Union County Arrest and Jail Records
Union County is a small county in central Pennsylvania with its seat in Lewisburg. It is home to Bucknell University and the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg. Every arrest in Union County follows the 72 hour booking process required by state law. The Union County Jail processes all local bookings and creates the intake records that feed into the public court system. This page covers how the booking process works in Union County, which tools to use for searching 72 hour booking records, and how to access criminal case data from local and state sources.
The 72 Hour Booking Rule in Union County
Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 540 sets the 72 hour booking standard. It requires that every arrested person be brought before a judge for a preliminary arraignment within 72 hours. Union County follows this rule for all arrests made by local, state, and campus police within its borders. The clock starts at the time of arrest.
After an arrest, the individual is transported to the Union County Jail in Lewisburg. Intake staff collect personal information. They take a photograph and fingerprints. A medical screening is done. The charges are logged. A Magisterial District Judge then reviews the case and sets bail. The next court date is placed on the record. All of this forms the Union County 72 hour booking record.
Union County uses on-call judges for arrests that occur at night, on weekends, or during holidays. The 72 hour window does not pause for any reason. The rule applies the same way in Union County as it does in the largest counties across the state.
Union County Booking Records on the Court Portal
The Unified Judicial System Portal is the best free tool for finding Union County 72 hour booking records connected to court cases. You can search by name or docket number. Results show charges, bail, hearing dates, and case outcomes. Union County cases sit alongside records from every other Pennsylvania county on this single site.
The UJS Portal links to Union County dockets filed at the magisterial and common pleas levels and updates as cases move through the system.
This portal is free to use. It stores Union County criminal case records for years, so both current and older cases are searchable.
Each docket sheet on the portal lists the arresting agency, the charges filed, bail conditions, and every court action in order. Union County 72 hour booking records appear once the arraignment is filed. You can follow a case from the initial booking through the final disposition. The portal is the most complete public source for Union County criminal case data.
Union County Jail Intake and Custody
The Union County Jail in Lewisburg is where every local booking takes place. The facility processes all arrests within county lines. You can call the jail at 570-524-2021 for questions about custody or visitation schedules.
At intake, staff record the name, date of birth, and physical traits of the person being booked. Fingerprints are taken and sent to the state database. The booking record logs the charges, the arresting officer, and the date and time of arrest. Once the arraignment is complete, this data becomes part of the court filing. Union County Jail staff can confirm if a person is in custody. They will not share full booking details by phone. For complete records, use the court portal or file a formal request with Union County.
Note: The Union County Jail is a county facility. It is separate from the federal penitentiary at Lewisburg, which is run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and handles only federal inmates.
Union County Sheriff and Warrant Arrests
The Union County Sheriff's Office serves warrants and transports prisoners. Each warrant arrest in Union County creates a new 72 hour booking record at the jail. The Sheriff's Office also provides courthouse security during court proceedings. You can call them at 570-524-8750.
Bench warrants come from missed court dates. Criminal warrants stem from new charges. Both types follow the same path in Union County. The deputy brings the individual to the jail. Intake staff create the booking record. A judge conducts the arraignment within 72 hours. The arrest data enters the public court record on the state portal. The Sheriff's Office cannot release full booking details, but they can address basic questions about warrant status in Union County.
State Criminal Record Tools for Union County Searches
Several state systems help expand a search for Union County booking records beyond the court portal. The Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History system, known as PATCH, is the state's official criminal background check tool. It searches records from all Pennsylvania counties. Union County arrest and booking data tied to criminal cases may show up in PATCH results.
PATCH is managed by the Pennsylvania State Police and draws from criminal history files that include Union County arrest records from past and current cases.
PATCH provides a summary report of charges and outcomes across all counties, including Union County.
For a thorough search of Union County 72 hour booking records, combine the court portal with PATCH. The portal gives detailed docket history. PATCH gives a broader criminal record snapshot. The two tools serve different purposes but both draw on Union County data.
Union County 72 Hour Booking Record Contents
A Union County booking record captures key facts tied to the arrest and the court case that follows. The record starts at intake and grows as the case moves through the courts.
- Full name, date of birth, and physical description
- Charges filed and the arresting agency or officer
- Date, time, and location of arrest
- Bail amount and any conditions of release
- Court dates and hearing outcomes
- Case disposition once resolved
Union County 72 hour booking records are public unless a court has sealed them. Expunged records do not appear on the portal. The rest of the data is free to access. Union County retains these records as part of standard court operations, and they stay searchable for years after a case is closed.
Note: Juvenile records are not included in the public court portal and are handled through a separate process in Union County.
Court Processing in Union County After Booking
After the arraignment, Union County criminal cases move forward based on the severity of the charges. Minor offenses often resolve at the magisterial level. Guilty pleas and diversion programs close many of these cases. More serious charges advance to the Union County Court of Common Pleas for trial or plea proceedings.
Every action in the case adds to the public docket on the UJS Portal. The 72 hour booking record starts the file. Charges that are later dropped or dismissed do not remove the original Union County booking record from the system. You can track both open and closed cases on the portal.
Case timelines vary. A straightforward case can close in weeks. A trial case in Union County may take several months. The booking record stays at the base of the court file throughout.
Victim Alerts for Union County Bookings
Crime victims in Union County can sign up for custody alerts through VINELink. This free service sends a notice when an inmate is booked, released, or transferred. You register with the offender's name or ID and pick your alert method. Phone, email, and text are all available.
VINELink ties into the Union County booking process directly. When someone is booked at the Union County Jail, VINELink can send an alert almost right away. Releases and transfers also trigger notices. This is a practical tool for victims who want to track changes in custody without calling the jail or checking the portal repeatedly. VINELink covers Union County and every other county in the state.
The VINELink system provides real-time custody status updates for Union County inmates and for offenders across all of Pennsylvania.
Registering for VINELink alerts is one of the simplest ways to stay informed about booking and release activity in Union County.
Nearby Counties
If you need booking records from counties near Union County, the links below connect to neighboring county pages with similar 72 hour booking information.