What We Don't Do

The Office of the Public Defender does not handle civil matters such as:

  •  child custody matters
  • landlord/tenant disputes
  • persons seeking a Protection from Abuse order or a child support order

Also, we do not provide representation for most summary traffic offenses. We make an exception for summary charges for which mandatory jail sentences may be imposed. For example, Driving Under Suspension DUI related tickets under 75 Pa.C.S. 1543b carry 60 to 90 days of incarceration if convicted. Similarly, we do not represent juveniles facing summary traffic and nontraffic offenses in magisterial court.