Kent County Court
Find Court Resources In Kent County
180 Ottawa Avenue NW Suite 2400 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Find Court Resources In Kent County
Court, Criminal, Marriage, Divorce, Property
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Kent County, Michigan, has a population of 657,974 at the 2020 census. It is Michigan’s fourth most populated county and the largest area outside Detroit. Its county seat is Grand Rapids. Kent County is West Michigan’s economic and manufacturing center. It is home to the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a cultural landmark in the Midwest. The Grand River runs through the county, and on its west bank are burial mounds, remains of the Hopewell Indians. Fur trading was an important industry in the valley during the 19th century.
The government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in providing welfare and other social services. The county commissioners control the budget but have limited authority to make laws.
Court House
The Kent County, Michigan, Courthouse in Grand Rapids is built on the former site of the demolished Grand Rapids City Hall that was built in 1888. The twelve-story glass, stone, and concrete structure sits on landscaped grounds in the center of Grand Rapids. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial District, County District Court, and County Probate Court.
County Clerk – Clerk of the Court
The County Clerk is Lisa Posthumus Lyons, with three major functions. These functions are managing vital county records, processing and maintaining all circuit court files, and managing county elections. The Clerk is also the Register of Deeds and the Clerk of the Board of Commissioners.
Regarding vital records, the clerk files, stores, and retains original vital records like birth, death, marriage, applications for concealed weapons, notary publics, business registrations, and records of military discharges.
The Clerk also oversees all elections conducted in Kent County, including school elections, and monitors campaign finance law. As Clerk of the Circuit Court, the Clerk keeps the Circuit Court’s records and tracks and stores the records for all cases filed in the Circuit Court. All felony cases are filed with the Clerk. In addition, the clerk manages court-ordered fines, costs, restitution, forensic fees, and other assessments.
District Court
1950 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525
616-632-7770
The 63rd District Court is one of five District Courts in the country. It is a county-funded independent branch of government committed to the prompt, fair, and courteous dispensation of justice. The Judges are Jeffrey J. O’Hara and Sara J. Smolenski. The District Court is a trial court of limited jurisdiction. 616-632-7770 or DCCustomer @kentcountymi.gov.
Circuit Courts
The Circuit Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. It has authority over all actions except those given by state law to another court.
Circuit Court hears appeals from lower courts, local government, and administrative agencies of state government. It has jurisdiction in all civil cases involving more than $25,000 in criminal cases where the offense is a felon or a serious misdemeanor, domestic relation cases, child abuse, neglect, and delinquency cases.
There are 14 judges currently sitting on the 17th circuit, and the activities of the Courts are:
Administration and Adjudication Support Services,
Circuit Court Services
Family Division Juvenile Programs Friend of the Court
Civil Court
The general civil court in Kent County, MI, handles monetary disputes up to $25,000 and delivers cases where the item in dispute is $25,000 or less. The general civil division handles cases formally before a judge, and the parties are expected to follow proper civil procedures.
Felony Drug Court
Felony Drug Count is not available in Kent County, MI, but in at least 40 countries in the state, an Adult Treatment Court is used as a judicial alternative for incarceration. If you want to transfer to Drug Court, you must request entrance into the program from Civil Court in Kent Count and meet certain criteria. The program promotes public safety and reduces recidivism among non-violent adult felony offenders. In counties where there is no Felony Drug Court, you will be sentenced to jail and released with minimal assistance, which results in reoccurring criminal acts.
In drug court, a customized treatment and rehabilitative plan is designed, and participants are expected to complete regular therapy to address their substance abuse and dependency issues. Offenders are subject to frequent random drug and alcohol screens, and a probation officer is assigned to each participant. Participants will be required to meet with probation and the judge frequently. You may also need to attend recovery support meetings like AA, NA, or Smart Recovery.
Failure to comply with the Court’s expectation will lead to incarceration in your county.
Administration
County Administrator Alan G. Vanderberg 616-632-7570
300 Monroe Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI
County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons 616-632-5480
Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young 616-632-6100
701 Ball Avenue NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Judges Sara J. Smolenski 616-632-7770
Jeffrey J. O’Hara 616-632-7770
Deborah L. McNabb, Chief Judge
Suite 6200 A
(616) 632-5219
Terence J. Ackert
Suite 10200A
(616) 632-5091
Curt A. Benson
Suite 10500D
(616) 632-5012
Alida J. Bryant
Suite 6500D
(616) 632-5025
Paul J. Denenfeld
Suite 11500D
(616) 632-5032
Christina Elmore
Suite 10500C
(616) 632-5099
Mark A. Trusock
Suite 11200B
(616) 632-5008
Clay M. West
Suite 10200B
(616) 632-5087
Patricia D. Gardner
Suite 9200B
(616) 632-5070
G. Patrick Hillary
Suite 9200A
(616) 632-5206
George J. Quist
Suite 12200A
(616) 632-5076
J. Joseph Rossi
Suite 8200A
(616) 632-5020
Maureen A. Gottlieb
Suite 6500C
(616) 632-5214
Scott A. Noto
Suite 11200A
(616) 632-5203
