PUBLIC NOTICE

In maintaining compliance with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Orders and the Michigan Supreme Court’’s Administrative Orders, the 44th District Court implemented steps in an effort to limit the exposure of the COVID-19 virus for the public, jurors, litigants and court staff.  The Court will continue to take the following additional steps to further limit exposure and mitigate the risk of transmission of the virus:

• Effective at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 and UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, the 44^th District Court will close to the general public, but will remain operational during regular business hours to conduct essential court services including case events involving in-custody defendants and other actions deemed as emergencies by the Judges.
• All court hearings scheduled through August 31, 2020 have been set for an Internal Review in September. The Internal Review is not an actual court hearing.  The Court will notify all parties of their new court date once it has been rescheduled.
• The court has expanded their remote video proceedings.  The court is working to hear, via Zoom video conferencing, all criminal in-custody arraignments, preliminary examinations, certain misdemeanor cases, certain traffic matters, and certain civil case hearings.  Notices of remote hearings will be sent via mail and/or email.
• Court phone lines will remain open during regular business hours.
• Requests for emergency consideration shall be accepted by fax  at (248)246-3601 or by email via this link.  Any submitted request must include an explanation of why the matter should be considered an emergency and a return contact number and email address.  The Judges will review requests and approve them at their discretion.
• Probation appointments shall continue to be conducted via Zoom, telephone or email.  Probationers should contact their probation officer for further instruction.

Court hearings that are conducted during this time will be livestreamed on YouTube. Click on the appropriate link to be directed to the livestream:

Hon. Derek W. Meinecke: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJHWb5444fhV6einFYO7WxA

Hon. Jamie L. Wittenberg:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJfS4hz34OrikajNfpHyqQ

Magistrate’s Courtroom: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvim_M8yGfZCCVoCPHRXu1Q

For updated information on this rapidly changing situation, please consult this website or on the Court’s Facebook page.

Online payments for court fines can be made at www.govpaynow.com using pay location coded 3031

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      -Updated April 29, 2020