Jurisdiction of the 44th District Court
The 44th District Court is located at 400 E Eleven Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48067. The Court has a limited jurisdiction, servicing the City of Royal Oak and the City of Berkley.
The 44th District Court has two active judges, the Honorable Derek W. Meinecke and the Honorable Jamie L. Wittenberg. Additionally, the 44th District Court has several magistrates who handle criminal arraignments, small claims cases, traffic tickets, landlord/tenant disputes, probation matters, weddings, and requests for warrants by local and state police.
The court’s website can be accessed at: https://www.romi.gov/307/44th-District-Court
The 44th District Court is separated into 5 primary divisions:
Traffic Tickets / Civil Infraction Division - deals with traffic tickets, citations and civil infraction tickets issued by the City of Royal Oak Police Department, the City of Berkley Public Safety Department, and and the Michigan State Police.
Criminal Division - processes paperwork from local police/public safety departments, the Michigan State Police, and local and state prosecutors. The District Court has the exclusive jurisdiction over all criminal matters where the maximum penalty does not exceed 1-year in jail, also known as "misdemeanors." The Court also handles the initial process of all felony charges allegedly committed in the cities of Royal Oak and Berkley. These felony matters first begin with an arraignment, followed by a probable cause conference ("PCC") and ultimately a preliminary examination ("PE"). A preliminary examination is a hearing conducted to determine if the prosecution has sufficient evidence to show that a crime was committed and it is more likely than not that the accused committed that crime. If the prosecution proves both of these elements, the case is bound over for trial to the Oakland County Circuit Court, located at 1200 N Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI 48341. The Oakland County Circuit Court is also known as the 6th Circuit Court.
Probation Department - handles pre-sentence investigation interviews, substance abuse evaluations, probation supervision, and probation violation hearings for misdemeanor offenses. The 44th District Court also maintains a Sobriety Court Program designed to help criminal defendants who have substance abuse problems.
General Civil Division - the civil division of the 44th District Court is divided into three subdivisions that handle the following matters:
General Civil Matters – deals with case that involve monetary damage claims under $25,000.00.
Small Claims – small claims cases that are handled in the 44th District Court have monetary damage claims of up to $6,500.00, any claims for monetary damages beyond $6,500.00 must be filed in the general civil division.
Landlord/Tenant Issues – the landlord/tenant division of the 44th District Court deals primarily with proceedings regarding a landlord's attempt to regain possession of real property through an eviction action against a tenant or to obtain a monetary judgement against a tenant for costs related to a lease agreement.
Common Criminal Charges in the 44th District Court
Common criminal charges in the 44th District Court include: assault and battery, aggravated assault, domestic violence, disturbing the peace, operating while intoxicated (OWI/DUI), operating while visibly impaired (OWVI), operating under the influence of drugs (OUID), open intoxicants, retail fraud (theft), reckless driving, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, moving violation causing serious impairment, disorderly persons/disorderly conduct, public intoxication trespassing, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, larceny, and more.
Spencer M. Bondy & the 44th District Court
I regularly appear in the 44th District Court and have handled numerous criminal matters involving the City of Royal Oak and the City of Berkley, as well as throughout Oakland County. I am familiar with the policies, procedures, and requirements of the 44th District Court's Court Administration and each individual Judge. I have consistently obtained outstanding results for my clients facing serious legal issues, including direct and collateral consequences from criminal charges in this Court. If you have a matter in the 44th District Court, please contact me today.
