Wyoming County

Wyoming 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.

• Tunkhannock township3,960
• Tunkhannock borough1,636
• Falls township1,624
• Monroe township1,509
• Washington township1,502
• Overfield township1,437
• Northmoreland township1,432
• Factoryville borough1,368
• Eaton township1,365
• Clinton township1,094
• Nicholson township1,066
• Mehoopany township1,062
• Noxen township1,057
• Lemon township990
• Meshoppen township938
• Exeter township726
• Nicholson borough696
• Windham township610
• Meshoppen borough549
• Laceyville borough423
• Braintrim township402
• Forkston township307
• North Branch township214

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

• State Police: Wyoming CountyState police agency15,672 served
• Tunkhannock Township Police Department, Wyoming CountyCity police department7,012 served
• Tunkhannock Police DepartmentCity police department1,718 served
• Meshoppen Police DepartmentCity police department1,221 served
• Bureau of Forestry: Wyoming CountyOther state agency
• County Detective: Wyoming CountyOther agency
• Office of Attorney General Region 1: Wyoming CountyOther state agency
• Reading Northern Railroad: Wyoming CountyOther agency
• State Park Rangers: Vosburg NeckOther state agency
• Wyoming 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.