Court of Common Pleas of Blair County, Pennsylvania Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICALCivil cases

The Court of Common Pleas is unavailable to accept PFA, PSVI, and Abuse of Elderly Petitions between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

The Blair County Court of Common Pleas, in light of the statewide Judicial Emergency and the fact there is already an efficient process in place with the public, law enforcement and the Blair County Magisterial District Judges, hereby deems itself unavailable for the filing of Protection from Abuse (PFA), Sexual Violence and Intimidation (PSVI) and Abuse of Elderly Petitions between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.

CRITICAL

Filings solely for nonpayment of rent or overstaying may not be accepted until July 13.

No filings solely for breach of the lease for nonpayment of rent or overstaying will be accepted until July 13.

CRITICALCivil cases

(b) Praecipe to the Arbitration List- Either party may praecipe the matter to the Arbitration List by filing such with the Prothonotary no earlier than thirty (30) days from the close of the pleadings by filing an Arbitration Scheduling Request. See ATTACHMENT “E”.

(b) Praecipe to the Arbitration List- Either party may praecipe the matter to the Arbitration List by filing such with the Prothonotary no earlier than thirty (30) days from the close of the pleadings by filing an Arbitration Scheduling Request. See ATTACHMENT “E”.

CRITICALCivil cases

Filings alleging another lease-covenant breach in addition to nonpayment or holdover will be accepted, and the Court may issue judgments and evictions on the included matters, including rent nonpayment.

Filings for landlord/tenant cases involving breaches of the lease of any other covenants in addition to nonpayment of rent or for holdover tenant will be accepted. The Court will issue judgments and evictions on all matters contained therein including failure to pay rent if a claim of breach of any other covenant is also included.

CRITICALCivil cases

Filings based solely on nonpayment of rent or holdover tenancy will not be accepted until September 1, 2020.

No filings solely for breach of the lease for nonpayment of rent or for holdover tenants shall be accepted until September 1, 2020.

CRITICALCriminal cases

DUI preliminary hearings must be scheduled three weeks from the filing date.

Preliminary Hearings on criminal cases involving the charge of Driving under the Influence shall be scheduled three (3) weeks from the date of filing at a Magisterial District Court.

WARNING

Documents may be delivered through the courthouse drop box between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

In addition to the delivery methods specified in Paragraph 2 above, both the Register of Wills Office and the Recorder of Deeds Office shall accept documents for processing through a drop box for documents located at the front door of the main entrance of the Blair County Courthouse from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended until the conciliation conference concludes, effective from the date of the order setting the conference.

For the purposes of the case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference. Suspension is effective as of the date of the order setting the Conciliation Conference date.

CRITICALCivil cases

Response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days after receipt of the moving party's brief.

Response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days after receipt of the moving party's brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions for summary judgment, consolidation, bifurcation, and severance must be made at least 30 days before the pretrial conference.

(k) Motions for Summary Judgment, consolidation, bifurcation and severance must be made at least thirty (30) days before the date of the pretrial conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended until the conciliation conference concludes.

For the purposes of the case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference.

CRITICAL

A party may file a request for an Evidentiary Hearing within 10 days after service of a Custody Order.

Within ten (10) days from the date of service of a Custody Order, a party may file a request for Evidentiary Hearing form in the Blair County Prothonotary's Office (FORM 3).

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference, effective on the date of the Order.

- 4. For the purposes of this case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference. Suspension is effective as of the date of this Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

A response brief must be filed within 30 days after receipt of the moving party's brief.

Response briefs shall be filed no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the moving party's brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

Each attorney must submit proposed points for charge no later than 10 days before selection of the summary jury.

The attorneys shall each submit proposed points for charge to the Court no later than ten (10) days prior to the selection of the summary jury.

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended from the date of the order until the conciliation conference outcome.

For the purposes of this case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference. Suspension is effective as of the date of this Order.

CRITICALCivil cases

The supporting brief is due no later than 20 days after the preliminary objections are filed.

The moving party must file a supporting brief with the Prothonotary, no later than twenty (20)days after filing the Preliminary Objections.

CRITICALCivil cases

Preliminary objections must be dismissed by court order if the supporting brief is not filed within 20 days after the objections are filed.

If a brief in support of preliminary objections is not filed within the twenty (20) days after the preliminary objections have been filed, they shall be dismissed by Order of Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

Pre-trial motions must be submitted no later than ten days before the summary jury trial.

Any pre-trial motions shall be submitted to the Court no later than ten (10) days prior to the summary jury trial date.

CRITICALCivil cases

The respondent must answer the petition within 20 days of the date of the order.

- (2) the respondent shall file an answer to the petition within twenty (20) days of this date;

CRITICALCivil cases

Response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days after receipt of the moving party’s brief.

Response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days after receipt of the moving party’s brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

A response brief must be filed within 30 days after receipt of the moving party’s brief.

(2) Response briefs shall be filed no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of the moving party’s brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

All response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days of receipt of the moving party’s brief.

All response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days of receipt of the moving party’s brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

The proposed special verdict questions must be submitted before jury selection.

Each counsel shall submit a statement of proposed special verdict questions for use at the summary jury trial prior to the selection of the jury.

CRITICALCivil cases

Proposed points for charge are due no later than ten days before the summary jury is selected.

The attorneys shall each submit proposed points for charge to the Court no later than ten (10) days prior to the selection of the summary jury.

CRITICALCivil cases

The moving party’s supporting brief is due no later than 20 days after filing preliminary objections.

The moving party must file a supporting brief with the Prothonotary, no later than twenty (20)days after filing the Preliminary Objections.

CRITICALCivil cases

A party may file Form 3 in the Blair County Prothonotary office within 10 days after service of a custody order from a conciliation conference.

Within 10 days from the date of service of a custody order from a conciliation conference, a party may file a Request for Evidentiary Hearing/Trial (Form 3) in the Blair County Prothonotary office.

CRITICALCivil cases

A party may file a supplemental pretrial memorandum after its original memorandum, but no later than 30 days before scheduled jury selection.

Supplements to a written pretrial memorandum may be filed by any party after their original pretrial memorandum has been filed. However, no supplemental pretrial memorandum may be filed later than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled jury selection.

CRITICALCivil cases

Pre-trial motions must be submitted no later than 10 days before the summary jury trial.

Any pre-trial motions shall be submitted to the Court no later than ten (10) days prior to the summary jury trial date.

CRITICALCivil cases

The defendant must return the HOOCert within ten days of service.

If the defendant fails to return the HOOCert within ten (10) days of service, the Court shall lift the stay of proceedings and direct the defendant to file an answer within 20 days of that Order.

CRITICAL

The parties or counsel must submit a prehearing narrative to the Court Administrator ten days before the prehearing.

Ten (10) days prior to the prehearing, the parties and/or counsel shall submit to the Court Administrator a prehearing narrative, including but not limited to the following:

CRITICALCivil cases

The arbitration appeal fee must be paid when the appeal is filed to perfect the appeal.

Such fee must be paid at the time of filing the appeal in order to perfect such appeal.

CRITICALCivil cases

All response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days of receipt of the moving party's brief.

All response briefs shall be filed no later than twenty (20) days of receipt of the moving party's brief.

CRITICALCivil cases

Proposed special verdict questions must be submitted before jury selection.

Each counsel shall submit a statement of proposed special verdict questions for use at the summary jury trial prior to the selection of the jury.

CRITICALCivil cases

The required first-pretrial narrative must be filed 10 days before the conference.

Narratives shall be required for the first pretrial and shall be filed ten (10) days prior to the date of the conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

The first-pretrial narrative must be filed 10 days before the conference.

(d) Narratives shall be required for the first pretrial and shall be filed ten (10) days prior to the date of the conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

To participate in the program, a party must file the specified certification and request with the Prothonotary within ten days of the order.

To participate in the program, you must file the attached Certification of Premises as Owner-Occupied and Request for Conciliation Conference with the Blair County Prothonotary within ten (10) days of the date of this Order to have a conference scheduled.

CRITICALCivil cases

A request for oral argument must be submitted in writing to Court Administration within ten days after filing the motion and must explain why argument is necessary.

The request for oral argument must be made in writing within ten (10) days of filing the motion, and submitted to Court Administration, with a statement setting forth the reasons for the necessity of oral argument.

CRITICALCivil cases

A party may file a supplement after its original pretrial memorandum, but no later than 30 days before scheduled jury selection.

(g) Supplements to a written pretrial memorandum may be filed by any party after their original pretrial memorandum has been filed. However, no supplemental pretrial memorandum may be filed later than thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled jury selection.

CRITICALCriminal cases

A defendant may assert the reserved right to petition for habeas relief or, for good cause, to reopen the preliminary hearing for live testimony before case disposition and no later than 45 days after the judicial emergency ends.

Each defendant for whom a preliminary hearing is conducted under this Order is automatically deemed to have reserved, for assertion at a date prior to the disposition of their case but not later than forty-five (45) days after the termination of this judicial emergency, the right to petition: - a. For writ of habeas corpus; and - b. For good cause shown, to have their preliminary hearing reopened for the taking of live testimony.

CRITICALCivil cases

A fee waiver or reduction request must be presented at least ten days before the applicable program.

Such request must be presented to the District Court Administrator's Office at least ten (10) days prior to the date set for the applicable program.

CRITICALCivil cases

The certification and conference request must be filed within ten days of the Order; failure to file properly and on time forfeits the opportunity to participate in the program.

To participate in the program, you must file the attached Certification of Premises as Owner-Occupied and Request for Conciliation Conference with the Blair County Prothonotary within ten (10) days of the date of this Order to have a conference scheduled. You must also mail a copy of the Certification to this Court and to the Plaintiff’s counsel at the following addresses: ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ IF YOU FAIL TO PROPERLY FILE THE CERTIFICATION WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS, YOU WILL LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS “MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE-HELP” PROGRAM.

CRITICALCivil cases

Either party may praecipe a matter to the Arbitration List by filing an Arbitration Scheduling Request with the Prothonotary no earlier than 30 days after the pleadings close.

Either party may praecipe the matter to the Arbitration List by filing such with the Prothonotary no earlier than thirty (30) days from the close of the pleadings by filing an Arbitration Scheduling Request. See ATTACHMENT “E”.

CRITICALCivil cases

Prehearing narratives must be filed ten days before the prehearing conference.

The parties shall have prehearing narratives filed ten days before the prehearing conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

Evictions pending since the March 18, 2020 declaration based solely on nonpayment of rent or holdover tenancy are stayed until September 1, 2020.

All evictions pending since the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's March 18, 2020 declaration of judicial emergency arising from a judgment solely for breach of the lease for nonpayment of rent or holdover tenant are stayed until September 1, 2020.

CRITICALCivil cases

The prehearing/pretrial narrative is due 10 days before the conference.

- 4) 10 days prior to the prehearing/pretrial conference, the parties and/or counsel shall submit to the Prothonotary office a narrative, including but not limited to the following:

CRITICAL

Requests for daily, expedited, or same-day transcripts must be filed with the District Court Administrator’s Office at least 10 days before the proceeding.

(C) Requests for daily, expedited or same day transcripts shall be filed in the District Court Administrator's Office at least 10 days prior to the proceeding.

CRITICAL

Deadline

72 hours

A petition objecting to conducting a proceeding via ACT must be filed no later than 72 hours before the event.

that the proceeding cannot be conducted via ACT, such counsel or person may file a petition no later than 72 hours before the event, regarding their objection to the conduct of the proceeding via ACT, giving the detailed reasons for the objection and their proposed alternative.

CRITICAL

A party may file a request for an evidentiary hearing no later than 10 days after service of a custody order.

a) Not later than ten (10) days after the date of service of a custody Order to a party to the action that party may file a request for evidentiary hearing on a form approved and promulgated by the President Judge of the Court which such form shall be available at the Blair County Custody Office.

CRITICALCivil cases

The respondent must file an answer to the petition within 20 days of the date of the order.

(2) the respondent shall file an answer to the petition within twenty (20) days of this date;

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended while the conciliation conference is pending.

For the purposes of the case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

An appeal from the Board of Assessment must be filed within 30 days of the Board's decision.

Any appeal from the Board of Assessment shall be filed within 30 days of the date of the decision of the Board of Assessment pursuant to 53 P.S.§8854 (a) (1).

CRITICALCivil cases

Summary judgment, consolidation, bifurcation, and severance motions must be made at least 30 days before the pretrial conference; the Court prefers to resolve them beforehand if possible.

Motions for Summary Judgment, consolidation, bifurcation and severance must be made at least thirty (30) days before the date of the pretrial conference. Such motions generally require a decision before meaningful progress can be made in preparing a case for trial or negotiating a resolution to the lawsuit. It is the preference of the Court to resolve these matters prior to the pretrial conference if possible.

CRITICALCivil cases

Notice shall be provided in most cases at least thirty (30) days in advance of the pretrial.

Notice shall be provided in most cases at least thirty (30) days in advance of the pretrial.

CRITICALCivil cases

Civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the conciliation conference outcome, effective on the date of the order setting the conference.

For the purposes of the case, civil case management and further pleading deadlines are suspended pending the outcome of the conciliation conference. Suspension is effective as of the date of the order setting the Conciliation Conference date.

CRITICALCivil cases

Preliminary objections will be dismissed by court order if the supporting brief is not filed within 20 days after the objections are filed.

If a brief in support of preliminary objections is not filed within the twenty (20) days after the preliminary objections have been filed, they shall be dismissed by Order of Court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Should counsel wish the Court to ask additional voir dire questions, they should submit proposed voir dire for the Court's use no later than ten (10) days prior to the jury selection date.

Should counsel wish the Court to ask additional voir dire questions, they should submit proposed voir dire for the Court's use no later than ten (10) days prior to the jury selection date.

WARNINGCivil cases

(13) If counsel desire any additional voir dire, it should be submitted to the Court at least ten (10) days prior to jury selection.

(13) If counsel desire any additional voir dire, it should be submitted to the Court at least ten (10) days prior to jury selection.

WARNINGCivil cases

Evictions that were both pending and posted before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's March 18, 2020 declaration may proceed.

Any evictions pending and posted before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's declaration of judicial emergency in its March 18, 2020 Order may proceed.

WARNINGCivil cases

Constables may post the covered evictions on August 21, 2020, for an eviction to occur on September 1, 2020.

Constables may post said evictions on August 21, 2020 so an eviction may occur on September 1, 2020.

WARNINGCivil cases

If response briefs are late, the Court may decide the motion without them and may impose a monetary sanction.

If response briefs are not timely filed the Court may dispose of the motion without such response brief and/or a monetary sanction may be imposed by the Court.

WARNINGCivil cases

Proposed voir dire should be submitted no later than 10 days before jury selection if counsel want the Court to ask additional questions.

Should counsel wish the Court to ask additional voir dire questions, they should submit proposed voir dire for the Court’s use no later than ten (10) days prior to the jury selection date.

WARNINGCivil cases

Counsel should submit any additional voir dire to the Court at least ten days before jury selection.

If counsel desire any additional voir dire, it should be submitted to the Court at least ten (10) days prior to jury selection.

WARNINGCivil cases

An untimely narrative or supplement may result in a fine, and the Court will send the litigants a copy of the sanctioning order.

Any narrative and/or supplement not timely filed may result in a fine and a copy of the sanctioning order shall be sent to the litigants by the Court.