Plainfield Township runs along the north side of Grand Rapids, and a large share of the people charged there are charged in a case that began inside somebody's home. Domestic violence, assault, weapons, and the disputes over who said what and who was holding what, those cases turn on the details of a conversation, and the details get written down by someone else. I represent Plainfield clients through the entire process, and the first thing I work on is the story of what actually happened, because that is where the case is decided.
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The 63rd District Court handles criminal matters arising in Kent County outside the cities of Grand Rapids, Walker, Grandville, Wyoming and Kentwood, which includes Plainfield Township. Misdemeanor, traffic and preliminary felony cases from Plainfield are docketed at 1950 E Beltline Ave NE in Grand Rapids, and felony charges are bound over to the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County.
1950 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525
The 63rd District Court covers Kent County outside the cities of Grand Rapids, Walker, Grandville, Wyoming and Kentwood, including Plainfield Township. Assault, domestic violence, weapons, drug and traffic offenses arising in Plainfield are docketed here first, and a finding of probable cause for a felony binds the case over to the 17th Circuit Court.
180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Felony charges from Plainfield are tried in the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County at 180 Ottawa Ave NW in Grand Rapids. Serious felonies carry a potential prison sentence, and the defense of a serious felony case is decided long before trial, in the evidence review and the motions that follow it.
In a case involving a household, the evidence usually comes from the people in it. That means the statements given to police on the night of the incident, the accounts given at different times by different people, and the messages exchanged afterward all matter. It also means that a person charged in a domestic case should be very careful about what they say, to whom they say it, and when, because those conversations are being written down somewhere.
The cases I defend most often for Plainfield clients are domestic violence, assault and battery, weapons charges, drunk driving, and drug possession. These are the practice areas I handle every day for clients across Kent County, and they are the ones where the facts of the incident and the credibility of the witnesses decide the outcome more often than the legal arguments do.
Write down the charge, the court and the date on the paperwork, and confirm them against the court docket before the day of the hearing.
Do not contact the complaining party, and do not discuss the incident with friends, family or anyone else. Every conversation is discoverable.
Do not delete messages, call logs, or photos, even if they seem to help you. Let the attorney decide what is relevant and what is not.
Get an attorney in place before the first appearance, and do not agree to conditions such as a no contact order without understanding what they restrict.
Choosing a defense attorney in a case that involves a household is about trust and about follow through, because the case will run for months and the decisions are hard. I have tried more than 80 criminal cases over more than 20 years in Kent, Allegan and Ottawa counties, and I will tell you honestly what the evidence looks like and what a realistic outcome is. You get the fee structure in writing at the first consultation and the consultation costs nothing.
Ryan Maesen has defended accused people in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan since 2007.
More than 80 criminal cases taken to trial, where the verdict is decided by a judge and jury, not a plea.
Rated 4.7 out of 5 across 84 Google reviews by clients and their families.
Plainfield is minutes from the office at 3265 Walker Ave NW in Grand Rapids, and the 63rd District Court on East Beltline Avenue is an easy trip from there. I take consultations during the day and handle new criminal matters outside regular business hours, which matters when a case begins with an arrest in the middle of the night.
They are separate charges with separate consequences, and the difference is largely about the relationship between the people involved. Assault and battery under Michigan law is the general offense. Domestic violence is its own statute that applies where the parties are household members or are in a dating relationship, and it carries additional consequences, including a domestic violence record, and it is frequently treated more seriously by the court in setting bond and in sentencing. The charge filed in a Plainfield case should be examined carefully, because the two charges have different maximum penalties.
Yes. Michigan's domestic violence statute covers dating relationships as well as household members, so a couple who shared a relationship and a home does not have to have lived together for the statute to apply. What defines the relationship is a factual question, and it is one that gets litigated. If the case is filed as domestic violence, the classification itself can matter beyond the charge, because it affects the record, the bond, and how the court treats the case at sentencing.
It is a civil order issued by the court that restricts one person from contacting another, and it can be sought by a victim without a fee and without having filed a criminal case first. It is available for domestic violence, stalking, and harassment, among other things. It is worth knowing that a personal protection order can be sought quickly and that it can carry criminal consequences if it is violated, so anyone who is subject to one needs to understand exactly what it prohibits and what the expiration date is.
A violation is its own criminal charge and it is a felony in Michigan when the person has a prior conviction for violating a personal protection order. A first violation is charged as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine. Because the consequences escalate with a prior violation, and because an order is easy to violate by accident, an attorney should be involved before signing anything that says no contact.
The court where the case was handled can provide a copy of the case record, and the Michigan State Police maintains criminal history records that can be requested as well. It is worth ordering a copy after a case is closed rather than assuming what is on it, because a record that reflects a dismissal or a diversion is different from one that reflects a conviction, and employers and licensing agencies will read it differently. If anything on the record is wrong, there is a process to challenge it, and that process has a deadline.
You must comply with it precisely, and the difference between complying and not complying is very small. A no contact order can prohibit direct and indirect contact, and violating it can become an additional charge that is added on top of the case you are already in. That means the original charge and a new one at the same time, with the new one carrying its own penalties. If you were served with a no contact order and you do not understand what it permits, get an explanation before you have any contact with the other person, including a relative who might pass a message along.
If you have been charged in Plainfield, or you were arrested in a dispute at home, call before you say anything else to anyone. The first few hours are where cases are won and lost.
