65th District Court

What We Do

The staff of 65B District Court is divided into four main areas and has jurisdiction over the following:

  • Civil: Small Claims (claims not exceeding $6,500.00), General Civil (claims not exceeding $25,000.00), Landlord-Tenant disputes. Land Contract forfeitures
  • Criminal Division: Arraignments and preliminary examinations for felonies (punishment exceeds one year imprisonment), Arraignments and both jury and non-jury trials for misdemeanors and traffic offences (one year or less imprisonment), State and Municipal Civil Infractions, Civil Infraction Formal Hearings are held before the District Court Judge, Issuance of Arrest and Search Warrants with probable cause
  • Probation: Conducts pre-sentence investigations, Performs alcohol assessment as part of pre-sentence investigations, Monitors and supervises defendants placed on probation
  • Traffic Division: Misdemeanors, Civil Infractions, and Parking Citations, Informal Hearings are held before the Magistrate
  • Court Attendance: The court is fully open and all court proceedings are public proceedings. All defendants and parties to court proceedings are expected to appear in person, unless Zoom appearance is otherwise authorized by the court rule or by the court’s uniform Zoom policy as set forth below. The public may attend in person only, unless otherwise previously approved by the court or as allowed by the court’s Zoom policy.
  • Zoom Policy: The use of videoconferencing technology by participants is presumed for the following types of hearings unless the court determines otherwise: District Court – see MCR 2.408(C) for list. All other Zoom appearances must be pre-approved. Disclaimer: Pursuant to MCR 2.407(A)(1), participants do not include members of the general public.
    65B District Court Staff

Staff

Court Administrator

The Court Administrator serves under the direction of the State Court Administrative Office and the District Judge, and oversees the day-to-day operation of the court. The court administrator is required to ensure statutory compliance by the court in all areas of court administration, including but not limited to SCAO reporting, LEIN reporting and SOS reporting.

Court Magistrates

Court Magistrates are appointed by the District Judge and approved by the county board of commissioners, to assist with judicial duties, review and authorize criminal warrants, conduct informal civil infraction traffic hearings and perform weddings during court hours.

Court Recorder

The court recorder also serves as the judicial secretary, is certified by the state and makes, maintains, and transcribes court recordings of all court proceedings.

Deputy Court Clerks

Deputy court clerks for the Criminal Division, Bookkeeper, Traffic Division, and Civil Division are appointed by the Judge and are responsible to handle the criminal, traffic, and civil docket caseload and bookkeeping and financial reporting duties of the court under the supervision of the Court Administrator.

Probation Officers

Two probation officers administer, manage and supervise all defendants placed on probation by the District Judge and are responsible for all aspects of substance abuse testing, counseling and compliance with all court orders for the entire caseload of the probation department.

Who We Serve

The 65B District Court has jurisdiction over all of Gratiot County, Michigan, including it’s 16 townships; the cities of Alma, Ithaca, and St. Louis; and the villages of Ashley, Breckenridge, and Perrinton.

Visitors with disabilities who need accommodations or assistance may contact the court administrator in advance to make arrangements.