District courts are courts of limited jurisdiction in the State of Michigan. They were established by the State Legislature in Act 236 of 1961 to consolidate the functions of several courts of limited jurisdiction such as traffic courts and municipal courts.[1] In response, nearly all cities in the state have ceased operating a municipal court, except for the five Grosse Pointes in Wayne County; each has its own municipal court, except for Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores, which operate one jointly.
There are currently 103 district courts in the state (four district courts - 42nd (Macomb County), 52nd (Oakland County), 67th (Genesee County) and 70th (Saginaw County) - are single court districts with judges from multiple "election divisions" based at separate locations within the respective districts). They handle most traffic violations, civil disputes seeking money damages up to $25,000, landlord-tenant disputes and criminal cases in which the defendant is charged with a misdemeanor that is punishable by not more than one-year imprisonment.
District Judges are elected for six-year terms and may appoint magistrates. Magistrates may set bail and accept bonds in criminal matters, accept guilty pleas, impose sentences for dog, game, traffic, motor carrier, snowmobile and boat law violations. They may also issue arrest and search warrants. Attorney magistrates may also hear small claims cases or perform other duties described in the statute, as directed by the Chief Judge.[2]
A person aged 18-years or older who is charged with a crime will begin his or her case with an appearance before a district court judge. In an appearance, the district court will explain the charges to the defendant along with his or her rights, and the possible consequences if convicted of the charge. The court also determines the amount and conditions of bail and collects it if the defendant is able to post a bond.
The district court will conduct a trial for defendants charged with a misdemeanor, that is punishable by not more than one year in jail, and sentence the defendant.
In felony cases (generally, cases that are punishable by more than one year in prison), the district court will set the bail amount and hold a preliminary examination to determine if a crime was committed and if there is probable cause to believe the defendant committed the crime. If so, the case is transferred to the circuit court for trial and is referred to as having been "bound over."
District courts also contain a small claims division which handles civil cases up to $7,000. For these cases, the parties must agree to waive their right to a jury, representation by a lawyer, rules of evidence and to appeal the decision of the district judge. If the parties do not agree to these terms, the case is heard in the district court’s general civil division.[3]
The Michigan Supreme Court has designated the Berrien County Courts as a consolidation site for the merger of the District Court, Probate Court and Circuit Court into a single Trial Court.[13]
The 6th District Court, which consisted of the cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph was merged into the 5th District Court in the 1970s to form a county-wide district court.
The 9th District Court, which served the cities of Kalamazoo (9-1) and Portage (9-2), were merged into the 8th District Court in 1999 to become a county-wide district court.[16]
Began operations on January 1, 1985 after Ypsilanti Township approved establishing a municipal-funded court separate from then-14th District Court.[20]
The 25th District Court was established on December 1, 1977, replacing the Lincoln Park Municipal Court.[23]
The 26th District Court commenced operations on December 1, 1979, with the consolidation of the Ecorse and River Rouge Municipal Courts[24] and merged with the 25th District Court effective April 1, 2012[25]
The 45A District Court (City of Berkeley) and the 45B District Court (Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak Township) merged into the 45th District Court on July 1, 2012.[35]
Was originally designated as the 49th District Court in the enabling legislation effective in 1969. However, the Troy and Clawson Municipal Courts remained in operation until November 1, 1978, when the two courts merged to become the fourth division of the county-funded 52nd District Court.[36]
The original 59th District Court served the city of Muskegon, the city of Muskegon Heights and Muskegon Township before being merged into the county-wide 60th District Court in 1973.[39]
Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant, to inform them of the criminal charges against them. In response to arraignment, in some jurisdictions, the accused is expected to enter a plea; in other jurisdictions, no plea is required. Acceptable pleas vary among jurisdictions, but they generally include guilty, not guilty, and the peremptory pleas setting out reasons why a trial cannot proceed. Pleas of nolo contendere and the Alford plea are allowed in some circumstances.
A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. In most jurisdictions, such periods exist for both criminal law and civil law such as contract law and property law, though often under different names and with varying details.
Wayne County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the United States Census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States. The county seat is Detroit. The county was founded in 1796 and organized in 1815. Wayne County is included in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is one of several U.S. counties named after Revolutionary War-era general Anthony Wayne.
Macomb County is a county on the eastern shore of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, bordering Detroit to the north and containing many of its northern suburbs. Its seat of government is Mt. Clemens, and its largest community is Warren. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 881,217, making it the third-most populous county in the state, behind neighboring Wayne and Oakland.
Eastpointe is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Eastpointe borders Detroit to the north, roughly 11 miles (17.7 km) northeast of Downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 34,318.
Grosse Pointe Shores is a city in Wayne and Macomb counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,647 at the 2020 census, down from 3,008 in 2010.
The United States has inherited sodomy laws which constitutionally outlawed a variety of sexual acts that are deemed to be illegal, illicit, unlawful, unnatural and/or immoral from the colonial-era based laws in the 17th century. While they often targeted sexual acts between persons of the same sex, many sodomy-related statutes employed definitions broad enough to outlaw certain sexual acts between persons of different sexes, in some cases even including acts between married persons.
Deborah A. Servitto, born February 17, 1956, in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, is a Judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, District II. She received national attention when, as a Macomb County Circuit Court judge, she delivered her ruling in the case of Bailey v. Mathers partially in the form of a rap rhyme.
Candice Sue Miller is an American politician serving as the Public Works Commissioner of Macomb County, Michigan since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Miller previously served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 10th congressional district from 2003 to 2017, the Michigan Secretary of State from 1995 to 2003, and the Macomb County Treasurer from 1993 to 1995. She also served as the Harrison Township Supervisor. She was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2015.
A bail bondsman, bail bond agent or bond dealer is any person, agency or corporation that will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the appearance of a defendant in court.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is the federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of Michigan. The Court is based in Detroit, with courthouses also located in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over the court.
Tara Lynn Grant was a married American woman, mother of two children from Macomb County, Michigan, and a successful consultant at Washington Group International. She became nationally known as the victim of murder by her husband, Stephen Grant, in February 2007.
The state of Michigan is largely divided in the same way as many other U.S. states, but is distinct in its usage of charter townships. Michigan ranks 13th among the fifty states in terms of the number of local governmental entities.
Capital punishment in Alabama is a legal penalty. Alabama has the highest per capita capital sentencing rate in the United States. In some years, its courts impose more death sentences than Texas, a state that has a population five times as large. However, Texas has a higher rate of executions both in absolute terms and per capita.
Michigan has a republican form of government with three branches of government: the executive branch consisting of the governor of Michigan and the other independently elected constitutional officers; the legislative branch consisting of the House of Representatives and Senate; and the judicial branch consisting of the one court of justice. The state also allows direct participation of the electorate by initiative, referendum, recall, and ratification.
The Wisconsin circuit courts are the general trial courts in the state of Wisconsin. There are currently 69 circuits in the state, divided into 9 judicial administrative districts. Circuit court judges hear and decide both civil and criminal cases. Each of the 249 circuit court judges are elected and serve six-year terms.
Gun laws in Michigan regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the U.S. state of Michigan.
The judiciary of Michigan is defined under the Michigan Constitution, law, and regulations as part of the Government of Michigan. The court system consists of the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals as the intermediate appellate court, the circuit courts and district courts as the two primary trial courts, and several administrative courts and specialized courts. The Supreme Court administers all the courts. The Michigan Supreme Court consists of seven members who are elected on non-partisan ballots for staggered eight-year terms, while state appellate court judges are elected to terms of six years and vacancies are filled by an appointment by the governor, and circuit court and district court judges are elected to terms of six years.
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Circuit courts are the trial courts with the broadest powers in Michigan. In Michigan, circuit courts handle all felony criminal cases that could result in confinement to prison. They also deal with all civil cases for claims in excess of $25,000.00. There are 57 circuit courts in the state of Michigan. Judges are elected for six-year terms. In Michigan, circuit courts are divided into two divisions: general division and family division.
References
↑ "236-1961-81". Michigan Legislature. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
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