Clarion County

Clarion County follows Pennsylvania law on arrests, release, and courts. These rules are the same in every county in the state; the full set covers prosecutors, defense, and jails too.

Who decides release first

Outside Philadelphia, a magisterial district judge sets bail at the preliminary arraignment. In Philadelphia, an arraignment court magistrate appointed by the Municipal Court sets it; magistrates need not be lawyers if they complete a training program. Neither may set bail for murder or voluntary manslaughter; a Common Pleas judge does.

Pa.R.Crim.P. 51942 Pa.C.S. 1515(a)(4)42 Pa.C.S. 1123(a)(5)

Time to see a judge

A person arrested without a warrant must have a preliminary arraignment without unnecessary delay. The rule sets no hour limit. The U.S. Supreme Court's 48-hour rule for a probable cause finding applies as the federal floor.

Pa.R.Crim.P. 516(A)

Money bail

Money bail is allowed. The rules list five kinds of release, from release on recognizance to a money condition no larger than needed to ensure the person appears.

Pa.R.Crim.P. 524(C)

Courts

The Court of Common Pleas, organized in 60 judicial districts, tries felonies and misdemeanors. Magisterial district judges hear summary offenses, the lowest grade, and hold first arraignments and preliminary hearings. In Philadelphia, the Municipal Court tries crimes punishable by up to five years without a jury.

Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Courts of Common Pleas42 Pa.C.S. 151542 Pa.C.S. 1123

Judges and magistrates

Common Pleas judges win a contested election for a 10-year term, then run in yes-or-no retention elections without party labels. Magisterial district judges are elected in contested elections to six-year terms and need not be lawyers. All other judges must be members of the bar.

Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, How Judges Are Elected

Read from the statutes and court rules cited, 2026-09-30. The prison board statute covers counties of the third to fifth class and those that opt in; Philadelphia and Allegheny run jails under other arrangements not read here.

• Clarion borough4,192
• Clarion township3,602
• Limestone township1,962
• Paint township1,807
• Farmington township1,792
• Washington township1,614
• Elk township1,522
• Beaver township1,491
• Porter township1,366
• Monroe township1,314
• Knox township1,102
• Rimersburg borough1,100
• Knox borough1,082
• Toby township1,079
• East Brady borough1,041
• Redbank township974
• Madison township972
• New Bethlehem borough957
• Perry township950
• Salem township921
• Ashland township915
• Sligo borough731
• Emlenton borough663
• Strattanville borough598
• Licking township581
• Highland township526
• Shippenville borough520
• Hawthorn borough501
• Richland township420
• Millcreek township416
• Piney township392
• Foxburg borough277
• St. Petersburg borough267
• Callensburg borough117
• Brady township73

Every city, village, town, and township with any of its land in Clarion County, largest first. Population, the whole place's: Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024.

• State Police: Clarion CountyState police agency28,237 served
• Clarion Police DepartmentCity police department4,205 served
• Southern Clarion County Regional Police DepartmentCity police department3,141 served
• Knox Police DepartmentCity police department1,068 served
• Emlenton Borough Police DepartmentCity police department596 served
• Bureau of Forestry: Clarion CountyOther state agency
• Clarion County Sheriff's OfficeSheriff or county police
• Clarion UniversityCollege or university police
• County Detective: Clarion CountyOther agency
• Forest Rangers: Clear Creek State Forest District 8Other state agency
• Office of Attorney General Region 3: Clarion CountyOther state agency
• State Park Rangers: Cook ForestOther state agency

Agencies: FBI NIBRS master file 2025 batch headers; names from the FBI agency list, pulled 2026-09-29. An agency that serves several counties appears on each. Population served is the FBI's figure.