The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced on Mar. 31 that it will change its case numbering conventions for initial pleadings starting January 1, 2026.
This update affects how both civil and criminal cases are filed in the court. The new system aims to improve organization within court processes and procedures.
According to the announcement, civil initial pleadings filed with the court will use the number format “4:26-at-6000” instead of the previous “02-6000.” For criminal initial pleadings submitted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, filings will now use “4:26-ra-6000.” The court said that these changes are intended to better organize its processes and procedures but emphasized that initial filing procedures themselves remain unchanged.
Anyone with questions about these changes is encouraged to contact the Clerk’s Office for further information.
