As amended through November 15, 2017
Rule 117 - Coverage-Issuing Warrants; Preliminary Arraignments And Summary Trials; And Setting And Accepting Bail(A) All magisterial district court offices shall be open from 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except on those dates established as court holidays. The president judge may establish additional or alternate hours at any time in order to meet the needs of the public and the court. At any time a magisterial district judge is absent from his/her office during normal business hours, he/she shall arrange for coverage by another district judge of the 18th Judicial District.(B) Continuous coverage for the issuance of search warrants and arrest warrants, for warrants issued pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 430 in a summary case, for the issuance of emergency orders under the Protection From Abuse Act and for those services set forth in Pa.R.Crim.P. 117(A)(2)(a), (b), (c) and (d) shall be in accordance with the traditional on-call system as presently established. The president judge shall assign a magisterial district judge to be responsible for the preparation of the on-call schedule. The magisterial district judge designated to prepare the on-call schedule shall supply a copy of that schedule to each magisterial district judge, Clarion County Office of Emergency Services, the District Attorney, the president judge and court administrator. Any changes to the established schedule shall be made in writing and provided to the same persons in receipt of the original on-call schedule.(C) The on-call magisterial district judge shall be available without unreasonable delay at his or her established office or, at the discretion of the on-call magisterial district judge, advanced communication technology may be utilized in those instances where it is allowable by the Rules of Criminal Procedure. The on-call magisterial district judge shall be available from the close of business at 4:00 p.m. until the opening of business the following day at 8:00 a.m. Weekend on-call shall be from 4:00 p.m. on Friday through 8:00 a.m. on Monday. Holiday on-call shall begin at 4:00 p.m. the day before the holiday and end at 8:00 a.m. the business day following the holiday. (D) Magisterial district judges, the clerk of courts and the warden of Clarion County Corrections, or his designee, shall be authorized to accept bail in accordance with the provisions, and subject to the limitations, of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. The warden of Clarion County Corrections or his designee will accept only monetary bonds; real estate bonds may only be posted through the clerk of courts or the magisterial district court offices.