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Kent County, Michigan

Covering approximately 872 square miles of land and water in Michigan, Kent County is part of the Grand Rapid Metropolitan Area, which includes the state's longest river, the Grand River. The county is the fourth-most populous in the state, with approximately 657,321 residents. The City of Grand Rapids serves as the county seat. The court system in Kent County is structured to handle criminal and civil cases, among other legal matters. Courts in the county include the 17th Circuit Court, District Courts, and Probate Court.

The 17th Circuit Court is located in Grand Rapids and serves as the county's only trial court of general jurisdiction. The Circuit Court exercises original jurisdiction over civil suits where the amount in controversy exceeds $25,000. This jurisdiction also extends over domestic relations cases, juvenile cases, and felonies or serious misdemeanors. Additionally, the Circuit Court hears appeals from lower courts and administrative agencies. On the other hand, the Probate Court hears cases concerning guardianship for incapacitated persons, estates, wills, and transfer of assets. The District Court in Kent County exclusively handles civil cases where the amount in controversy does not exceed $25,000. Other cases these courts handle include garnishments, evictions, personal property, breach of contract, and mortgage foreclosures. The District Courts also have criminal jurisdiction over all punishable misdemeanor cases by a year of incarceration and conduct preliminary proceedings in felony cases. Additionally, the Small Claims Division is part of a District Court that provides a faster process to resolve civil cases where the claims do not exceed $6,500. The District Court locations in Kent County include:

In 2022, Kent County reported an index total crime count of 15,803. The 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Kent County handled over 22,000 cases in 2023 and finalized approximately 17,000 cases. Likewise, the Kent County Probate Court processed a total of 4,363 cases, concluding 4,173 of them. Meanwhile, the 61st District Court's caseload for the year was 26,809, and the court closed 22,619 cases. The Kent County Clerk of the Court maintains court records. Anyone can access these records in person at the Clerk's Office, online, or by requesting certified court documents. However, the Clerk restricts access to confidential court documents like adoption and medical records.

The court system in Kent County plays a vital role in the county's governance, as it fairly resolves a wide range of legal issues. The Circuit, District, and Probate Courts work together to address legal disputes within the county's jurisdiction. Furthermore, these courts provide legal services to residents and enable public access to Kent County's court records, ensuring transparency and accountability in the legal process.

Kent County, MI - Courthouses

Michigan Court Of Appeals - Third District

Court Type: Court of Appeals
Street Address: 350 Ottawa Nw
Website URL: https://courts.michigan.gov/Courts/COA/clerksoffice/pages/contact.aspx
Phone: 616-456-1167
Hours: Monday - Friday : 9:00 AM–5:00 PM
Judge: Hon. Jane M. Beckering
Clerk: Patricia A. Murray
Clerk Phone: 616-456-1167
Parking: For Limited Parking, You Can Park At One Of The Meters On Ionia Or In The Metered Parking Lot Across From The State Office Building. For Extended Periods, You May Park At The Ellis Parking Lot On Ionia Or Circle Around The State Office Building And Park At The Underground Parking Ramp Off Ottawa Street. There Is A Small Sign Near The Entrance Of The Ramp That Says "Government Center
Directions: The Grand Rapids Clerk'S Office Is In The State Office Building, On Floor "O."
Forms & Filing: https://courts.michigan.gov/courts/coa/forms/pages/forms.aspx
Jury Service: https://courts.michigan.gov/Courts/MichiganSupremeCourt/criminal-jury-instructions/Pages/Recently%20Adopted%20Criminal%20Jury%20Instructions.aspx
Languages: Multiple
About / Additional Info: The court has four districts: District I is based in Detroit, District II is based in Troy, District III is based in Grand Rapids, and District IV is based in Lansing. Each District elects six or seven judges, but the judges on the various panels are not drawn from specific districts, and the court's precedents must be consistent statewide (i.e., each district may not maintain its own precedents as in the various circuits in the federal judicial system). Because there is no connection between the district in which a case arises and the judges who sit on the panel, there are some slight differences between the election districts (which are redrawn every 10 years to maintain approximate population equality) and the case filing districts (which only are to maximize convenience). Due to the enormous geographic size of the 4th District, the court will, on occasion, schedule a panel to hear cases in a northern Michigan city (such as Marquette, Petoskey, or Traverse City), for the convenience of the parties.
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Court_of_Appeals
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Kent County Circuit Court

Court Type: Circuit Court
Street Address: 180 Ottawa Ave., NW
Website URL: https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/17thcc/
Phone: 616-632-5220
Fax: 616-632-5130
Hours: Monday - Friday : 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Judge: Hon. Mark A. Trusock
Judge Phone: 616-632-5008
Clerk: Lisa Lyons
Clerk Phone: 616-632-5480
Clerk Fax: 616-632-5458
Clerk Email: clerk-register@kentcountymi.gov <clerk-register@kentcountymi.gov>;
Parking: The only free parking for jurors is located at the Bridge Street Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot (only accessible off Bridge Street). If you choose to park at a location other than the Bridge Street Gerald R. Ford Museum Parking Lot, you will be responsible for your parking fees
Forms & Filing: https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/17thcc/forms.htm
Divisions / Services: https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/default.htm
Jury Service: https://www.accesskent.com/Courts/17thcc/jury.htm
Languages: Multiple
Email: JuryClerk@kentcountymi.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Government-Building/Kent-County-17th-Judicial-Circuit-Court-1413188288930991/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KentCountyMI
ADA: Andrew M. Thalhammer
ADA Phone: 616-632-5137
ADA Fax / Email: 616-632-5130
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Kent County, MI - Sheriff's Office

Kent County Sheriff's Office

Location Type: Sheriff's Office
Street Address: 701 Ball Ave NE
Phone: 616-632-6100
Fax: 616-632-6122
Website URL: https://www.accesskent.com/Sheriff/
Inmates: https://www.accesskent.com/InmateLookup/
Sheriff: Michelle LaJoye-Young
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentsheriffsoffice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KentSheriff
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kent-county-sheriff/about/
About/Additional Info: he Kent County Sheriff's Department provides general law enforcement and corrections operations to the community. The Sheriff's law enforcement responsibility is both criminal and civil enforcement, which includes the detection of activity as well as the investigation of reported incidents. This is accomplished with the enforcement division. In addition, the Sheriff maintains a communication center to facilitate emergency call answering for the county. This, along with maintaining minimum training standards, is accomplished within the communications and technology division. Finally, the jail is maintained by the Sheriff and provision must be made for a secure and constitutionally correct facility. This is managed by the corrections division, which also includes a court security unit. The Sheriff's department maintains its own training center for its approximately 550 employees. The training center includes an indoor shooting range, a mock intake vestibule, a mock jail cell, and computerized training systems.
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