CRIMINAL DIVISION (616) 527-5346

All Criminal cses prosecuted within the County of Ionia are filed at the 64-A District Court.

The 64-A District Court handles misedemeanor cases from arraignment through sentencing, and felony cases from arraignment through preliminary examination.

• ARRAIGNMENT: Defendant is advised of his / her right, advised of the charge, advised of the possible penalties, bond is set, and a plea may be entered.
• PRE-TRIAL: Defendant meets with prosecutor to discuss the case.
• PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION: To determine if a felony crime was committed and if the Defendant may have committed the crime. This is known as a Probable Cause Hearing.
• SENTENCING: The final step in the process where a penalty is assessed for someone who is convicted of, or plead guilty, to a crime.
• FINES AND COSTS: MCR 1.110 provides that "fines, costs, and other financial obligations must be paid at the time of sentencing except when the court allows otherwise for good cause shown. "Good cause" includes not being able to afford payment
• TYPES OF PAYMENTS: Cash, check or money orders are accepted or you can pay the court by credit card by calling 888-604-7888, toll free 24 hours a day. The pay location is 1370.

TRAFFIC DIVISION

(616) 527-5346

A citation can be a civil infraction or a misdemeanor depending on the seriousness of the traffic violation. All Defendants who receive a citation must reposnd to the allegations in the citation. On a civil infraction, the Defendant has the following options.

• Admit responsibility without explanation for the civil infraction and pay the ticket in person or by mail within 14 days.
• Admit responsibility with explanation for the civil infraction and mail to the court along with the explanation.
• Deny responsibility for the civil infraction and request an Informal Hearing in person, by mail or by phone.
• If a Defendant fails to respond to a traffic civil infraction citation, or fails to appear for a scheduled hearing, the court may enter a Default Judgment of responsbility and impose appropriate sanctions. (see link to FAQ's). Methods of payments can be found on the Services and Information