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Criminal & OWI Defense Team
Sterling Heights and the 41-A District Court
Sterling Heights, a major Metro Detroit Suburb, is consistently named one of the best places to live in Michigan. Sterling Heights has a population of approximately 127,000, making it the second largest city in Macomb County and the fourth largest in the State of Michigan. Sterling Heights covers a land area in Macomb County of approximately 36 square miles. The following cities are on the north, south, east and west borders of Sterling Heights: Shelby Township (north), Warren (south), Clinton Township (east), and Troy (west).
In addition to its residents, Sterling Heights has a strong industrial and commercial base with some 3,500 industrial and commercial business. Sterling Heights is a major player in the automotive industry claiming four OEM vehicle productions plants: the Fiat-Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, the Fiat-Chrysler Stamping Plant, the Ford Van Dyke Transmission Plant, and the Ford Axle Plant. The area along M-59 in the City of Sterling Heights is known as the Golden Corridor. The Golden Corridor gets its name because of the abundance of business activity and abundance of restaurants, retail establishments, and services on both sides of M-59; which includes Sterling Heights, Utica, Shelby Township, Macomb Township, and Clinton Township. In fact, 2.6 billion dollars is spent along the Golden Corridor each year for entertainment, home improvements, restaurants, and retail. A 35-foot golden ring is evident on M-59 in Sterling Heights as a symbol of this robust economic area.
The Lakeside Mall, which put Sterling Heights on the map in the 1970’s, is scheduled to be demolished in 2024. There are plans for the 110 acres where Lakeside Mall stands for a planned community of residences, parks, a hotel, office spaces and dining with a 90% reduction in retail store space.
41-A District Courts: Located in Sterling Heights & Shelby Township
Michigan is subdivided by 83 counties. The number of district courts in each county is determined by various factors such as population and court traffic. There are more district courts in heavily populated areas such as Macomb County. Macomb County has 10 district courts. On the other hand, St. Clair County has only 2 district courts.
The 41-A District Court is divided into two (2) major divisions which are located in Sterling Heights and Shelby Township. The 41-A District Courts have jurisdiction over traffic offenses, criminal offenses and drunk driving cases that occur within its boundaries.
41-A District Court, Sterling Heights Division
40111 Dodge Park, Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Phone: 586-446-2500
Link to case search
41A District Court-Shelby Township
52420 Van Dyke, Shelby Township, MI 48316
Phone: 586-739-7525
Link to case search
41-A District Court Criminal Proceedings and Process
We are frequent Macomb County criminal defense lawyers with vast experience handling criminal and drunk driving cases in the 41-A District Courts located in Sterling Heights and Shelby Township. These sister courts have jurisdiction from 14 Mile Road to 26 Mile Road! Almost half of the entire county. In Michigan, all criminal cases are initiated in the district courts. The following criminal proceedings are handled at the district court level:
- Warrants Issued
- Misdemeanor Arraignments
- Felony Arraignments
- Pretrial Conference
- Felony Probable Cause Conference
- Felony Preliminary Examination
- Misdemeanor Trials
- Misdemeanor Expungements
CALL ABDO LAW for the most experienced criminal defense lawyers in Macomb County for a Free Consultation & Same Day Service: 586-412-5555.
The first court date in a criminal case is called an “arraignment”. The magistrate or the judge handles arraignments for all misdemeanors or felonies in the district court.
Arraignment: The following matters will be addressed at the arraignment phase of a criminal case:
- Criminal charge(s) will be read to the defendant.
- Pretrial conference will be scheduled for a misdemeanor.
- Probable cause conference will be scheduled for a felony.
- Preliminary examination will be scheduled for a felony.
- Bond will be determined (either cash or personal).
- A no-contact order will be entered (domestic violence, assault, etc).
- Travel restrictions may be imposed.
- Alcohol and drug testing may be imposed as a bond condition.
- The court may require house arrest or GPS tracking.
After the Arraignment, misdemeanors are scheduled for a Pretrial Conference and felonies are scheduled for a Probable Cause Conference. Employees of the court are not lawyers and are forbidden to give you legal advice. There is no substitute for having the best Macomb County criminal defense attorney by your side if you are charged with any criminal offense.
Misdemeanor or Felony Classification
A criminal case is initiated in the district court when a warrant is issued or when a court date notice is produced which commands a person to appear at court. Criminal cases are labeled as “misdemeanors” or “felonies”. A misdemeanor is defined as a criminal offense where the punishment is not greater than one (1) year or less in jail. A felony is defined as a criminal offense where the punishment exceeds one (1) year, with the potential up to life in prison.
The district courts in Michigan have complete jurisdiction over drunk driving cases, misdemeanors and traffic matters.
Common Criminal Cases in the 41-A District Courts
The majority of criminal cases in the 41-A District Courts consist of misdemeanors. Do not hesitate to hire local a criminal defense lawyer with experience handling criminal cases in Sterling Heights and Shelby Township if you are facing any criminal investigation or criminal charges. Drunk driving, retail fraud and domestic violence are some of the most common criminal cases that occur in the 41-A District Court in Sterling Heights as well as the 41-A District Court located in Shelby Township:
Drunk Driving: The Michigan State Police maintain crime and drunk driving statistics based upon reports filed with law enforcement agencies and the courts. For drunk driving cases, the MSP publishes a Michigan Annual Drunk Driving Audit. The 2022 audit reveals that there approximately 2,000 individuals tested for drugs and alcohol in Macomb for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI/OWI and/or High BAC .17% or more). The audit also indicates that 226 of those tests were conducted by the Sterling Heights Police. This represents more than ten (10%) percent of all drunk driving cases in the County of Macomb. The following license sanctions are imposed for driving while impaired or intoxication:
- OWI First Offense: No driving for the first 30 days, followed by 150 days with restrictions.
- Impaired Driving First Offense: 90 days with restrictions.
- OWI w/high BAC .17 or more: No driving for the first 45 days, following by 320 days with restrictions and the
Breath Alcohol Ignitiion Interlock Device (BAIID). The BAIID uses advanced technology to read a driver’s blood alcohol content before allowing the vehicle to be started. The device also requires the driver to be tested while the vehicle is being operated.
Contact our Macomb County drunk driving lawyers to find out how we can manage your drunk driving case to REDUCE the charges, DISMISS extra charges added on by the cops, AVOID any jail, and RETAIN driving privileges.
Retail Fraud: Retail fraud (shoplifting) cases occur in greater numbers in areas such as Sterling Heights which have retail shopping corridors and major retail stores (Target, Meijer, Walmart, Kohl’s, Home Depot). In fact, retail fraud is consistently one of the top crimes on the dockets in the 41-A District Courts (Sterling Heights and Shelby). Depending on the circumstances, retail fraud can be charged as a felony or misdemeanor:
ABDO LAW has a strong record of getting retail fraud charges dismissed for first time offenders in every court located in Macomb County.
Domestic Violence: The police will place a party under arrest without hesitation if another party has alleged domestic violence. Domestic violence is a crime that involves an assault against another party where the parties involved are in a relationship (spouse, parent, child) or reside in the same household. A call to the police with allegations of an assault or domestic violence usually means that the police will respond, conduct an abbreviated investigation at the scene, and arrest someone. The person that is arrested may not ever get a chance to tell his or her side of the story and the party that made the initial 911 call to the police may not even want to press criminal charges. This article explains why it is so difficult to get a domestic violence offense dismissed.
If you are faced with domestic violence, contact ABDO LAW to find out how we can set the record straight and get you out of the broken court system. There may be a way to get the charge(s) dropped if the alleged victim insists on a dismissal. CALL ABDO LAW FOR A FREE CONSULTATION: 586-412-5555.
Sterling Heights Traffic Tickets: No Points, No Record
Sterling Heights has some of the busiest traveled roads in the State of Michigan. The Sterling Heights Police have their hands full dealing with nervous commuter and congestive retail traffic on these roads where serious accidents happen on a daily basis. Some of the most common traffic tickets issued in Sterling Heights are as follows: speeding, failing to yield, texting while driving, improper lane use, careless driving, and criminal traffic violations (DWLS, Reckless Driving). Did you know that court employees are forbidden by law to give any legal advice? This is why you need to get an opinion from your own Sterling Heights traffic lawyer to find out where you stand if you get a traffic ticket or charged with a criminal matter. ABDO LAW has recently launched a publication explaining why it is a good investment to fight every traffic ticket. Most outcomes of contested traffic tickets result in no points, and nothing is abstracted onto your Michigan driving record.
Email or Call Abdo Law for a Free Consultation. Phone messages after business hours are forwarded to our attorneys. We offer same day, evening, weekend appointments and the ability to retain us over the internet. Payment plans and all credit cards accepted.