63rd District Court
1950 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
Phone: (616) 632-7770
Map
Mission Statement
The 63rd District Court is committed to providing the public fair and efficient judicial service in an atmosphere of respect to all persons, and in cooperation with the funding unit.
Overview
The District Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. The 63rd District Court is one of seven District Courts in the County.
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
- Small claims (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, and perform civil marriage ceremonies.
Strategic Goals
- Continue to improve case processing; align staff and resources to focus on expediency
- Maximize collection of fines and fees (and restitution)
- Maximize effectiveness of existing staff and reduce staff growth.
Operational Goals
- Administer the law in compliance with state statutes and court rules
- Provide timely caseflow management (due process) of all cases filed with the court
- Provide a quality of services to all litigants and defendants
2010 Adopted Uses: $2,822,217
2010 Adopted Revenues: $2,913,812
Selected Performance Measures
Performance Measure |
2007 Actual |
2008 Actual |
2009 Actual |
2010 Expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of misdemeanors adjudicated within 6 months from arraignment date | 100.00% |
100.00% |
97.98% |
100.00% |
| Percent of new filings processed in the Civil Department within 48
hours of receipt |
100.00% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
100.00% |
| Percent of preliminary exams held within 14 days of arraignment | 100.00% |
100.00%
|
100.00% |
100.00% |
| Percent of abstracts (point assessments of driving records) forwarded to the Secretary of State | 100.00%
|
100.00%
|
100.00%
|
100.00%
|
| Percent of general civil cases served within 91 days of filing | 97.00%
|
90.00%
|
95.00%
|
99.00%
|
| Total filings per Civil Clerk (5 FTE) | 2,582 |
2,873 |
2,277 |
2,400 |
| Probation caseload per Probation Officer (4 FTE) | 443 |
454 |
412 |
400 |
Department History of Uses
| Uses |
2007 Actual |
2008 Actual |
2009 Adopted |
2010 Adopted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Personnel |
$2,181,371
|
$2,168,284 |
$2,217,781 |
$2,259,919 |
Commodities |
101,770
|
114,085 |
88,176 |
107,150 |
Contractual |
507,416
|
539,345 |
538,635 |
443,648 |
Capital Outlay |
-
|
22,864 |
10,000 |
11,500 |
Total Uses |
$2,790,557
|
$2,844,579 |
$2,854,592 |
$2,822,217 |
Personnel FTE |
37 | 37 | 37 | 34.5 |
Significant Budget Issues
From 2009 to 2010, FTEs decreased by 2.5 due to eliminating two part-time Clerk II positions during 2009 and moving part-time Security Enforcement Officers’ hours to the Sheriff’s Department.
