General Information
Judges
 Judge Steven R. Servaas presides was elected to the court in 1971. |
 Chief Judge Sara J. Smolenski was elected to the court in 1991. |
What is a District Court and what do they do?
The District Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. It is divided into 101 judicial districts, ranging in size from a single city or township to multiple counties. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the following types of cases:
- Civil suits involving $25,000 or less.
- Adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to one year's imprisonment.
- Civil Infractions/Traffic Violations
- Landlord/Tenant Disputes, such as eviction proceedings.
- Small Claims (Civil Suits involving $3,000 or less).
- Land contract forfeitures.
In addition to its jurisdiction to try adult criminal offenses punishable by up to one year's imprisonment, the district court is the court in which all other adult criminal proceedings begin, regardless of the nature of the offense. In carrying out this function, the district court has jurisdiction to :
- Issue arrest and search warrants.
- Set bail and accept bond.
- Conduct misdemeanor and felony arraignments.
- Preside over preliminary examinations for felony and misdemeanor offenses outside its trial jurisdiction.
- Perform Civil Marriage Ceremonies.
District Court decisions are generally appealable to the Circuit Court, although a different appeal process applies to informal hearings involving civil traffic infractions.
| Frequently Called Court Office Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Main Line | (616) 632-7770 |
| Traffic | (616) 632-7774 or (616) 632-7785 |
| Small Claims | (616) 632-7771 |
| General Civil | (616) 632-7776 or (616) 632-7772 |
| Landlord Tenant | (616) 632-7773 or (616) 632-7779 |
| Probation | (616) 632-7800 |
| Criminal FAX | (616) 363-6124 |
| Traffic FAX | (616) 363-6211 |
| Civil FAX | (616) 363-6904 |
| Probation FAX | (616) 363-6808 |
| Other Frequently Called Court Office Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Kent County Clerk's Office | (616) 632-5480 |
| Kent County Prosecutor's Office | (616) 632-6710 |
| Victim/Witness Division | (616) 632-5400 |
| Circuit Court Clerk's Office | (616) 632-5220 |
| Family Division/Juvenile Center | (616) 336-3748 |
| Court Services | (616) 632-5350 |
| Kent County Sheriff's Dept. | (616) 632-6100 |
| Inmate Information | (616) 632-6300 |
| Probate Court | (616) 632-5440 |
| Friend of the Court | (616) 632-6888 |
