Traffic ticket & summary appeal lawyer.

Once 30 days pass, the conviction, fine, points, and any suspension are final and the Court of Common Pleas loses jurisdiction to hear a routine appeal. The only paths left are a nunc pro tunc (late appeal) petition — granted only for narrow reasons like a breakdown in the court's operations, fraud, or non-negligent circumstances beyond your control — or a post-conviction collateral attack. Both are uphill. Call the same day you realize the deadline is close; we sometimes file protective appeals within hours.

Calendar days, counted from the day after the MDJ's verdict. If day 30 falls on a weekend or court holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day under Pa.R.Crim.P. and Pa.R.C.P. 106. Do not rely on the rollover — file early.

A summary appeal is a fresh trial — 'de novo' — at the Court of Common Pleas after you've been found guilty of a summary offense (most traffic citations, disorderly conduct, harassment, underage drinking). The Commonwealth has to re-prove the case from scratch. The original MDJ verdict has no weight; the officer must come back and testify.

De novo means 'from the beginning.' The Common Pleas judge does not review the MDJ for error — the case is retried as if the first hearing never happened. The Commonwealth bears the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the citing officer must appear and testify live, radar/Lidar/VASCAR certifications must be produced, and the rules of evidence apply. We can cross-examine, file suppression motions, and subpoena records that were never available at the MDJ level.

Send us (1) the citation itself — both sides, including the AOPC citation number; (2) the MDJ's disposition or guilty-verdict notice showing the conviction date; (3) any PennDOT correspondence about points, suspensions, or scheduled hearings; (4) a current copy of your PA driving record (we can pull this for you); (5) your CDL if you hold one; and (6) any photos, dashcam, or witness contact info from the stop. For PennDOT suspension appeals we also need the official suspension notice with the mail date — that triggers the 30-day clock.

You check in with the clerk, then most courts hold a brief negotiation period with the assistant DA assigned to the summary list. If we resolve the case there, the judge takes a quick plea on the reduced charge and you're done. If not, the case goes to trial that same day in front of the judge — no jury. The officer testifies, we cross-examine, present any defense witnesses or evidence, and the judge rules from the bench. Most hearings finish in 30 to 90 minutes.

Points only attach when the conviction is final. Filing a summary appeal stays the points and any PennDOT action while the appeal is pending. If we win or negotiate the charge down to a non-point violation, the points never hit your record. If we lose, the points and any suspension take effect from the appeal date.

Yes — for most administrative suspensions you have 30 days to appeal to the Court of Common Pleas. This is separate from the underlying criminal or traffic case. Common appealable suspensions include 6-point hearings, 11-point suspensions, second-offense Section 1543 suspensions, and ARD-related suspensions. We also handle occupational limited license (OLL) petitions and habitual offender restoration.

Yes — unlike at the MDJ level, summary appeal hearings at Common Pleas require the defendant to appear unless the court excuses your presence. Most appeals resolve before the contested hearing, though, through a plea negotiation in the hallway with the assistant DA assigned to summary appeals.

In our experience the typical results are: (1) negotiated reduction to a non-point violation like a defective-equipment or local ordinance charge — by far the most common; (2) withdrawal or dismissal when the officer does not appear or key evidence is missing; (3) acquittal after a contested trial on the merits or a successful suppression motion; (4) conviction at the same grade as the MDJ, in which case the judge can impose the same or a lesser sentence (never a higher fine). Even a partial win usually saves the license, the CDL, and the insurance hit.

The Commonwealth almost always cannot meet its burden without the citing officer, so the standard remedy is dismissal. Some judges grant a one-time continuance if the officer has a documented conflict (training, vacation, military duty), but a second no-show is usually fatal to the case. We track the docket and are ready to move for dismissal the moment the case is called.

The Common Pleas judge can impose the same penalty the MDJ did, or any lesser penalty. The judge cannot increase the fine. Points and any suspension start running from the conviction date at Common Pleas. From there you have 30 days to file a further appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, but those are rare and usually limited to constitutional issues.

For low-point violations with no CDL and no prior history, often the math doesn't work. For anything that triggers PennDOT action — 6 points, 11 points, Section 1543, CDL holders, repeat offenders, accidents with injuries, or reckless/careless driving — an attorney almost always pays for themselves in avoided insurance hikes, kept license, and protected employment.

Whichever Court of Common Pleas covers the county where the MDJ convicted you. Citations in Harrisburg, Hershey, Middletown, or Hummelstown go to Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas at 101 Market Street. Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, or Shippensburg citations go to Cumberland County in Carlisle. We appear in both regularly.