About the 61st District Court of Michigan
Created by state law in 1968, the 61st District Court has a high-volume caseload. The court has jurisdiction within the City of Grand Rapids, the second-largest city in the state and the largest in Kent County. The court is comprised of six elected judges, one appointed attorney magistrate, and a dedicated support staff in the Clerk’s Office and Probation Department. Overall administrative responsibility for the operations of the 61st District Court rests with the Chief Judge, with delegated responsibilities to the Court Administrator.
Overview of the District Court
The district court is often called the people’s court. More people have contact with the district court than with any other court. The district court handles most traffic violations, all civil cases up to $25,000, landlord-tenant matters, most traffic tickets, and all misdemeanor criminal cases (generally, cases where the accused, if found guilty, cannot be sentenced to more than one year in jail). In addition, small claims cases are heard by a division of the district court. There are approximately 100 district courts in Michigan.