Grandville is a small city that sits inside a much larger metropolitan area, and its criminal cases are handled by the same court system as Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Walker. That is good news for you. It means the prosecutor across the table is the same prosecutor, the court is the same court, and the arguments that work in West Michigan courts work on a Grandville case. The difference is in the facts, and the facts are where a defense attorney earns your fee.
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Grandville is served by the 59th District Court through its Grandville division at 3161 Wilson Ave SW. Misdemeanor, traffic and ordinance charges are heard there, and felony charges move to the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County in Grand Rapids. Both are within a short drive of the office, which matters when you have appearances every other week.
3161 Wilson Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418
The 59th District Court covers the City of Grandville. Misdemeanors, preliminary felonies, drunk driving and traffic citations from Grandville are docketed here. If the court finds probable cause for a felony at the preliminary examination, the case is bound over to the 17th Circuit Court.
180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Felony charges from Grandville are heard in the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County at 180 Ottawa Ave NW in Grand Rapids. Circuit court is where the potential exposure changes, and where the quality of the defense shows up most clearly in the outcome.
Wilson Avenue is a short trip from the Grandville police department, which means many people charged in Grandville are arraigned there within days of the arrest. The time between arrest and arraignment is the most important window in the case, and it is where an attorney can do the most good.
Grandville cases run the range of what you would expect in a city on the edge of a metro area: retail fraud and shoplifting complaints, theft and burglary, drug possession, operating while intoxicated, and white collar charges like embezzlement. These are the areas I defend every day for clients from Grandville and across Kent County.
Confirm the courthouse and date on your arraignment paperwork. Grandville matters are usually set at the 59th District Court on Wilson Ave SW.
Do not contact anyone who may be a witness or a complaining party. Let your attorney handle the first conversation.
Hire a criminal defense attorney before your first appearance so the charge is reviewed on the record, not in the parking lot.
Start collecting documents now: the citation, the bond paperwork, employment records, and anything that shows you have no relevant history.
Choosing a criminal defense attorney in Grandville should come down to trial experience and clarity. I have taken more than 80 cases to trial over more than 20 years of practice in Kent, Allegan and Ottawa counties, and I will tell you plainly whether your case is one worth trying or one better resolved by a negotiation. Fees are explained in writing at the consultation, 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.
Grandville is a short drive from the office at 3265 Walker Ave NW in Grand Rapids, close to both the 59th District Court on Wilson Ave SW and the 17th Circuit Court on Ottawa Ave NW. I meet clients during the day and take new criminal matters outside regular business hours.
Retail fraud is theft of merchandise from a store, charged under Michigan law with penalties that scale by the value of the property and by prior theft convictions. A first offense for merchandise under a set dollar value is typically a misdemeanor, but repeat theft convictions can escalate a case into a felony with jail exposure. The record used to calculate the tier is the prosecutor's, so it is worth reviewing early.
It depends on the value of the merchandise and on your record. The charge itself is not automatically minor. Because the same conduct can be charged at different tiers depending on those two facts, the most useful thing a defense attorney can do is check how the prosecutor has actually charged the case and whether the tier matches the facts. Sometimes the charge as filed is more severe than the conduct.
Often, yes. Embezzlement cases frequently involve an employer, a client, or a family member who has a genuine grievance about what happened, and that person can matter to the case. Restitution, repayment and a negotiated resolution can keep a felony off your record. Whether that is available in your case depends on the facts and on the prosecutor, and both are worth examining before you make a decision.
Michigan drug possession charges are graded by the substance and the amount. Possession of a controlled substance is generally a misdemeanor, but repeat possession and possession with intent to deliver carry felony exposure. The grading also depends on whether the substance was a legal prescription in another state, which is a separate charge with a separate analysis. If any prescription medication was involved, tell your attorney before your arraignment.
Do not answer to a plea offer at your first appearance without a lawyer present. An offer made on the courthouse steps is often an opening position, and in some cases it exists because the prosecution has not yet done the work. Whether it is worth taking cannot be judged without reading the probable cause affidavit and knowing what the exposure is. Take the paperwork home, or take it to an attorney who will read it with you.
The 59th District Court handles Grandville cases at the preliminary stage, including the preliminary examination where a felony charge is reviewed. If probable cause is found, the case is bound over to the 17th Circuit Court of Kent County in Grand Rapids for trial. Felony charges are never tried in the district court.
If you have been charged in Grandville, or you are trying to figure out what a citation means before your court date, call. I will tell you what the charge is, what the prosecutor would have to prove, and what your options are.
