Grand Rapids Community College students do not live on campus — GRCC has no residence halls — and many of them work, commute, raise families or are well past the age of a typical freshman. That changes what a criminal charge threatens. For a GRCC student, the risk is often not a dorm eviction but a job, a clinical placement, a professional license, or a transfer to a four-year school.
I'm Shawn Haff, a criminal defense attorney in Wyoming, Michigan, and I represent GRCC students — and the parents who call me at 2 a.m. — in the 61st District Court in downtown Grand Rapids and, for Lakeshore students, the Ottawa County courts. The first call is free and I answer it myself, 24/7: 616-438-6719.
Who Makes Arrests at GRCC
GRCC has its own GRCC Police Department: armed officers commissioned through MCOLES, in an accredited department, with jurisdiction over college property and the public property next to it. It is not a 24-hour department — outside its hours, local agencies respond, which downtown means the Grand Rapids Police Department. The Lakeshore Campus in Holland Township is different again: it has unarmed contract security, not GRCC Police, and crimes there are handled by the Ottawa County Sheriff.
Where a GRCC Student's Case Is Heard
The main downtown campus on Bostwick Avenue and the Tassell M-TEC on Godfrey Avenue SW are both in the City of Grand Rapids, so cases from either go to the 61st District Court at 180 Ottawa Ave NW, with felonies at the 17th Circuit Court in the same building. A Lakeshore Campus case is an Ottawa County case: misdemeanors go to the 58th District Court and felonies to the 20th Circuit Court in Grand Haven.
The Second Case: GRCC's Student Code of Conduct
GRCC's Student Code of Conduct is administered by the college's Student Conduct Administrator, with appeals to the Dean of Students. It reaches off-campus conduct that negatively impacts GRCC. The college can impose an interim suspension, and the window to appeal one is short — two business days — so an email from the conduct office should never sit unread. Alcohol and marijuana are prohibited on campus. Sexual misconduct is handled by the Title IX Coordinator, GRCC's Director of Equal Opportunity Compliance.
GRCC's code includes an amnesty provision for students who help someone or report an incident, and a safe harbor provision for students seeking help with substance use. For students in career programs with clinical or field placements, the conduct case and the criminal case can each end a program on their own — so the strategy has to protect both, and it has to start before any statement is given.
The Charges I See Most From GRCC
Because GRCC students are adults living ordinary lives, their charges look like the city's: traffic, driving, retail and domestic cases as often as campus ones.
- OWI, including zero-tolerance charges for drivers under 21
- Driving on a suspended license — a serious problem for commuter students
- Retail fraud, which licensing boards treat as a crime of dishonesty
- Domestic violence and PPO matters
- Marijuana and drug possession
- Minor in possession and fake ID charges for younger students
- Assault and battery
Michigan Law Every GRCC Student Should Know
These are the Michigan statutes behind most charges against college students. For GRCC students on a career track, the last two rows — HYTA and setting aside a conviction — are often the ones that matter most.
| Charge | Statute | What it actually means |
|---|---|---|
| Minor in possession — 1st | MCL 436.1703 | A state civil infraction, not a crime: fine up to $100. "Possession" includes having consumed — a breath result of 0.02 or more, or any presence of alcohol. |
| Minor in possession — 2nd / 3rd | MCL 436.1703 | Misdemeanors, with fines up to $200 and $500. Jail (up to 30 / 60 days) only if you violate probation, skip treatment or screening, or do not pay. A second offense can be deferred once in a lifetime. |
| Calling for medical help | MCL 436.1703(9) | Not an MIP violation: a minor who seeks medical help for themselves or a friend, or who accompanies them, cannot be charged with MIP for it. |
| Fake ID | MCL 436.1703(2); MCL 257.324 | Using a fraudulent ID to buy alcohol is a misdemeanor (up to 93 days). A conviction for possessing or displaying a fake or borrowed license also brings a mandatory Secretary of State suspension — 90 days, or one year with a prior. |
| Marijuana under 21 | MCL 333.27965 | Up to 2.5 oz is a civil infraction: up to $100 the first time, up to $500 the second. Legal at 21 under state law — but not necessarily under your school's rules. |
| Zero-tolerance OWI (under 21) | MCL 257.625(6) | Driving with a BAC of 0.02 or more, or any presence of alcohol. A misdemeanor: up to 360 hours of community service and/or a $250 fine, plus license sanctions. At 0.08, it is an ordinary OWI. |
| Retail fraud, 3rd degree | MCL 750.356d | Under $200: a misdemeanor, up to 93 days and a fine of $500 or three times the value. It is a crime of dishonesty — what licensing boards and employers look for. |
| Furnishing alcohol to a minor | MCL 436.1701 | The 21-year-old hosting the party: a misdemeanor, up to 60 days and $1,000 for a first offense — and far more if someone is badly hurt. |
| HYTA | MCL 762.11 | For offenses committed from 18 to before 26: plead without a conviction being entered; complete supervision and the case is dismissed and closed to the public. Prosecutor consent needed from 21. Not available for OWI or other traffic offenses. |
| Setting aside a conviction | MCL 780.621 | Most misdemeanors can be set aside three years after sentence. A deferred-and-dismissed MIP still counts toward eligibility, so it is not "free". |
What to Do in the First 48 Hours
- Check which campus and which agency. Downtown and M-TEC cases go to the 61st District Court; Lakeshore cases to Ottawa County.
- Do not ignore an email from the conduct office. An interim suspension appeal is due within two business days.
- Tell me about your program — nursing, health sciences, education, public safety or any field with a license or background check — at the first call.
- Do not give a statement to police or the college before a lawyer has reviewed it.
- Call before the first court date, while HYTA and diversion are still on the table.
For how the juvenile court, HYTA and campus discipline fit together for every age group, see my teen and college student defense guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GRCC Police a real police department?
Yes. GRCC Police officers are armed and commissioned through MCOLES, and the department is accredited. Its jurisdiction covers college property and adjacent public property. It is not a 24-hour department, so outside its hours the Grand Rapids Police Department and other local agencies respond. The Lakeshore Campus is covered by contract security and the Ottawa County Sheriff.
Which court hears a GRCC case?
Cases from the downtown campus and the Tassell M-TEC go to the 61st District Court, 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, with felonies at the 17th Circuit Court. Cases from the Lakeshore Campus in Holland Township go to Ottawa County's 58th District Court, with felonies at the 20th Circuit Court in Grand Haven.
Will a conviction affect my nursing or health program?
It can. Clinical placements and professional licenses usually require background checks, and theft, drug and assault offenses are the ones that most often cause problems. That is why the goal in a GRCC student's case is often no conviction at all — through HYTA for those under 26, a deferral, or a dismissal — rather than simply a light sentence.
Can GRCC suspend me before my court case ends?
Yes. The Student Code of Conduct allows an interim suspension, and the appeal deadline is two business days. The conduct process is separate from the court case and moves faster, so it needs attention immediately.
Talk to a GRCC Student Defense Lawyer Today
The criminal case and the school case both start moving within days, and the choices made in that first week are the hardest to undo. Call me directly at 616-438-6719 for a free, confidential consultation — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.