Vicksburg Criminal Defense Attorney
Vicksburg is a village in southeastern Kalamazoo County, split between Schoolcraft and Brady townships — a growing small town off the state highway system, best known for its summer Old Car Festival. I am Shawn Haff, and I defend people charged with crimes throughout Vicksburg and Kalamazoo 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 Vicksburg Case Will Be Heard
Every Kalamazoo County criminal case — misdemeanor or felony — is now heard in one building: the Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center at 330 Eleanor St in Kalamazoo, home to both the 8th District Court and the criminal division of the 9th Circuit Court. The county closed its Crosstown and Michigan Avenue courthouses when the Justice Center opened in December 2023, so older paperwork, old online listings and a friend's advice from a few years ago may all send you to the wrong address.
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 8th District Court page for how these cases run.
The Charges I See Most in Vicksburg
The Vicksburg Police Department on North Kalamazoo Avenue patrols the village, with Kalamazoo County sheriff's deputies covering the surrounding townships. With no state highway running through town, Vicksburg's cases are local ones rather than interstate traffic: school-age and young-adult charges, domestic calls, retail and property offenses, and OWI stops on the county roads toward Portage and Kalamazoo.
- Minor in possession and charges against high-school and college-age clients
- OWI and drunk driving on the county roads
- Domestic violence and PPO matters
- Theft, retail fraud and breaking and entering
- Marijuana and other drug charges
- Assault and battery
What Is Actually at Stake
For a young client, the realistic best outcome is usually no conviction at all. Michigan's Holmes Youthful Trainee Act lets a court take a plea from someone who was 18 but not yet 26 at the time of the offense without entering a conviction and, after supervision, dismiss the case and close the record — with prosecutor consent required from age 21. It is discretionary and must be argued for, which is exactly the work that decides whether a charge follows someone for decades.
What to Do Next
If your son or daughter has been charged, tell them to stop talking about it — to police, to school staff and in group chats — and call before the first court date. Arguments for HYTA and diversion are far easier to make at the start than to fix after a plea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is a Vicksburg case heard?
At the Judge Charles A. Pratt Justice Center, 330 Eleanor St, Kalamazoo, home to the 8th District Court and the 9th Circuit Court's criminal division.
My 19-year-old was charged. Can this be kept off their record?
Often, yes. HYTA allows an eligible person who committed the offense between their 18th and 26th birthdays to plead without a conviction being entered and to have the case dismissed and sealed after completing supervision. Prosecutor consent is needed if they were 21 or older. Some serious offenses are excluded, and it is always the judge's decision.
Who arrested me — village police or the sheriff?
Inside the village, most arrests are by the Vicksburg Police Department. In the surrounding townships it is usually the Kalamazoo County Sheriff. The agency holds the reports and video, so it matters for gathering evidence — but the case goes to the same Kalamazoo County courts either way.
Talk to a Vicksburg 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.