The 52 District Courts in Oakland County are separated into 4 divisions, with courthouses located in Novi (52-1 District Court), Clarkston (52-2 District Court), Rochester (52-3 District Court), and Troy (52-4 District Court). The two presiding judges at the 52-2 District Court are the Honorable Joseph G. Fabrizio and the Honorable Kelley Kostin. In addition to these two judges, the court also has a few magistrates who handle criminal arraignments, traffic tickets, small claims cases, and requests for warrants by local and state police.
Jurisdiction of the 52-2 District Court
The 52-2 District Court is located at 5850 Lorac, Clarkston, MI 48346. The court services the communities of Brandon Township, Holly Township, Groveland Township, Independence Township, Rose Township, Springfield Township, White Lake Township, Village of Clarkston, Village of Holly, and Village of Ortonville.
The court’s website can be accessed at: oakgov.com/courts/district-courts/52-2.
The 52-2 District Court is separated into 4 primary divisions:
Traffic Division - deals with citations and civil infraction tickets issued by local police departments and the Michigan State Police.
Civil Division - deals with case that involve money or damage claims under $25,000.00, and landlord/tenant disputes. There is also a small claims division that handles case involving $6,500.00 or less at issue.
Criminal Division - processes paperwork from local police 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 its jurisdiction. 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 in Pontiac, MI.
Probation Department - handles pre-sentence investigation interviews, substance abuse evaluations, probation supervision, and probation violation hearings for misdemeanor offenses.
Common Criminal Charges in the 52-2 District Court
Common criminal charges in the 52-2 District Court include: assault and battery, aggravated assault, disturbing the peace, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating while visibly impaired (OWVI), operating under the influence of drugs (OUID), domestic violence, retail fraud (theft), reckless driving, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, moving violation causing serious impairment, disorderly persons, trespassing, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, larceny, and more.
Spencer M. Bondy & the 52-2 District Court
I regularly appear in front of both the Honorable Joseph G. Fabrizio and the Honorable Kelley Kostin. I understand how the 52-2 District Court operates and 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 52-2 District Court, please contact me today.