Ottawa County sits on the Western edge of Michigan, just west of Kent County. It is one of Michigan’s most beautify counties, and offers breath taking views of Lake Michigan. Ottawa County is also home to one of Michigan’s most touristed towns the City of Grand Haven, Michigan. This is also the home of the county seat. Ottawa also offers some of the State’s most beautiful beaches, including those of Grand Haven, which are often packed during the high summer months. The Boardwalk is a popular "not to be missed" destination. The indigenous population of Ottawa County hoovers around 300,000.
The Criminal Courts of Ottawa CountyAlthough somewhat unusual given the large population, Ottawa County only has one District Court, that being the 58th District Court. However, as explained below, there are four judges in this court, all of whom hear criminal cases. Each case is randomly assigned to a Judge upon filing, and each Judge has approximately the same number of assigned cases each period.
The 58th District Court in Ottawa County has jurisdiction over all misdemeanor crimes as well as limited jurisdiction over all felony cases. Examples of district court misdemeanors are all DUI cases punishable by one year or less, misdemeanor domestic assault and some kinds of sex assault cases, most retail fraud, and all sorts of different civil infractions or traffic violations.
Regarding felony cases, all Ottawa County felony crimes, which are those crimes punishable by more than one year, begin in the 58th District Court. This is where the arraignment takes place, and is also where the preliminary exam conference, and if necessary, the preliminary exam itself, will take place. In some circumstances a District Court Judge might entertain a plea of guilty on a felony case, but sentencing will take place in the Ottawa County Circuit Court.
The 20th Judicial Circuit Court of Ottawa is the court having jurisdiction over all felony cases. Once a case is "bound over" or sent from the 58th District Court to the Circuit Court, the case will be set for an "arraignment on the information," and if a plea of guilty is not entered at this time, the case will be set for one or more pretrials, and eventually trial if necessary.
The Judges in the Ottawa County Criminal CourtsAs indicated above, there are 4 judges in the 58th District Court. The Chief Judge is the Honorable Bradley S. Knoll. Other judges in this court include Susan A. Jonas, Craig E. Bunce and Judy K. Mulder. The court is located at 414 Washington Avenue, Grand Haven, MI 49417.
There are also four judges in the Ottawa County Circuit Court, and like the District Court, cases are assigned to a judge randomly. The Chief Judge is Jon A. Van Allsburg. The other three judges include: Jon H. Hulsing, Kent D. Engle and Karen J. Miedema. The Ottawa County Circuit Court is also at the 414 address above. The prosecuting attorney for Ottawa County is Mr. Ronald Frantz.
The Barone Defense Firm has an office in Grand Rapids, and the Criminal Defense Attorneys from the Firm appear in the Ottawa Courts on a regular basis.