You are here: Home > Court Related Offices > Prothonotary
Jim Thorpe, PA
Phone: (570) 325-2481
Fax: (570) 325-8047
Prothonotary: Joann M. Behrens
First Deputy: Kelly S. Solt
Second Deputy: Debra Hoherchak
Department Clerk II / PFAD Coordinator: LehAnn Light
Automation Clerks:
Joann M. Behrens has been Prothonotary of Carbon
County since 2004. she is responsible for and maintains the filings and records
of most civil actions on the first floor of the Courthouse. Click here to see the Civil Filing Fee Schedule.
Since 1984, the Office of the Prothonotary has
been fully computerized, and civil docket information is available by remote computer access. Through the use of several
tailor-made computer programs, all civil filings, including security
agreements, are entered and docket entries are created through the use of
codes. Docket information can be accessed on the terminal screen or printed on
pre-designed forms such as case dockets. Cases can be looked-up by Case I.D. or
by the names of either the plaintiff or defendant. Entries in the Judgement
index are recorded simultaneously with the entry of the information in the docketing
system. Every civil case and judgement filed since January 1, 1984, and every
active case filed before that date, has been entered into the computer.
Civil Case Filings
2007
2008
2009
% Change ’07 - ’09
Civil Action*
593
760
785
32.4%
Eminent Domain
1
3
19
1800%
Divorce
208
201
207
-0.5%
Custody**
315
326
363
15.2%
Mortgage Foreclosure
302
376
415
37.4%
Mental Health
5
7
5
0%
Protection From Abuse
296
310
346
16.9%
Quiet Title
38
22
9
-76.3%
Miscellaneous
22
19
18
-18.2%
TOTAL
1,780
2,024
2,167
21.7%
|
Includes the following case types: Assault, Class
Action, Contract, Discrimination, Fraud, Defamation, Motor Vehicle,
Malpractice, Partition, Personal Injury, Product Liability, School Code, Title
to Real Property, Torts to Land, and Toxic Waste.
Fees Collected
Fees Collected 2007 2008 2009 % Change ’07-‘09 Commonwealth $24,603 $28,616 $28,582 16.2% County $399,350 $396,928 $428,270 7.2% Total Revenue $423,953 $425,544 $456,853 7.8% Total Expenses $224,128 $222,841 $225,211 .5% Cost to
Taxpayers 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC FILING
The Supreme Court's amendments to the
Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, which allowed for electronic filing of
documents in civil actions, and the availability of funds through the
Prothonotary's Automation Fund, cleared the way for the office to begin the
final phase of Court computerization.
In the Fall of 1999, plans were begun to add
Electronic Filing to the state-of-the-art computerized docket system. Planning
for the new program has been ongoing under the guidance of Senior Judge John P.
Lavelle, who planned and installed the Court's first computer system back in
1984. The new Electronic Filing system is being developed by David Fink of
TriData Corporation, Ann M. Schlough, Court Computer Systems Director, and
Prothonotary Joann M. Behrens.
In the early part of
January, 2000, the Prothonotary's Office began the electronic imaging and
numbering of all documents filed and then storing them in a retrievable
database. Check this Website for new developments of this work in progress.