Michigan Legal Overview: Benton Harbor

The Benton Harbor metropolitan area in Michigan is defined by the Census Bureau as covering all of Berrien County. The Michigan judiciary has 57 circuit courts, which act as the main trial courts with general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases filed in the county. There are 107 district courts in Michigan, which have limited jurisdiction over local ordinance violations, misdemeanors, traffic infractions, evictions and civil disputes not exceeding $25,000. Listed below are the main cities in the Benton Harbor metro area.
x

To locate an attorney and find more legal information in your area, click on any of the following links:

Top Michigan cities for Legal Issues:

Benton Harbor
Bridgman
Buchanan
Coloma
New Buffalo
Niles
Three Oaks
St. Joseph
Watervliet

Michigan/Benton Harbor Laws That are Trending

Current Law Topics People are Talking About in the Michigan and Benton Harbor Area:

1. Berrien County is served by a consolidated trial court, which includes the 2nd Judicial Circuit, 5th Judicial District and the Berrien County Probate Court. The court is located in the county courthouse in St. Joseph and has three divisions for criminal, civil and family law cases. The court has original and general jurisdiction over everything from felony prosecutions and misdemeanors to small claims and civil disputes, irrespective of dollar amounts. The county has two additional district courts in Niles and Three Oaks.

2. The Berrien County Prosecutor has decided not to charge 20-year-old Tyler Schultz for running over 21-year-old Tyler Carr with a pickup truck. The dead boy’s family has decided to file a civil lawsuit against Schultz, who might have been drinking at a party, which both boys were at before the accident.

3. A Berrien County Trial Court judge exonerated two public officials in Niles Township against charges of violation of the Open Meetings Act, but the township may still have to work out a settlement with the plaintiff. The OMA violation lawsuit was brought by Shane Daniel, a police officer in Niles.

Michigan/Benton Harbor Courthouses and Courts Links

Other Legal Information for Benton Harbor

Trending Legal Topics: Appeals against district court verdicts must be filed with the respective county circuit court. An appeal against a circuit court’s verdict will be heard by the Michigan Court of Appeals. The intermediate appellate court verdict can be reviewed by the Michigan Supreme Court based in Lansing. Federal cases may be filed with the Kalamazoo Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Federal appeals in Michigan go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.