How does a criminal or DUI case in Phoenixville work?

Last updated October 25, 2026.

A Phoenixville case usually starts with the Phoenixville Police Department at 351 Bridge Street and goes to District Court 15-2-01 next door at 347 Bridge Street, which also covers Charlestown and Schuylkill townships. If the case is held for court, it moves to the Chester County Justice Center in West Chester. For a first DUI, the Chester County DA's fast-track ARD program starts at the preliminary hearing on Bridge Street.

Giribaldi Law serves clients in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties from our office in Media. For how cases are routed across the whole county, see our guide to criminal, DUI and family cases in Chester County.

Which court and office handles each step?

The borough itself says the district court sits next door to the police station, so a Phoenixville citation, hearing notice and police report can all point to the same block of Bridge Street. The county directory lists Tuesday as the court's criminal proceedings day, but always go by the date and time on your own notice.

How does a Phoenixville case move, step by step?

1. Arrest, citation or summons. Phoenixville officers file the complaint or citation. After a warrantless arrest, the person must be brought before an issuing authority without unnecessary delay (Pa.R.Crim.P. 519), where bail and the next date are set.
2. Bail. For cases in the Court of Common Pleas, the Clerk of Courts takes bail weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. After hours, bail is posted at Chester County Prison, which asks you to call first and takes cash only up to $9,500. Anyone on supervised bail must contact the county's bail agency within 48 hours of release. The release types are explained in how bail works in Pennsylvania.
3. Preliminary hearing. The hearing is held at District Court 15-2-01, because venue follows the place of the offense (Pa.R.Crim.P. 130). It must be set within 14 days if the person is in custody on this case only, otherwise within 21 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)). What the district judge decides is covered in what happens at a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania.
4. ARD or the trial track. First DUI cases usually apply for DUI-ARD at the preliminary hearing; other cases held for court go to formal arraignment.
5. The Justice Center. ARD hearings, pleas, trials and sentencing happen at 201 West Market Street in West Chester; see what to expect at the Chester County Justice Center.

The stages are the same statewide, so our walk-through of what happens after an arrest applies here, with Delaware County details for comparison.

How do I get a Phoenixville police or crash report?

The borough handles crash reports and other police records differently. For a crash report, its police FAQ sends you to the CrashDocs website, listed under the department's agency number PA0151000. For other records, you make a written request on the state Right to Know form, available in the police lobby, or by mail with the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The Administrative Support Division takes requests weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The department takes cash, checks, money orders and Visa, MasterCard or Discover. Its policy warns that investigative and incident reports are exempt from the Right to Know Law's definition of public records, so a request can be denied, and that criminal history information is not available under that law. If the denial rests on the criminal investigation exemption, the appeal goes to the Chester County District Attorney's Office; other appeals go to the state Office of Open Records. In a pending criminal case, the police file usually reaches your lawyer through discovery instead.

The borough also says you only have to report a crash to the police if someone was injured or killed, or a vehicle cannot be driven and needs towing. Otherwise drivers may simply exchange information. To make a report in person, the station is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; after hours, a phone outside the station reaches the 911 communications center.

What is changing on Route 23 in Phoenixville?

PennDOT District 6 lists a Route 23 Corridor Safety Improvements project (MPMS 115423) in Phoenixville Borough and East Pikeland and Schuylkill townships. It covers eleven signalized intersections on Route 23 (Schuylkill Road, Nutt Road and Valley Forge Road) from Route 724 to Whitehorse Road, including the Route 23 and Bridge Street intersection. Construction started in August 2025, with a proposed end in November 2026, and PennDOT listed the project as in construction when we checked. PennDOT's project updates have included flagging on Route 23 at Township Line Road for milling and paving.

That matters in traffic cases. Signal timing, lane shifts and temporary patterns at the time of a stop or crash can be relevant evidence, and photographs and the crash report are worth requesting early. If a crash caused injury, the charges and penalties change; see DUI crashes with injuries.

How does DUI-ARD work after a Phoenixville arrest?

The Chester County DA runs ARD, a diversion program ordinarily for first offenders. Its application information sheet sets a fast track for DUI cases. The applicant applies at the preliminary hearing, which for a Phoenixville arrest means at 347 Bridge Street, and waives the preliminary hearing, formal arraignment and the filing of a criminal information. An assistant district attorney then gives an ARD hearing date in the Court of Common Pleas, eight to 16 weeks after the application, depending on how many applications are pending countywide. If the application is denied, that date becomes the formal arraignment date.

• Within 24 hours of applying: contact the county's Pretrial Services Unit and keep every bail condition.
• Before admission: a Court Reporting Network evaluation through the county DUI Program ($75), Alcohol Highway Safety School at the Government Services Center in West Chester ($225), and any treatment the assessment recommends.
• By the morning of the ARD hearing: the $300 DUI Program fee and every other cost; the DA's sheet estimates about $2,000.75 for a six-month program and $2,310.75 for 12 months.
• Community service: at least 40 hours, some or all of which may be waived if conditions are finished on time.

The license side depends on the test result: no ARD suspension under 0.10%, 30 days from 0.10% to under 0.16%, and 60 days at 0.16% or higher or with an unknown result (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(d)). How the three counties compare is in how DUI ARD differs in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties. Whether ARD is right at all is weighed in whether to accept ARD or fight a DUI.

What changes the answer?

• Where the stop happened. Venue follows the place of the offense (Pa.R.Crim.P. 130). A stop in Phoenixville, Charlestown or Schuylkill Township goes to 15-2-01; a stop in East Pikeland Township, also on the Route 23 corridor, goes to District Court 15-3-01 instead, according to the county list.
• Which county. A stop over the line in Montgomery County goes to that county's courts and DA instead; see our page on King of Prussia and Upper Merion cases.
• Your record. State law bars DUI ARD after a DUI conviction or ARD within ten years, apart from a narrow exception, after a crash that killed or seriously injured someone else, or with a passenger under 14 (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(a)(2)). The Chester County DA adds its own denial list, including any prior felony.
• Whether it is a summary offense. A summary conviction at the district court can be appealed to the Clerk of Courts within 30 days for a new trial, with a $51 filing fee; see what a summary offense is in Pennsylvania.
• Whether you were held. Custody on this case only shortens the preliminary hearing deadline to 14 days (Pa.R.Crim.P. 540(G)).

For example: a Friday night DUI on Bridge Street

Here is a hypothetical. A driver with no record is stopped by Phoenixville police on Bridge Street late on a Friday and charged with a first DUI with a breath result of 0.12%. The driver is released on supervised bail and calls the county bail agency within 48 hours. The complaint lists District Court 15-2-01 at 347 Bridge Street.

With a lawyer, the driver applies for DUI-ARD at the preliminary hearing and waives it, and leaves with an ARD hearing date about three months away. The driver calls Pretrial Services within 24 hours, schedules the CRN evaluation, takes safe driving school in West Chester and pays every fee before the hearing. At 0.12%, the ARD license suspension would be 30 days. This is only an illustration of how the steps fit together; real cases depend on their facts and the DA's discretion.

What mistakes do people make with Phoenixville cases?

• Assuming a Phoenixville mailing address means the Bridge Street court. The court depends on where the offense happened, not where you live.
• Asking the police for the DUI file. Investigative reports can be withheld under the Right to Know Law; in a pending case, discovery is the route.
• Ignoring a traffic citation. The borough says a citation should be paid within 10 days and mailed to the district court listed on it.
• Waiving the preliminary hearing without advice. The DA's sheet warns that once it is waived, a defendant is not entitled to send the case back for one.
• Showing up at the prison with too much cash. After hours the prison takes cash only up to $9,500, and you must call first.

What should I do this week?

1. Check the court number, date and bail conditions on your paperwork.
2. If you are on supervised bail, contact the bail agency within 48 hours of release.
3. For a crash, request the report through CrashDocs and keep photographs of the scene.
4. For a DUI, write down your test result and every prior arrest, citation or diversion.
5. Talk with a lawyer before the preliminary hearing about whether to apply for DUI-ARD and waive it.
6. Use our first-week DUI checklist; the statewide steps apply in Chester County too.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Phoenixville district court?

District Court 15-2-01 is at 347 Bridge Street, next door to the police station. The borough lists its hours as 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and its phone as 610-455-1125.

Where is the Phoenixville police station?

At 351 Bridge Street, 1st floor. The 24-hour non-emergency number is 610-935-2440, and 911 is for emergencies.

How much is a Phoenixville accident report?

$15.00 under the department's fee schedule. The police FAQ directs crash report requests to CrashDocs.

Does Phoenixville police do fingerprinting?

Detectives do non-criminal fingerprinting for people who live or work in the borough on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, for $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents. They do not provide fingerprinting for FBI or child abuse clearances.

Where does my case go after the preliminary hearing?

To the Chester County Justice Center, 201 West Market Street, West Chester, for ARD hearings, arraignment, pleas, trials and sentencing.

Do you handle cases elsewhere in Chester County?

Yes. For another Chester County borough, see how a Downingtown case works. For nearby Montgomery County, see our Pottstown page.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about a Phoenixville case.