse at 423 Allegheny Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. Phone is 814-693-3080. Hours are 8:00 am-4:00 pm Monday-Friday, with daily closure from 12-1 pm.
Clerk of Courts
423 Allegheny Street, Suite 144
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
814-693-3080
Criminal records for the Blair County Court of Common Pleas