WHAT IS A PROTHONOTARY?

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This is the number one question Mike receives when speaking with voters. So, please don't worry if you can not answer the question. Even President Harry Truman was flummoxed by the office back in 1948.

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The Office of the Prothonotary dates back to William Penn and our founding as one of Pennsylvania's original three counties. The office is unique to our Commonwealth and the State of Delaware. Prothonotary roughly translates as "First Scribe." It is the office that acts as the go between the public and the courts. It is the repository for the legal records of the County, acts as the liaison between our County's court and the other courts throughout the nation, and is also responsible for the issuing various writs and subpoenas. Our Prothonotary also manages the County's United States Passport office and swears in new citizens throughout the year. In short, the Prothonotary is a legal ministerial position.

 

In Chester County, the office has traditional been held by a seasoned attorney who understands the law and how the Prothonotary fits into the overall system of justice for our citizens. In other words, our Prothonotary is someone like Mike, a local attorney who has spent 25 years working with and filing at the various prothonotary offices throughout our Commonwealth!