What should I know about a criminal, DUI or family case in Media, PA?

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Media is the Delaware County seat, so almost every county case passes through it. A criminal or DUI arrest inside Media Borough is usually handled by the Media Borough Police, whose station is at the Media Municipal Center, 301 North Jackson Street, and the preliminary hearing is held at District Court 32-1-28, 349 West Baltimore Avenue, which serves Media and Swarthmore boroughs and Nether Providence Township. If the case is held for court, it moves a few blocks to the Delaware County Courthouse at 201 West Front Street, where family cases from the whole county are also heard.

Giribaldi Law's office is at 117-119 N. Olive St., across from the Courthouse. For the overall county picture, see our Delaware County overview.

Where is each Media office?

Addresses come from Media Borough, the county's district court list effective April 8, 2026 and the county's municipal directory. Upper Providence Township, which also has a Media mailing address, is served by a different district court, 32-2-46 at 939 North Providence Road, so check the court printed on your papers.

How does a Media criminal or DUI case move, step by step?

1. The stop or arrest. Inside the borough, Media Borough Police respond. The department was organized on January 9, 1877, according to the borough. Delaware County's process from booking to bail is in what happens after an arrest in Delaware County.
2. Preliminary arraignment and bail. Bail is set and the hearing date is given; see how bail works in Pennsylvania.
3. Preliminary hearing at 349 West Baltimore Avenue. For offenses in Media, Swarthmore or Nether Providence, District Court 32-1-28 hears the case; what happens there is in the preliminary hearing.
4. The Courthouse. Held cases move to formal arraignment at 201 West Front Street; see what to expect at the Delaware County Courthouse.
5. Diversion or trial. County programs, such as ARD and Misdemeanor Diversion, are decided early; see diversion for non-DUI charges.

A DUI follows the same court path with PennDOT steps alongside; see what happens after a DUI arrest in Delaware County. Drivers weighing the county's DUI program should read whether you are eligible for DUI ARD in Delaware County.

Which other county offices in Media will I deal with?

Because Media is the county seat, the offices that run a case after the preliminary hearing are all within a few blocks. The county family court handbook places the Public Defender's Office at 220 North Jackson Street, the same street as the borough police station. Court costs, fines and program fees are paid to Court Financial Services on the ground floor of the Government Center at 201 West Front Street, or online through the statewide ePay portal, according to the county's Diagnostic Services page, which notes that its own office does not collect money. The Pre-Trial/Bail Service Unit, which supervises bail conditions such as call-in reporting, drug testing and GPS monitoring, works out of the Courthouse complex.

The Courthouse Law Library, on the top floor of the main Courthouse, is free and open to the public on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the county handbook. For DUI cases, the county's Alcohol Highway Safety School classes are held in person, both at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center in Sharon Hill and in the first-floor jury room of the Government Center in Media, according to Diagnostic Services; costs and steps are on our page about what a DUI costs in Delaware County.

What does Media's police log show?

Media Borough Police publish a monthly complaint log. For August 2026, the log lists 666 calls in total, including:

These are calls received, not charges or convictions. They do show what most often brings people into contact with Media police: traffic incidents, disorderly conduct and domestic calls. Both offenses are explained in whether disorderly conduct and public drunkenness are crimes.

What about family cases in Media?

Every Delaware County divorce, custody, support and protection from abuse case is heard at the Courthouse complex in Media, whatever town the family lives in. Divorce and custody papers are filed at the Office of Judicial Support in the Government Center, and support is handled by Domestic Relations in the Curran Building. Filing is explained in how to file for divorce in Delaware County. Parents can read the steps in a Delaware County custody case. Support starts with a support conference at Domestic Relations.

What changes the answer?

• Exactly where the offense happened. A Chester offense, for example, goes to one of three courts on Penn Street, described in City of Chester cases. Media, Swarthmore and Nether Providence go to 32-1-28; nearby Upper Providence goes to 32-2-46, even with a Media mailing address. The full list is in Delaware County's district courts.
• Who made the arrest. Another police agency may file the charge, but the district court still depends on where the offense happened.
• Parking and summary citations. Media charges $1.50 an hour for parking, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, according to the borough; unpaid parking tickets differ from criminal summary citations, which have a 10-day response rule; see summary offenses.
• A protection order. Emergency PFA orders after hours come from district judges, and final hearings are at the Courthouse.
• Diversion deadlines. DUI ARD in Delaware County involves waiving the preliminary hearing; see whether to waive the preliminary hearing in a DUI case.

For example: a Saturday night on State Street

Here is a hypothetical. After a night out on State Street, a man is stopped on Baltimore Avenue and charged with DUI by Media Borough Police. He is released and given a preliminary hearing at District Court 32-1-28, a short walk from where he was stopped.

Within the first week he writes down the stop details, schedules a consultation and learns that Delaware County's DUI ARD track would mean waiving the preliminary hearing and filing the application at least 14 days before formal arraignment. If he does not apply or is not accepted, his case is held for court and goes to formal arraignment at the Courthouse at 201 West Front Street. This example only illustrates the local path; it does not predict any result.

What mistakes do people make with Media cases?

• Going to the wrong building. The district court on West Baltimore Avenue and the Courthouse on West Front Street handle different stages.
• Assuming a Media mailing address means District Court 32-1-28. Upper Providence uses 32-2-46.
• Treating a disorderly conduct citation as a parking ticket. It is a criminal summary offense, or more.
• Missing the hearing. A warrant issues and the case can go ahead without you.
• Waiting on diversion. County program deadlines run from early dates.
• Filing family papers at the wrong office. Support goes to Domestic Relations; divorce and custody to the Office of Judicial Support.

What should I do this week?

1. Check which district court is printed on your papers.
2. Write down the date, time and place of the stop or incident.
3. Follow every bail condition.
4. Collect receipts, messages and witness names.
5. Read the first-week checklist for a criminal charge in Delaware County. For a DUI, use the checklist for the first week after a DUI arrest.
6. Book a consultation; our office is across from the Courthouse.

Frequently asked questions

Which district court handles Media?

District Court 32-1-28 at 349 West Baltimore Avenue, which also covers Swarthmore and Nether Providence Township, according to the county's list effective April 8, 2026.

Where is the Media police station?

At the Media Municipal Center, 301 North Jackson Street.

Are Delaware County family cases heard in Media?

Yes, all of them, at the Courthouse complex; see Delaware County family court.

How far is your office from the Courthouse?

Across the street: Giribaldi Law is at 117-119 N. Olive St. in Media, across from the Delaware County Courthouse.

Where do I pay court costs or a fine in Media?

At Court Financial Services on the ground floor of the Government Center, 201 West Front Street, or online through the statewide ePay portal, according to the county. A district court fine on a citation is paid to that district court.

Do you handle cases from towns near Media?

Yes. The firm serves Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties; see our page on Upper Darby cases. Havertown is covered in Havertown and Haverford Township cases.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about a case in Media. Evening and weekend appointments are available.