Jenison Criminal Defense Attorney
Jenison is the largest community in Ottawa County that is not a city at all — an unincorporated part of Georgetown Township, packed with families, churches, and people who have spent a working life building a reputation here. I am Shawn Haff, and I defend people charged with crimes throughout Jenison and Ottawa County. If you have been arrested, or you know you are under investigation, talk to a defense lawyer before you talk to anyone else. The call is free and I am available 24/7 at 616-438-6719.
Where Your Jenison Case Will Be Heard
This one is worth getting right, because people get it wrong constantly. Ottawa County's district court sits in three places, and Jenison is served by the Hudsonville location of the 58th District Court at 3100 Port Sheldon Rd — because Jenison is in Georgetown Township, and the Hudsonville court takes Georgetown Township cases. Not Grand Haven. Felonies are then bound over to the 20th Circuit Court, which does sit in Grand Haven at 414 Washington Ave.
Knowing the building is the easy part. What matters is knowing how that particular bench handles a first offense, which prosecutor has room to negotiate, and what the local diversion options actually are — see my 58th District Court page for how these cases run.
The Charges I See Most in Jenison
Jenison's caseload is suburban and it is mostly first offenses: OWI stops on Chicago Drive, Baldwin Street, and the I-196 ramps; retail fraud along the 20th Avenue and Baldwin corridor; minor in possession and juvenile cases out of a township with a very large school-age population; and domestic disputes that police are required to act on the moment they are called.
- OWI and drunk driving on Chicago Drive, Baldwin St, and the I-196 interchanges
- Retail fraud, where the degree of the charge turns on the claimed value of the goods — a number worth challenging
- Domestic violence, which triggers an immediate no-contact order that can put you out of your own house before anything is proven
- Minor in possession and juvenile charges
- Drug crimes and marijuana charges over the legal limit
- Expungement of an old conviction that is still costing you work
What Is Actually at Stake
Ottawa County has a reputation among defense lawyers for charging firmly and negotiating cautiously, and a first-time client who expects a slap on the wrist is often surprised. The collateral consequences run further than the sentence: a conviction reaches a teaching certificate, a nursing license, a CDL, a church or school volunteer role, and a background check five years from now.
What to Do Next
If you show up at the Grand Haven courthouse for a Jenison case, you will have spent an hour driving to the wrong building and you may be treated as having failed to appear. Confirm the location before your date — and if there is any doubt at all, call me and I will confirm it for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which court hears a Jenison case?
The Hudsonville location of the 58th District Court, 3100 Port Sheldon Rd, for misdemeanors and felony arraignments. Jenison sits in Georgetown Township, and Georgetown Township cases go to Hudsonville, not to Grand Haven or Holland. Felonies are tried at the Ottawa County 20th Circuit Court in Grand Haven.
What happens to my house if I am charged with domestic violence in Jenison?
Michigan courts routinely impose a no-contact order as a condition of bond, and it can bar you from your own residence before any finding of guilt. Violating it is treated as a separate problem and can put you in custody while the case is pending, so those conditions have to be addressed at arraignment rather than after.
My teenager was ticketed for minor in possession. Is that really a criminal charge?
Yes, and it goes on a record that follows them into college applications and job screening. A first MIP in Michigan is normally handled as a civil infraction, but the exposure escalates with repeats, and related charges filed at the same time — open intoxicant, use of a false ID, disorderly conduct — are not treated the same way. It is worth handling properly the first time.
Talk to a Jenison Defense Lawyer Today
A criminal charge moves fast, and the first days matter most. Call me directly at 616-438-6719 for a free, confidential consultation — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.