The Juvenile Division of the 8th Circuit Court handles juvenile delinquency proceedings, as well as payments and collections for all neglect/abuse cases and delinquency cases and civil show cause proceedings.
Fines, costs, and other financial obligations imposed by the court must be paid at the time of the assessment, except when the court allows otherwise, for good cause shown.
Also located within the Juvenile Division is our YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU, a diversion and prevention program to keep youth out of the formal juvenile court system. This is a free, voluntary and confidential service for county youth, ages 6 – 17 years old, and can also be used as a resource for other county services.
Juvenile/Family Division Judge:
- Robert S. Sykes, Jr.
Juvenile Division Staff:
- Mark Jewell, Director of Juvenile Services & Non-Attorney Referee
- Kim Wheater, In-Home Care Probation Officer
- Kristine Purnhagen, Probation Officer
- Sara Wassenaar, Probation Officer
- Shirley Austin, Juvenile Register
- Mariah Heintzelman, Deputy Juvenile Register
Youth Service Bureau Staff:
- Kristin Yalacki, Caseworker
Forms
Financial Information Form – A Financial Information Form is required for every delinquency case when the court incurs any costs for services or attorney fees.
Credit & Debit Card Payments
Ionia County Juvenile Court is now able to accept payments via credit cards and debit cards. If you wish to do so, please click here. Card processing service fees apply.