A Grand Valley State University student can be charged in two different counties in the same weekend. The Allendale campus is in Ottawa County; the Pew campus is in downtown Grand Rapids, in Kent County; and the Laker Line runs between them all day. Which police agency stopped you, which court your case lands in, and which part of the GVSU Student Code applies all depend on where you were standing — and the answers are different on each campus.
I'm Shawn Haff, a criminal defense attorney in Wyoming, Michigan, and I represent GVSU students — and the parents who call me at 2 a.m. — in the 58th District Court in Hudsonville, the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids, and the circuit courts above them. The first call is free and I answer it myself, 24/7: 616-438-6719.
Who Makes Arrests at GVSU
Grand Valley has its own GVSU Police Department — sworn, MCOLES-licensed officers with full law enforcement authority, not security guards. On the Allendale campus, GVSU Police patrol campus property. Step off it — the off-campus apartment complexes, the fraternity and sorority houses — and you are in Allendale Charter Township, which contracts with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. On the Pew campus, GVSU Public Safety covers normal business hours and the Grand Rapids Police Department handles the rest. A Friday-night arrest downtown is almost always a GRPD arrest.
Where a GVSU Student's Case Is Heard
An Allendale case — on campus or off — goes to the 58th District Court in Hudsonville, at 3100 Port Sheldon Rd, for misdemeanors and felony arraignments; felonies are tried at the 20th Circuit Court, 414 Washington Ave in Grand Haven. A Pew campus or downtown case goes to the 61st District Court at 180 Ottawa Ave NW, with felonies at the 17th Circuit Court in the same building. Two counties means two prosecutor's offices with different policies on diversion, deferrals and first offenses — and knowing both is a real part of the job.
The Second Case: The GVSU Student Code
Grand Valley's student code — The Anchor of Student Rights and Responsibilities — is enforced by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, and it is not limited to campus: STU 3.1 reaches off-campus conduct that adversely affects the university community. The university does not wait for the court. Under STU 9.0 it can impose interim measures, including an interim suspension, which generally lasts up to ten business days unless extended, with a meeting offered within five. Sexual misconduct allegations go to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX on a separate track with its own rules.
One policy many students do not know about: under STU 10.0, GVSU's amnesty for alcohol or drug violations means a student who calls for help for someone in trouble — or who is the one helped — generally faces no conduct proceedings and no disciplinary record, at the director's discretion. Michigan's MIP statute has a matching protection for minors who seek medical help. Neither protects a statement you write for the conduct office about anything else, and that statement can be obtained by the prosecutor. Talk to me before you write one.
The Charges I See Most From GVSU
Most GVSU cases start on a weekend, and most start with alcohol. Game days at Lubbers Stadium, off-campus apartment parties in Allendale, and a late night downtown account for a large share of what I see.
- Minor in possession, including MIP by consumption after a party or a game day
- Fake ID charges, which carry a mandatory license suspension on top of the criminal case
- OWI, including zero-tolerance charges against drivers under 21 on Lake Michigan Drive
- Marijuana and Adderall possession — prescription stimulants shared around exam time are a controlled-substance felony
- Retail fraud, which follows a student into every background check
- Assault and battery and disorderly conduct after a party
- Criminal sexual conduct and Title IX allegations, which need a lawyer before any interview
Michigan Law Every GVSU Student Should Know
These are the statutes behind most GVSU charges. The numbers matter less than the second column: what the charge actually does to a record, a license and a future.
| 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
- Figure out which campus and which agency. An Allendale case and a Pew case go to different courts in different counties. The citation will say which.
- Do not give a statement to police, GVSU Police, a resident assistant or the conduct office before a lawyer reads the situation. "Just explaining" is how most students talk themselves into a charge.
- Save the evidence. Screenshots of group chats, ride-share receipts, Laker Line times and photos disappear fast.
- Read any email from the Office of Student Conduct carefully and note its deadline — then call me before you respond.
- Call before the first court date. HYTA, deferral and diversion are easier to win at the start than to fix after a plea.
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 GVSU Police a real police department?
Yes. The GVSU Police Department is made up of sworn, MCOLES-licensed officers with full law enforcement authority, so an arrest by GVSU Police is a real arrest that leads to a real criminal charge. Off campus in Allendale, the Ottawa County Sheriff handles most calls, and on the Pew campus the Grand Rapids Police Department takes over after business hours.
Which court will my GVSU case be in?
It depends on the campus. Allendale cases go to the 58th District Court in Hudsonville, 3100 Port Sheldon Rd, with felonies at the 20th Circuit Court in Grand Haven. Pew campus and downtown cases go to the 61st District Court at 180 Ottawa Ave NW in Grand Rapids, with felonies at the 17th Circuit Court in the same building.
Will GVSU discipline me for something that happened off campus?
It can. GVSU's Student Code applies to off-campus conduct that adversely affects the university community, and the conduct process runs separately from — and usually faster than — the criminal case, including possible interim suspension. What you say in that process can reach the prosecutor, so the two cases have to be handled together.
I called 911 for a friend who drank too much. Can I be charged?
Michigan's MIP statute protects a minor who seeks medical assistance for themselves or another person, or who accompanies them, from an MIP violation for that incident. GVSU's own amnesty policy, STU 10.0, generally keeps both the caller and the person helped out of the conduct process. Neither protection covers unrelated offenses, so call a lawyer before answering further questions.
Talk to a GVSU 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.