36th District Court

If you're in trouble with the law in Detroit and have to go to court, you'll likely find yourself at the 36th District Court, located at 421 Madison St, Detroit, MI 48226. They deal with a bunch of different issues, from traffic tickets to landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and crimes, both minor (misdemeanors) and serious ones (felonies).

When it comes to minor crimes, you'd typically receive a court summons, asking you to show up in court where they'll tell you what you're being charged with and ask you to plead guilty or not guilty. If you stay quiet, the judge or magistrate will enter a not guilty plea for you. If you admit you're guilty, they might decide your punishment right there and then, or set a date to do that later. If you plead not guilty, you may still be able to resolve the case without going to trial. However, if it doesn't get resolved, then you'd have to go through a trial which could be before a judge or a jury. Every case is different, and things could change depending on what exactly you're being charged with, your past criminal record, and other things related to your case. So, it's always a good idea to get a good lawyer who knows their way around this court.

Now, for serious crimes, things get a bit more complicated. You'll start off at the 36th District Court, but you might end up in the Wayne County Circuit Court if they believe there's enough evidence to suggest you committed a serious crime. The judge in the 36th District Court will handle the initial procedures and decide if there's a good reason to believe you've committed a serious crime. If there is, your case could be transferred to the higher court for trial. Getting out on bail at this stage is very important. That's why it's crucial to get a criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can if you're facing serious charges.

In Michigan, there's this thing called a probable cause conference (PCC), which happens after you've been arraigned (that's when they tell you what you're being charged with and you enter your plea) but before a preliminary examination (that's when they decide if there's enough evidence to continue to trial). This PCC is all about going over the evidence, seeing if there are any disagreements about it, discussing if a plea bargain (that's when you admit you're guilty in return for a lighter sentence) can be reached, and deciding if the case should continue to the preliminary examination.

At the PCC, the prosecutor and your lawyer will try to see if they can agree on a plea. If you decide to accept a plea bargain, you'll plead guilty or no-contest, and the case will move to the sentencing stage. If they can't agree, then you'd have a preliminary examination where the prosecutor has to show there's enough evidence to suggest you committed the crime. If the judge agrees with them, then your case will go to trial.

The PCC and the preliminary examination are critical stages in any serious criminal case in Michigan. They're your opportunity to try and resolve your case before going to trial. That's why it's very important to have a good, experienced lawyer with you at this stage. They'll protect your rights and guide you through the court process in Detroit.

The prosecutor's office in Wayne County, led by Kym Worthy, sometimes handles drunk driving cases here. However, most DUI cases are usually handled by local lawyers who have contracts with the city or township. On occasions, if the charge involves a Wayne County Sheriff's deputy or a Michigan State Trooper, the Wayne county prosecutor's office steps in.

If you've got a disagreement with someone over something worth up to $25,000, this court will be where it gets sorted out. It also looks after small claims of up to $3,000, problems between landlords and tenants, eviction cases, garnishments, and issues around land contracts and mortgage foreclosure.

On the list of misdemeanors this court deals with are drunk driving, identity theft, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer, drug possession, domestic violence, and certain traffic offenses like driving with a suspended license or without a valid license. The court also processes all traffic tickets, whether they're just civil infractions like speeding tickets or failure to yield or more serious misdemeanors.

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