Allendale Township occupies the northwest corner of Kent County, and the criminal cases that come out of it are heard in Grand Rapids at the 63rd District Court on East Beltline Avenue. It is a long drive from the courthouse on a bad day, and it is an easy drive to make the wrong turn on an unfamiliar street with a citation in your hand. I handle cases for Allendale clients and know that courtroom, and I would rather you walked in prepared than curious.
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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 Allendale Township. Misdemeanor, traffic and preliminary felony cases from Allendale are docketed at 1950 E Beltline Ave NE in Grand Rapids, and felony charges move 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 Allendale Township. Misdemeanors, preliminary felonies, drunk driving and traffic offenses arising in Allendale 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 Allendale are tried in the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County at 180 Ottawa Ave NW in Grand Rapids. Circuit court is where the potential prison exposure is real and where the quality of the defense shows up in the outcome.
Your first appearance is usually the most important one and the least comfortable. It happens quickly, the judge does not want to hear argument on the merits, and the decisions made in those few minutes, the plea, the bond, the next date, and what you agree to, are the ones that shape everything after. Having an attorney beside you is the difference between a case being handled and a case being survived.
The charges I defend most often for Allendale clients are drunk driving and OWI, drug possession, assault and battery, theft, and juvenile matters. That mix reflects what actually reaches the docket from the northwest corner of the county, and it is the same set of practice areas I handle every day for clients across Kent and Ottawa counties.
Confirm the court and date on the paperwork. Allendale matters are set at the 63rd District Court on East Beltline Ave NE in Grand Rapids.
Do not answer police questions or consent to a search until you have spoken with an attorney. This applies at your home, in your vehicle, and on the phone.
Do not skip the hearing, even if you intend to resolve the case. A missed hearing turns a manageable charge into a warrant.
Keep every document and gather what exists: the citation, the bond paperwork, any photos, and the names of people who actually witnessed what happened.
The number that separates defense attorneys is the number of cases they have taken to a jury. I have tried more than 80 criminal cases over more than 20 years of practice in Kent, Allegan and Ottawa counties. I will give you an honest read on the strengths and the weaknesses of your case at the first consultation, and I will tell you if I do not think a trial is worth it. The fee structure is in writing before you commit to anything, and the consultation is free.
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.
Allendale is a short drive from the office at 3265 Walker Ave NW in Grand Rapids, and the 63rd District Court on East Beltline Avenue is convenient to reach from the same direction. I take consultations during the day and handle new criminal matters outside regular business hours.
Michigan's implied consent statute means that driving is consent to be tested, so refusing a blood test after a drunk driving arrest carries its own consequences, including a license suspension and the fact that the prosecutor can use the refusal itself as evidence. That is a decision with legal consequences attached and it is made in a parking lot or at the hospital, with very little information. An attorney can often arrange a test that protects the driver without creating a refusal, and that option is far easier to use when someone is already on the phone.
They can take the physical phone, but they generally cannot go through the digital contents of it without a warrant. The United States Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that police must obtain a warrant before searching the digital contents of a cell phone seized incident to an arrest, because a phone search exposes far more than the physical search the seizure exception was designed to cover. Tell the officer you want to speak with an attorney before you unlock anything or provide a passcode, and do not consent to a search of the device.
A preliminary examination is the hearing in district court where the judge decides whether there is probable cause to believe a felony was committed and whether the defendant should be bound over to circuit court for trial. It is not a trial, and the evidence is not presented in full. The prosecutor presents the showing and the defense has the opportunity to cross examine the witnesses and to argue. If the court does not find probable cause, the case is dismissed. A dismissal at that point is a complete win, which is why the defense puts real work into that hearing.
If you are arrested without a warrant, the court must hold a first appearance and set bond without unnecessary delay, and a preliminary examination is required within 14 days of the arrest if the person is held in custody. In practice the time before the first appearance is measured in hours, and it is the period where an attorney does the most work, because the information given to the judge at that hearing about who the person is and what the charge actually is can change the bond that gets set.
Yes, and the fact that you were not arrested does not make what you said safe. Anything you say to an officer can be used against you, and it can be recorded. The two questions that decide it are whether you are being arrested and whether the questioning has stopped. If you are free to go and you are not sure, you can ask directly, and if you are not under arrest you are free to end the conversation. Michigan also protects statements made while you are in custody or under a booking procedure, so ask before you answer.
For a misdemeanor in Michigan, the standard is that the prosecution must prove the elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. For a felony it is the same standard, but the elements usually require more, including in many cases the identity of the person charged as the person who committed the act. Every element has to be proven, and if the prosecution cannot prove one of them, the case fails. That is why the defense examines the evidence element by element rather than arguing about what the case feels like, and it is why the facts in the officer report and the witness statements matter more than anyone expects.
If you have been stopped, cited, arrested, or questioned by police in Allendale, call and tell me exactly what happened. You will get a straight answer about the charge and what to do about it.
