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Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 107 (2026)

 Application of preliminary provisions.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 107.  Application of preliminary provisions.

(a)  General rule.--The provisions of Part I of this title (relating to preliminary provisions) are applicable to offenses defined by this title or by any other statute.

(b)  Common law crimes abolished.--No conduct constitutes a crime unless it is a crime under this title or another statute of this Commonwealth.

(c)  Exceptions.--This section does not affect the power of a court to declare forfeitures or to punish for contempt or to employ any sanction authorized by law for the enforcement of an order or a civil judgment or decree, nor does it bar, suspend, or otherwise affect any right of liability to damages, penalty, forfeiture or other remedy authorized by law to be recovered or enforced in a civil action, regardless of whether the conduct involved in such civil action or matter constitutes an offense defined in this title.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 45 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1975–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth, Aplt v. Irland, J (Semi-Auto Pistol), 193 A.3d 370 (Pa. 2018).
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Commonwealth, Aplt v. Irland, J (Semi-Auto Pistol), 193 A.3d 370 (Pa. 2018). · cites it 3× “]" 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(c). The Commonwealth criticizes the Commonwealth Court's decision for failing to meaningfully address Rule 588, characterizing the rule as the court's procedural mechanism to effectuate common law forfeiture and/or as embodying the concept of *376 derivative…”
Commonwealth v. Aponte, 855 A.2d 800 (Pa. 2004). · cites it 2× “18 Pa. C.S. § 107(b). The statute under which appellant was convicted, 35 P.”
Commonwealth v. McMullen, 961 A.2d 842 (Pa. 2008). · cites it 2× “The Crimes Code abolished common law crimes, 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b), but also provided in its preliminary provisions that "[t]his section does not affect the power of a court to declare forfeitures or to punish for contempt or to employ any sanction authorized by law for the…”
Commonwealth v. Chambers, 188 A.3d 400 (Pa. 2018). “The reason for this treatment is that there appears to be no better way to confine within reasonable limits the scope of liability to which conspiracy may theoretically give rise.”
Commonwealth v. Samuels, 778 A.2d 638 (Pa. 2001). · cites it 2× “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(a). Section 305, above, contains the pertinent exceptions.”
Commonwealth v. Williams, 496 A.2d 31 (Pa. 1985). · cites it 2× “In 1972, the legislature abolished common law crimes, 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b), but retained "common law definitions except insofar as inconsistent with the statute," see S.”
Commonwealth v. Parker White Metal Co., 515 A.2d 1358 (Pa. 1986). · cites it 2× “The statutory scheme also violates the purpose sections of § 104(3), (4) and (5) of our Crimes Code, which are applicable when reviewing all criminal statutory proscriptions (18 Pa.C.S. § 107(a)), and which the Majority conveniently has ignored.”
Commonwealth v. Leet, 585 A.2d 1033 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991). · cites it 4× “" 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b). The crime for which Leet was stopped was made an offense by the Vehicle Code.”
Commonwealth v. Allen, 486 A.2d 363 (Pa. 1984). · cites it 2× “18 Pa.C.S. § 107. Thus, Section 110's prohibition against a second prosecution after a previous prosecution for another crime is inapplicable to this case, where the former "crime" is criminal contempt.”
Commonwealth v. Booth, 766 A.2d 843 (Pa. 2001). “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b). Stated differently, Pennsylvania is a “code jurisdiction”: it recognizes no common law crimes.”
Commonwealth v. Leet, 641 A.2d 299 (Pa. 1994). · cites it 2× “18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b). The closest offense to a breach of peace that can be found in the statute is disorderly conduct which is prohibited by section 5503 of the Crimes Code.”
Commonwealth v. Pestinikas, 617 A.2d 1339 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1992). · cites it 2× “While the Attorney General argues that a finding of criminal responsibility based upon a breach of a contractual duty would be "consistent with principles established in common law," our legislature has, with the enactment of the Crimes Code, abolished common law crimes, 18 Pa.”
Show all 45 citing cases →
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 107(a) — 6 cases
Commonwealth v. Samuels, 778 A.2d 638 (Pa. 2001). “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(a). Section 305, above, contains the pertinent exceptions.”
Commonwealth v. Parker White Metal Co., 515 A.2d 1358 (Pa. 1986). “The statutory scheme also violates the purpose sections of § 104(3), (4) and (5) of our Crimes Code, which are applicable when reviewing all criminal statutory proscriptions (18 Pa.C.S. § 107(a)), and which the Majority conveniently has ignored.”
Commonwealth v. Corban Corp., 957 A.2d 274 (Pa. 2008).
Commonwealth v. Rambo, 378 A.2d 953 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1977).
Commonwealth v. Rambo, 412 A.2d 535 (Pa. 1980).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 107(b) — 28 cases
Commonwealth v. Aponte, 855 A.2d 800 (Pa. 2004). “18 Pa. C.S. § 107(b). The statute under which appellant was convicted, 35 P.”
Commonwealth v. McMullen, 961 A.2d 842 (Pa. 2008). “The Crimes Code abolished common law crimes, 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b), but also provided in its preliminary provisions that "[t]his section does not affect the power of a court to declare forfeitures or to punish for contempt or to employ any sanction authorized by law for the…”
Commonwealth v. Chambers, 188 A.3d 400 (Pa. 2018). “The reason for this treatment is that there appears to be no better way to confine within reasonable limits the scope of liability to which conspiracy may theoretically give rise.”
Commonwealth v. Williams, 496 A.2d 31 (Pa. 1985). “In 1972, the legislature abolished common law crimes, 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b), but retained "common law definitions except insofar as inconsistent with the statute," see S.”
Commonwealth v. Leet, 585 A.2d 1033 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1991). “" 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(b). The crime for which Leet was stopped was made an offense by the Vehicle Code.”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 107(b)(7) — 1 case
Com. v. Wilson, A. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2020).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 107(c) — 3 cases
Commonwealth, Aplt v. Irland, J (Semi-Auto Pistol), 193 A.3d 370 (Pa. 2018). “]" 18 Pa.C.S. § 107(c). The Commonwealth criticizes the Commonwealth Court's decision for failing to meaningfully address Rule 588, characterizing the rule as the court's procedural mechanism to effectuate common law forfeiture and/or as embodying the concept of *376 derivative…”
Dreisbach, B. v. Montefusco, A. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017).
Commonwealth v. Perez, 15 Pa. D. & C.4th 49 (1992).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.