Wayne County

Wayne 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.

• Lake township4,897
• Honesdale borough4,467
• Salem township4,144
• Paupack township3,714
• Damascus township3,698
• Canaan township3,453
• Berlin township2,832
• Texas township2,223
• Cherry Ridge township2,090
• Lehigh township2,014
• Clinton township1,961
• South Canaan township1,855
• Mount Pleasant township1,742
• Sterling township1,407
• Dreher township1,370
• Dyberry township1,303
• Palmyra township1,241
• Waymart borough1,114
• Oregon township933
• Hawley borough925
• Preston township916
• Lebanon township686
• Manchester township680
• Buckingham township465
• Scott township434
• Bethany borough279
• Prompton borough248
• Starrucca borough171

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

• State Police: Wayne CountyState police agency42,518 served
• Honesdale Police DepartmentCity police department4,435 served
• Lehigh Township Police DepartmentCity police department1,870 served
• No name PA0640600City police department1,380 served
• Waymart Police DepartmentCity police department1,284 served
• Hawley Police DepartmentCity police department1,216 served
• Bureau of Forestry: Wayne CountyOther state agency
• County Detective: Wayne CountyOther agency
• Office of Attorney General Region 1: Wayne CountyOther state agency
• Wayne County Sheriff's OfficeSheriff or county police

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.