Magisterial Judge Jacob E. Hammond is one of 14 district judges in Lehigh County. Hammond handles minor criminal cases and civil cases up to $8,000, as well as traffic cases, in South Whitehall and North Whitehall townships. He also sets bails and presides at preliminary hearings in major criminal cases to determine if the cases should be dismissed or proceed to Common Pleas Court. Magisterial District Court is the first level of judicial authority in Pennsylvania; it is often the only place where people will interact with the judicial system.
The Salisbury Township municipal building houses the office of the township manager, assistant manager/director of finance, director of planning, zoning and code enforcement and the tax collector. The police and public works departments are next door in the municipal annex. Salisbury Township was founded in 1753, but through a series of annexations lost much of its land to neighboring municipalities. It consists of 11.3 square miles, the second smallest township in Lehigh County. It is a largely suburban residential area that flanks the east and south sides of Allentown. The township's east and west sides are not contiguous.
The Allentown office of District Justice Charles Crawford (Magisterial District 31-3-02) handles traffic and non-traffic citations, criminal complaints and civil complaints. The district office handles complaints emanating from the following municipalities and towns: Alburtis, Lowhill, Upper Macungie, Lower Macungie and Weisenburg Township.