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Description
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DISTRICT COURT WEST
In 1968, the District Court system in Michigan replaced the justice of the peace court system. District courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, which means they only have jurisdiction of those matters that are given them by statute. For the vast majority of the public, the District Court is the only court they will have any business with.
The District Court has jurisdiction of civil matters if the amount of the money being claimed is $25,000.00 or less. The District Court also hears landlord tenant matters. In the Small Claims Division of the District Court, individuals may represent themselves in disputes when the amount in controversy is $3,000.00 or less.
The District Court is the first level of court for all criminal matters. Misdemeanors, which are crimes punishable by fines and/or imprisonment of up to one year, are handled in District Court as well as municipal ordinances that carry fines and imprisonment.
District Court judges issues warrents, set bonds, and conducts arraignments and preliminary examinations in felony cases. They make a finding on whether there is sufficient evidence to bind the defendant over to Circuit Court for trial. The District Court Judges and Magistrates perform weddings.
Several hundred thousand dollars in revenues from fines, costs, and civil filing fees are generated by 7th District Court each year. These revenues are disbursed in amounts determined by state law to the County library's to the County general operating fund, and to the State of Michigan for funding many special state programs.
The District Court also operates a traffic bureau for traffic violation tickets and holds informal hearings with magistrate and formal hearings with the judge on traffic violations.
Van Buren County's District Court is the 7th District and it is divided into two divisions, District Court East located in Paw Paw and District Court West located in South Haven. There is one judge and one magistrate for each location.
DISTRICT COURT WEST - DUE PROCESS
As with the Circuit Court, the costs for jury fees, transcripts, and attorneys for indigent defendants are separately accounted for from the District Court budget. Each division, East and West, has their own due process activity.
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Page Last Updated: 7/24/2003
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