231 Pa. Code r. 1910.13-1

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 50, December 14, 2024

Rule 1910.13-1 - Failure or Refusal to Appear Pursuant to Order of Court. Bench Warrant

(a) If a party fails to appear at a conference and/or hearing as directed by order of court, the court may issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the party if it finds

(1) following a hearing on the record that the party had actual notice that the party was ordered to attend the conference and/or hearing, or

(2) upon the affidavit of a hearing officer or conference officer that

(i) the order of court scheduling the conference and/or hearing was served by ordinary mail with the return address of the domestic relations section appearing thereon, that the mail was not returned to the domestic relations section within fifteen days after mailing, and that, at a date after the order of court was mailed, the domestic relations section has verified through the U.S. Postal Service or by electronic means that mail for the party was being delivered at the address to which the court order was mailed; or

(ii) the party signed a receipt indicating acceptance of a copy of the court order; or

(iii) an employee of the court handed a copy of the order to the party; or

(iv) a competent adult handed a copy of the court order to the party, and filed an affidavit of service.

(b) The request for a bench warrant shall be made by the domestic relations office within sixty days following the party's failure to appear. The request shall be in the form provided by Rule 1910.13 -2(b), and shall include the hearing officer or conference officer's certification that the party has not appeared for any domestic relations matter involving the same parties since the date the party failed to appear.

(c) Upon appearance in court by a party on the matter underlying the bench warrant, the bench warrant shall be vacated forthwith and the notice shall be given to all computer networks into which the bench warrant has been entered.

(d) When a bench warrant is executed, the case is to proceed in accordance with the following procedures.

(1) When an individual is arrested pursuant to a bench warrant, he or she shall be taken without unnecessary delay for a hearing on the bench warrant. The hearing shall be conducted by the judicial officer who issued the bench warrant, or, another judicial officer designated by the president judge or by the president judge's designee to conduct bench warrant hearings. As used in this rule, "judicial officer" is limited to the common pleas court judge who issued the bench warrant, or common pleas court judge designated by the president judge or by the president judge's designee to conduct bench warrant hearings.

(2) In the discretion of the judicial officer, the bench warrant hearing may be conducted using two-way simultaneous audio-visual communication.

(3) When the individual is arrested in the county of issuance, and the bench warrant hearing cannot be conducted promptly after the arrest, the individual shall be lodged in the county jail pending the hearing. The authority in charge of the county jail promptly shall notify the sheriff's office and the director of the domestic relations section that the individual is being held pursuant to the bench warrant.

(4) When the individual is arrested outside the county of issuance, the authority in charge of the county jail in the arresting county promptly shall notify the proper authorities in the county of issuance that the individual is being held pursuant to the bench warrant.

(5) The bench warrant hearing shall be conducted without unnecessary delay after the individual is lodged in the jail of the county of issuance of that bench warrant. The individual shall not be detained without a hearing on the bench warrant longer than 72 hours, or the close of the next business day if the 72 hours expires on a non-business day.

(6) At the conclusion of the bench warrant hearing following the disposition of the matter, the judicial officer immediately shall vacate the bench warrant.

(7) If a bench warrant hearing is not held within the time limits in paragraph (d)(5), the bench warrant shall expire by operation of law.

231 Pa. Code r. 1910.13-1

The provisions of this Rule 1910.13 -1 adopted March 30, 1994, effective 7/1/1994, 24 Pa.B. 1949; amended May 14, 1999, effective 7/1/1999, 29 Pa.B. 2767; amended November 8, 2006, effective 2/6/2007, 36 Pa.B. 7110; amended July 30, 2010, effective immediately, 40 Pa.B. 4634.