Circuit Court Division

Every year, the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office Circuit Court Division handles hundreds of felony cases including homicides, armed robberies, criminal sexual conduct, and major controlled substance offenses. In 2017 alone, the Prosecutor's Office dealt with 1776 felony cases. The division is comprised of four assistant prosecutors as well as the Chief Trial Attorney and is responsible for handling every stage of a felony proceeding from preliminary examination through sentencing.

Circuit Courtroom

First Case Steps

Chief Trial Attorney Matt J. Roberts reviews virtually every felony case at the time of the first court hearing, the Preliminary Examination, before the case proceeds to Circuit Court.  

On to Trial

Once a felony case is bound over to the 14th Circuit Court, the cases are divided between the the Honorable Matthew R. Kacel, and the Honorable Annette R. Smedley.  Assistant Prosecutors Amol Huprikar, Nicholas DeRyke, Melissa Powell, Kellee Koncki, and Samantha Jonas handle the bulk of the felony cases in circuit court with assistance from all of our assistant prosecutors.  Additionally, thanks to a special grant, Assistant Prosecutors Kathryn Norton and Mary Farrell handle most of the cases involving violence against women including domestic violence, aggravated assault, kidnapping and criminal sexual conduct.

Experienced Staff

The Circuit Court Division brings a wealth of experience to the 14th Circuit Court, with over 50 years combined legal experience. The Division is dedicated to ensuring the victims of crime have their voices heard and achieving justice in a swift, firm, and fair manner.