Prosecutor’s Office

Prosecutor’s Office

William A. Forsyth, Kent County Prosecutor

82 Ionia Avenue NW, Suite 450
Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2266
Phone: (616) 632-6710
Fax: (616) 632-6714

Hours: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday

Mission Statement

To protect the rights, safety, and security of Kent County residents through diligent efforts to prosecute criminal offenses in Kent County.

Overview

The Prosecuting Attorney appears for the State or County in all criminal prosecutions in Circuit Court and District Court, as well as appearances in delinquency, neglect, mental incompetency, and adult guardianship proceedings in both Probate Court and the Family Division of the Circuit Court. The Prosecuting Attorney shares jurisdiction with the Michigan Attorney General for any crime that is committed in Kent County, but is independent of that State office. The Prosecuting Attorney is an elected official with a four-year term, chosen at the time of the Presidential election, on the partisan ballot.

The office is divided into the following divisions: Criminal, Appellate, Family Law (see Judicial functional area page D-106) and Juvenile. Each division has specific attorneys assigned to it and is structured to serve that division’s unique needs. Additionally, the Victim/Witness Unit of the office performs services for victims of crime as mandated under the Crime Victims Rights Act.

The Prosecuting Attorney’s office is responsible for other legal functions, including:

  • Keeping victims notified of case status, their right to participate, and to protect/preserve their rights
  • Providing information on juvenile offenders to the Kent Intermediate School District
  • Representing the County in forfeiture actions

The Bad Check Restitution Program’s primary goal is to obtain full restitution for the victim without adding to the financial burden of the criminal justice system and operates at no cost to the county or taxpayers. Benefits include merchants receiving restitution; law enforcement is relieved of the responsibility of having to investigate thousands of bad check complaints; offenders avoid criminal prosecution and are offered a course in money management in an effort to provide them the skills to avoid future difficulties; and an already busy court system is freed from the burden of additional cases and the costs related to such cases. Since its inception in late 2006 through December 2008, victims have received restitution totaling $448,141.

In May of 2008 the Victim/Witness Unit transitioned from issuing checks to using cash cards for payment of witness fees. This change benefits Kent County by eliminating the possibility of exposing the county to account fraud; reduces postage costs; and eliminates the need to escheat unused funds to the State. The witness benefits because the cards provide instant payment that are easy to use and accepted by any merchant that accepts debit cards and may also be redeemed at select ATM machines.

Strategic Goals

  • Continue to improve case processing; align staff and judicial and prosecutorial resources to focus on expediency
  • Maximize effectiveness of existing staff and reduce staff growth.

Selected Goals

  • Prosecute violations of State law in District and Circuit Courts within Kent County
  • Administer all procedural and substantive matters relative to appeals that the Prosecutor’s Office has appeared in as counsel; from writing briefs to oral arguments
  • Protect and preserve the rights of victims by complying with the mandates in the Michigan Victims Rights Act
  • Provide legal advice to law enforcement/social service agencies involved in the Kent County judicial system
  • Represent the people at hearings involving delinquency, neglect/dependency, and mental incompetency.

2009 Adopted Uses: $6,159,782

2009 Adopted Revenues: $190,500

Selected Performance Measures

Performance Measure
2006
Actual
2007
Actual
2008
Actual
2009
Expected

Number of felony warrants authorized
4,635
4,538
4,595
4,589
Number of misdemeanor warrants authorized
5,368
4,903
5,208
5,160
Number of District Court trials
136
137
126
143
Number of cases tried in Circuit Court
111
122
95
109
Number of cases referred to victim/witness program
9,359
9,221
9,098
9,226
Amount of restitution awarded to victims through the Crime Victims Compensation Board
$327,561
$400,497
$459,253
$395,770
Number of guilty pleas in Circuit Court
3,242
3,439
3,312
3,331
Number of guilty verdicts in District Court trials
99
122
99
107
Number of guilty verdicts in Circuit Court trials
89
106
86
94

Department History of Uses

Uses
2006
Actual
2007
Actual
2008
Adopted
2009
Adopted
Personnel
$5,034,787
$5,614,905
$5,746,525
$5,777,798
Commodities
98,176
100,245
105,500
105,500
Contractual Services
245,999
251,743
298,553
276,484
Capital Outlay
9,702
-
-
-
Total
$5,388,664
$5,966,893
$6,150,578
$6,159,782
       
Personnel FTE
 63 65 64 64

Significant Budget Issues

There are no significant issues to report.

History of Uses (in millions)