General

• Single-term queries are recommended in this database. Examples:

  

  

• Multi-term queries can be performed, but terms separated by spaces will be searched as an exact phrase.

• "Sounds like" feature has been activated. Hits will contain search term anywhere in the chosen field. Examples:

  • In the Case Name field, car will return Car, Carter, Carol, Ricardo, etc.

  • In the Docket field, 416 will return 2416CD2001, 416 Jan. T. 1974, 3416EDA01, etc.

• The AND, OR, NOT connectors and quotation marks(" ") are not supported by this database.

• Any field can be searched in combination with any other. Example:

  

Case Name

• The Case Name field consists of the first and second party names as they appeared on the records and briefs.

• Names were usually indexed last name first. Exceptions exist for corporate names or names that do not appear first in an entry. Examples:

  • John Smith would be indexed as Smith, John.

  • John Smythe a/k/a John Smith would be indexed as Smythe, John a/k/a John Smith.

  • Smith Insurance Company would be indexed as Smith Ins. Co.

• If there are multiple parties, only the first two were indexed. Example:

  • For the case John Smith v. Sue Jones v. Ann Brown the two parties would be Smith, John and Jones, Sue.

• If there are multiple appellants or appellees, only the first was generally indexed. Example:

  • For the case John Smith and Sue Jones v. Ann Brown and James Johnson, the parties would be Smith, John; et al. and Brown, Ann; et al.

• Abbreviations have often been used for commonly occurring words. Example:

  • Progressive Casualty Insurance Company would be indexed as Progressive Casualty Ins. Co.

Docketed Year

• Enter year in the form of YYYY. Example:

  

• The year is derived from the docket number. It does not correspond to the date that the case was decided.

• Please note: many cases have no data entered in the year field.

Docket #

• For a precise search, enter entire docket number as in the following examples:

  • Commonwealth: 2416CD2001

  • Superior: 880PHL1997, 142PGH1996, 632HBG1995, 476WDA2003, 3111EDA2003, 1944MDA2001

  • Supreme: 90MD1995, 6ED1985, 94WD1999, 39EAP2002, 20MAP2001, 83WAP2001

  • Third circuit: 99-1813, 00-5247

• If you are not sure you have entered the docket number in the correct format, try entering part of it and then search the Docket field in combination with another field. Example:

  • 0880PHL97 could be searched by entering 880 in the Docket field and 1997 in the Docketed year field.

• Older cases have unusual docket numbers or no docket numbers entered at all. Search these by case name.

• In the case of consolidated dockets, ranges were often entered with a hyphen, i.e. 1716-1720CD2002. Thus, 1717CD2002 would not be retrieved in a search. Try searching by Case Name field if desired docket is not returned.