West Michigan Courts for Sex-Offense Cases

A criminal sexual conduct (CSC) case in Michigan moves through two courts. It begins in the district court, which handles the arraignment, bail and the preliminary examination, and it is tried and sentenced in the circuit court for the county.^[1] This page lists both courts for each of eleven West Michigan counties and explains which court does what.

Each address below was read on the court's or county's own website on 4 October 2026. Courts move offices, change hours and assign cases to particular locations, so confirm where and when to appear with the clerk of the court, or with the notice the court sent, before you go.

If you are a survivor or family member looking for support: in an emergency call 911.^[6][7] The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 800.656.HOPE (4673), free, confidential and open 24/7.^[8] Michigan's VOICES4 hotline takes calls and texts at 1-855-864-2374.^[9][10]

Which court handles which stage of a felony CSC case?

Stage	Court	What happens
Arraignment on the warrant or complaint	District court	The court advises the defendant of the right to a lawyer, including a lawyer at public expense for a defendant who cannot afford one, and sets the next dates.[11][3]
Probable cause conference	District court	Set for not less than 7 days or more than 14 days after the arraignment; it may be waived by agreement of the prosecuting attorney and defense counsel.[3][12]
Preliminary examination	District court	Set for not less than 5 days or more than 7 days after the conference; it may be adjourned or waived. The magistrate decides whether a felony has been committed and whether there is probable cause to charge the defendant with it.[3][12][4]
Bindover	District court to circuit court	If probable cause is found, the magistrate binds the defendant over to appear within 14 days for arraignment before the circuit court of that county; if not, the magistrate must discharge the defendant or reduce the charge to an offense that is not a felony.[4]
Trial and sentencing	Circuit court	Sentencing for felony cases, and for misdemeanor cases the district court cannot try, is conducted by a circuit judge.[1]

First-, second- and third-degree CSC and assault with intent to commit CSC are felonies.^[2] Fourth-degree CSC is labelled a misdemeanor, but it is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years.^[2] The Code of Criminal Procedure defines "felony" to include an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year, and the district court's own trial jurisdiction stops at misdemeanors punishable by not more than 1 year.^[13][1] So every degree follows the path in the table. The steps are described in more detail in Timeline of a felony CSC case, The preliminary examination in CSC cases and Bond in CSC cases.

Two other kinds of case go elsewhere. A proceeding against a juvenile under 18 belongs to the family division of circuit court, subject to the exceptions in that statute.^[14] And a personal protection order (PPO) is a civil order issued by the family division of circuit court, whether or not a criminal case exists.^[5][15]

Circuit and district courts by county

The table gives the circuit court and the main district court for each county, with the address each court or county publishes.^[16][17] The last column links to the Domestic Violence guide's page for that county, which covers PPO filing offices and other local detail.

County	Circuit court (trial and sentencing)	Main district court (arraignment and preliminary examination)	PPO filing and local detail
Kent	17th Circuit Court, Kent County Courthouse, 180 Ottawa Avenue NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503; (616) 632-5220[16]	61st District Court (City of Grand Rapids), 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503; 616-632-5700[18]	Kent County courts
Ottawa	20th Circuit Court, Grand Haven Courthouse, 414 Washington Ave, Suite 300, Grand Haven, MI 49417; (616) 846-8320[19]	58th District Court: 414 Washington Ave, Grand Haven, (616) 846-8280; 85 West 8th St, Holland, (616) 392-6991; 3100 Port Sheldon Rd, Hudsonville, (616) 662-3100[20]	Ottawa County courts
Allegan	48th Judicial Circuit Court, 113 Chestnut St., Allegan, MI 49010; (269) 673-0300[21]	57th District Court, 113 Chestnut St., Allegan, MI 49010; (269) 673-0400[22]	Allegan County courts
Muskegon	14th Circuit Court, 990 Terrace Street, Muskegon, MI 49442[23]	60th District Court, 990 Terrace Street, STE 100, Muskegon, MI 49442; 231-724-6294[24]	Muskegon County courts
Kalamazoo	9th Circuit Court, Criminal Division, Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center, 330 Eleanor St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007; 269-383-8837[25]	8th District Court, 330 Eleanor St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007; 269-384-8171[26]	Kalamazoo County courts
Barry	5th Judicial Circuit Court, Barry County Courthouse, Floor 2, 220 W. State St., Hastings, MI 49058; (269) 945-1286[27]	56-B District Court, Barry County Courts & Law Building, 206 W. Court St., Ste. 202, Hastings, MI 49058; (269) 945-1404[28]	Barry County courts
Ionia	8th Circuit Court, 100 W. Main St., Courthouse (second floor), Ionia, MI 48846[29]	64-A District Court, 100 W Main St., Ionia, MI 48846[30]	Ionia County courts
Montcalm	8th Judicial Circuit Court, 631 N State Street, Stanton, MI 48888[31]	64 B District Court, 617 N State Street, Stanton, MI 48888; 989-831-7450[32]	Montcalm County courts
Newaygo	Newaygo County Circuit Court, 1092 Newell Street (PO Box 885), White Cloud, MI 49349; (231) 689-7252[33]	Newaygo County District Court, 1092 Newell Street (PO Box 129), White Cloud, MI 49349; (231) 689-7257[34]	Newaygo County courts
Van Buren	36th Circuit Court, 212 E Paw Paw Street, 2nd Floor, Paw Paw, MI 49079; 269-657-8260[35]	7th District Court: East, 212 E Paw Paw Street, Paw Paw, 269-657-8222; West, 1007 E Wells Street, South Haven, 269-637-5258[35]	Van Buren County courts
Berrien	Berrien County Trial Court, St. Joseph Courthouse, 811 Port St., St. Joseph, MI 49085[17]	Berrien County Trial Court, St. Joseph Courthouse (address at left) and Niles Courthouse, 1205 Front St., Niles, MI 49120[17]	Berrien County courts

County notes

• Kent: the 61st District Court covers the City of Grand Rapids.^[18] The county's website lists five district courts in all: the 59th for Walker and Grandville, the 61st, the 62-A for Wyoming, the 62-B for Kentwood, and the 63rd for the remaining cities and townships it names.^[36] Addresses for the other four are on the Kent County page of the Domestic Violence guide.
• Ottawa: the 58th District Court sits in three places, Grand Haven, Holland and Hudsonville.^[20] Ask the clerk which location has a given case.
• Allegan: the county says all criminal cases prosecuted within the county are filed at the 57th District Court.^[22]
• Ionia and Montcalm: the 8th Circuit Court serves both counties.^[29] Two official pages give different street numbers for its Stanton location; this page uses the one on Montcalm County's own site, 631 N State Street.^[31][29]
• Newaygo: the county's pages give the courts' addresses and telephone numbers without circuit or district numbers, so none is printed here.^[33][34]
• Van Buren: the 7th District Court has an East location in Paw Paw and a West location in South Haven.^[35]
• Berrien: the county publishes its courts together as the Trial Court, at courthouses in St. Joseph and Niles, with hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, and a note that department hours may vary.^[17] No telephone number is printed here for Berrien; use the county's Trial Courts page.

Protection orders: use the county pages

A sexual assault PPO can be sought by a person who has been subjected to, threatened with, or placed in reasonable apprehension of sexual assault by another person, whether or not that person has been charged or convicted.^[15] It is issued by the family division of circuit court and, once signed by a judge, is enforceable anywhere in the state.^[5]

Where the petition is filed, the office's hours and who helps with the paperwork vary from county to county. That detail is kept in the Domestic Violence guide, on the county pages linked in the table, and the general steps are in that guide's How to get a PPO in Michigan. The legal standard for a sexual assault PPO is in this guide's Sexual assault PPOs.

For witnesses and victims coming to court

The court must provide a waiting area for the victim separate from the defendant, the defendant's relatives and defense witnesses if one is available and practical, and otherwise other safeguards to minimize contact.^[37] On request, the prosecuting attorney must give a victim notice of scheduled court proceedings and of changes in the schedule.^[38] The practical step is to ask the prosecutor's victim-witness staff, before the hearing date, where to go on arrival. More is in What to expect as a witness in a CSC case and Rights of sexual assault survivors.

For a person who has been charged

At the arraignment on the warrant or complaint, the court must advise the defendant of the right to a lawyer's assistance at all court proceedings and of the right to a lawyer at public expense if the defendant wants one and is financially unable to retain one.^[11] If it is unclear which location of a multi-location court a hearing is set for, ask the clerk. See Accused of a sex crime: first steps, Resources for people accused and registrants and, for people under 18, Juvenile sex-offense cases.

Before you go

• Check the court's own website on the day. Published hours differ from court to court: the 60th District Court in Muskegon lists Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the 64 B District Court in Stanton lists 8 am to 4 pm.^[24][32]
• Bring the notice or paperwork that shows the case number.
• Allow time for security screening and for finding the right floor or suite.
• Call the clerk if the notice does not name a courtroom or location.

Support programs near each courthouse are listed in Where to get help.