Fayette County

Fayette 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.

• North Union township11,592
• South Union township10,620
• Uniontown9,742
• Connellsville6,849
• Bullskin township6,600
• Dunbar township6,529
• Georges township6,213
• Luzerne township5,409
• Redstone township4,981
• German township4,563
• Menallen township4,048
• Washington township3,787
• Wharton township3,332
• Masontown borough3,201
• Saltlick township2,980
• Springfield township2,677
• Springhill township2,664
• Perry township2,590
• Brownsville borough2,412
• Franklin township2,364
• Connellsville township2,091
• Jefferson township1,937
• Upper Tyrone township1,937
• Henry Clay township1,892
• South Connellsville borough1,807
• Perryopolis borough1,529
• Nicholson township1,417
• Fairchance borough1,241
• Point Marion borough1,178
• Smithfield borough1,050
• Lower Tyrone township1,009
• Dunbar borough999
• Belle Vernon borough923
• Stewart township613
• Everson borough592
• Newell borough582
• Brownsville township539
• Dawson borough388
• Fayette City borough386
• Vanderbilt borough353
• Markleysburg borough334
• Seven Springs borough40
• Ohiopyle borough17

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

• State Police: Fayette CountyState police agency71,180 served
• No name PA0262400City police department10,310 served
• Uniontown Police DepartmentCity police department9,453 served
• German Township Police DepartmentCity police department8,442 served
• Connellsville Police DepartmentCity police department8,426 served
• Luzerne Township Police DepartmentCity police department5,336 served
• Redstone Township Police DepartmentCity police department4,852 served
• Menallen Township Police DepartmentCity police department3,998 served
• Washington Township Police Department, Fayette CountyCity police department3,649 served
• Masontown Police DepartmentCity police department3,126 served
• No name PA0261700City police department2,237 served
• Brownsville Police DepartmentCity police department2,080 served
• No name PA0262300City police department1,920 served
• Southwest Regiona Police Departmentl, Fayette CountyCity police department1,881 served
• No name PA0260700City police department1,826 served
• No name PA0261200City police department1,801 served
• Perryopolis Police DepartmentCity police department1,601 served
• No name PA0260600City police department1,103 served
• Point Marion Police DepartmentCity police department1,102 served
• Dunbar Police DepartmentCity police department968 served
• No name PA0262500City police department790 served
• Everson Police DepartmentCity police department736 served
• No name PA0262800City police department491 served
• No name PA0261300City police department480 served
• No name PA0260900City police department335 served
• No name PA0561900City police department24 served
• Bureau of Forestry: Fayette CountyOther state agency
• County Detective: Fayette CountyOther agency
• Office of Attorney General Region 3: Fayette CountyOther state agency
• No name PA0260000Sheriff or county police
• No name PA0263800Other agency
• No name PA0264200College or university police
• Pennsylvania State University: FayetteCollege or university police
• State Park Rangers: OhiopyleOther 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.