County of Mercer
Sheriff's Office

About the Sheriff's Office


The County Sheriff is one of the oldest offices of law in Pennsylvania. The office of Sheriff is authorized and established by the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1788 which provides that the Sheriff is a county officer to be elected at the municipal election for a four-year term and, is the chief law enforcement officer of the county.

Vested in the Sheriff is the ultimate authority to preserve the peace and this authority is largely a discretionary one. The Sheriff is required to carry out all powers and duties relating to the office of Sheriff The tradition of priority service to the Courts combined with versatile law enforcement makes the office of Sheriff critical to the functions of the judicial system in Pennsylvania.

The Sheriff's authority is vested in the commissioned Deputy Sheriff and the non­commissioned Sheriff's Office staff, through delegation of authority to enforce the criminal law; enforce the traffic law, enforce the civil law and perform the statutory and Court duties relating to writs of execution, civil process, firearms licenses and other judicial duties of the office of Sheriff. The Sheriff in Mercer County currently has a staff of 13 full-time deputies; 2 part-time deputies; three clerks; a Chief Deputy and a Solicitor.

CRIMINAL COURT The role of the Sheriff in the Court system is an important one. Deputy Sheriffs are responsible for Courtroom security and have the responsibility of maintaining custody of incarcerated defendants who are required to appear before the Courts in such matters as arraignments, motions, pleas, trials, sentences and appeals.

TRANSPORTATION — The Sheriff is responsible for transporting defendants to and from prisons, courts and hospitals throughout Pennsylvania. Travel to other states is required to return fugitives or defendants to Mercer County for the Courts.
CIVIL PROCESS — The Sheriff's office is responsible for processing and docketing civil court papers such as assumpsit actions, divorce, and for the actual service of the writs throughout the county.

The goal of the Sheriff's Office is to continue to strive to provide quality service within the budget guidelines in the enforcement of civil law, the criminal law, and the traffic law to the citizens and communities of Mercer County and to continue to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the reduction of crime.