Muskegon County DUI Courts

Beautiful Muskegon County is located at the Western edge of the State, right in the middle of the lower peninsula. The gets its name from Muskegon lake and river. The word is a derivative of a Native American word that means swampy. Muskegon County has about 200,000 residents, but is even more well-populated during the summer months owing to it's beautiful waterways and stunning beaches along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Here is a listing of the District Court in Muskegon County handling misdemeanor drunk driving cases. This includes Michigan first and second offense OWI cases. If you are charged with a third offense drunk driving in Michigan this is a felony drunk driving. Michigan has a lifetime look back for felony drunk driving.

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor offense in Muskegon County, such as drunk boating, drunk driving and any other crime punishable by up to a year in jail, then your case will originate in the 60th District Court. This court is located at 990 Terrace St., Muskegon, Michigan.

As a District Court, the 60^th Judicial District Court has the power, also called "jurisdiction," to perform many functions in a criminal case. This power, as exercised the Judges presiding there, includes setting bond and bond conditions, reviewing and issuing arrest and search warrants, to hear pleas of guilty or to preside over a bench or jury trial. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor in the 60^th District Court will also be sentenced there, and if ordered, serve a term of probation there.

There are four Judges at the 60^th District Court, including Andrew Wierengo, Harold F Closz, Maria Ladas Hoopes and Michael J. Nolan. If you'd like to know more about these Judges, then you might look them up online or discuss your specific judge with your criminal defense attorney at the Barone Defense Firm.

The Muskegon Circuit Court, also known as the 14^th Judicial Circuit Court, is also located at 990 Terrace Street. The Constitution in Michigan Constitution creates three courts, two appellate courts, and one trial court. This one trial court is the also called the Circuit Court. The power or the jurisdiction of the District Court is "carved out of" the Circuit Court's power. Because the 60^th District Court has power over misdemeanors only, all felony cases in Muskegon County are resolved at the 14^th Judicial Circuit Court.

Muskegon County felony cases all begin in the 60^th District Court because that is where the arrest warrant would have been issued, is where the arraignment on this warrant will take place, and the 60^th District Court is also where the preliminary examination will take place. If the prosecutor is able to show probable cause at this district court preliminary exam hearing, then the felony case will be sent to the Circuit Court for further proceedings. There are four judges at the Muskegon County Circuit Court. They include Chief Judge Timothy G. Hicks, Chief Judge Pro Tem Annette R. Smedley, and Judges Hoogstra and Marietti.

The Criminal Defense Lawyers at the Barone Defense Firm appear regularly in both the Muskegon District and Circuit Courts and have a great deal of experience practicing there.