Schedule

Motion Days:

• Civil Motion Days are the first and third Fridays of each month starting at 1:30 pm.
• Criminal Motions and hearings on petitions to restore driving privileges are heard the second and fourth Fridays starting at 1:30 pm.
• The exception is Judge Yates who hears criminal, civil and domestic motions each Friday morning beginning at 9:00 am. Please contact Judge Yates office at (616) 632-5025 if you are unclear as to when your motion can be heard.
• Family Division Motion Days are every Friday morning starting at 8:30 am.
• A specified time exists for Personal Protection Order hearings (objections to PPO, motions to dismiss PPO and motions for permanent PPO) held before the Circuit Court Referees: Monday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
• Selected hearing days and times exist for Pro Con Divorce hearings held before the Circuit Court Referees: Tuesday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30, Wednesday mornings from 8:30 to 9:30 and Thursday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30.

Settlement Conferences: Definition - a conference held as a final attempt to settle the case. The attorney, their clients, or other parties who have settlement authority, meet with the Judge to settle the case.

The settlement conferences are set for 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm on Mondays through Thursdays.

Trial Dates: Trials are scheduled to begin at 8:30 and to conclude by 1:00 pm.
However, to accommodate witnesses, attorneys, etc., some trials continue into the afternoons until about 4:30 pm.

Adjournment Policy: Adjournments are at the assigned Judge's discretion to promote the cause of justice. Requests for adjournments must be made in writing either in motion form or by stipulation. An adjournment is not granted until the Judge signs an order. Friday morning motions may be adjourned by the attorneys and notifying the Court. Each of the seven Circuit Court Judges assigned to the Civil/Criminal division have weekly plea/sentence schedules. All judges start the plea and sentence sessions at 2:00 pm except Judge Leiber who starts pleas and sentences at 2:30 pm.

Presiding Judge Schedule for Year 2008 Civil/Criminal Division of the Circuit Court

The 17th Judicial Circuit has each Judge in the Civil/Criminal division serve two-month terms as a Presiding Judge. The Presiding Judge does the criminal felony arraignments on Fridays, reviews orders with no case numbers and reviews requests for fee waivers.

(Selected by Random Draw)

2008 Motion Schedule

NOTE: Only Judge Trusock hears ALL motions (criminal, civil and domestic) @ 8:30am every Friday.

The Circuit Court has an Administrative Order, 1998-1, dealing with the Court's observance of Court holidays.