Who is District Court?

The District Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. Michigan is divided into 101 judicial districts, ranging in size from a single city or township to multiple counties. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the following types of cases:

• Civil suits involving $25,000 or less.
• Adult criminal misdemeanor offenses punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment.
• Civil Infractions/Traffic Violations
• Landlord/Tenant Disputes, such as eviction proceedings.
• Small Claims (Civil Suits involving $3000 or less).
• Land contract forfeitures.

In addition to its jurisdiction to try adult criminal offenses punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, the District Court is the court in which all other adult criminal proceedings begin, regardless of the nature of the offense. In carrying out this function, the District Court has jurisdiction to :

• Issue arrest and search warrants.
• Set bail and accept bond.
• Conduct misdemeanor and felony arraignments.
• Preside over preliminary examinations for felony offenses.

District Court decisions are generally appealible to the Circuit Court, although a different appeal process applies to informal hearings involving civil traffic infractions, and small claims division.

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