New Family Justice Center of Ottawa County
Chief Judge Jon Van Allsburg gave us a history of court jurisdiction in Michigan and how it enabled Ottawa to combine services for families in one location. Michigan has 3 courts: District, Circuit, and Probate. Circuit courts have general jurisdiction, district courts handle criminal misdemeanor cases, and probate courts handle wills, estates, and competency hearings. Eventually, the state moved all cases regarding families to the circuit courts. The goal was to have "one family, one judge". This gives better service to families because the judge can understand all of the factors when rendering judgments.
The circuit court jurisdiction originally covered Muskegon, Ottawa, and Allegan counties. Plans for a new courthouse to handle the Family division began in 2016 after the court was changed to serve only Ottawa County. The court system is separate from the county government, but funded by the county. There were several different plans proposed before the budget was set for the new courthouse. The new Family Justice Center opened on July 23rd.