Warren, Centerline and the 37th District Court

The 37^th District Court and the Cities of Warren and Centerline

Warren is located in the southwest corner of Macomb County. Its main borders are 8 Mile Road (Detroit border), Dequindre Road (Oakland County border), 14 Mile Road (Sterling Heights border) and Hayes Road (Roseville/Eastpointe border). The city, which is home to some 138,000 people, is the county’s largest city and ranks as the third largest city in Michigan. The neighboring city of Sterling Heights ranks fourth largest in Michigan. Warren is the home to an impressive array of large businesses including the General Motors Technical Center which employs over 5000 engineers, Fiat Chrysler/Warren Truck Plant and TACOM (formerly Detroit Tank Arsenal). The city is some 34.3 square miles.

Centerline consists of a land area of merely 1.37 square miles and has a population of approximately 8,500. The city has their own police department and court building. Centerline is mentioned because it is part of the 37th District Court system and is located entirely within the borders of the city of Warren. Centerline does not have any major industry or shopping centers. The main source of activity is created from traffic from Van Dyke and I-696 expressway.

The cities of Centerline and Warren are both served by the 37th District Court.

37^th District Court, Judges and Locations

Warren and Centerline are both serviced by the 37^th District Court. The current presiding Judges are Matthew P. Sabaugh, Suzanne L. Faunce, John M. Chmura, and Michael C. Chupa. There are courthouses in the cities of Warren and Centerline and all of the judges preside at both locations on a rotation basis.

• Warren: 8300 Common Road, Warren, MI 48093, Ph: 586-574-4900
• Centerline: 7070 E. 10 Mile Road, Centerline, MI 48015, Ph: 586-757-8333

The 37^th District Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanors, traffic tickets, criminal traffic tickets (e.g. reckless, driving while license suspended, leaving the scene of an accident), drunk driving misdemeanors (DUI 1st & DUI 2nd) and felony matters from the arraignment through the preliminary examination. Domestic violence, assault crimes, drug crimes, retail fraud, larceny crimes, fleeing & eluding, resisting & obstructing, uttering & publishing are typical crimes that you will find on the 37^th District Court caseload.

37^th District Court: Major Roads, Police Write Numerous Tickets

Warren has the job of patrolling the Macomb County borders of Dequindre Road (Oakland County border) and 8 Mile Road (Detroit border). These are high traffic zones and Warren has a major police presence covering activity crossing into Macomb County from these thoroughfares. In addition, both the Warren and Centerline Police are known for writing a large number of traffic tickets for offenses arising on their main roads (Schoenherr, Van Dyke, Mound, Dequindre, and the Mile Roads). The Michigan State Police has the job of cruising the I-696 expressway. Traffic tickets issued in the cities of Warren and Centerline are adjudicated at the 37^th District Court.

Traffic Tickets: Classified as Non-Criminal or Criminal, Points

A traffic ticket is classified either as a non-criminal civil infraction or a misdemeanor which carries criminal penalties. Criminal traffic violations can carry as much as 6 points (link to SOS point system) and possible jail time. Speeding is the number one traffic ticket that we see on every district court docket including the 37^th District Court. The points for a speeding ticket can vary from 0 points for a Limited Access Speed ticket to 4 points for 16 mph or more over the speed limit. The following is a partial list of common traffic tickets and penalties:

Six Points

• Failing to stop at the scene of an accident (misdemeanor)
• Reckless driving (misdemeanor)
• Fleeing or eluding a police officer (felony)
• Operating While Intoxicated or High BAC .17 or more (misdemeanor)
• Refusal to take a chemical test

Four Points

• Fail to yield for emergency vehicles
• Speeding 16 mph or more over the speed limit
• Drag racing
• Operating a vehicle while impaired

Three Points

• Careless Driving
• Speeding 11-16 mph over the speed limit
• Disobey a traffic signal, stop sign, improper passing
• Failing to stop for a school bus

Two Points

• Speeding 1-10 mph over the speed limit
• Open intoxicants in a motor vehicle

Zero Points/ Not Abstracted on Record ( a fine is still required)

• Impeding Traffic
• Double Parking

The traffic docket at the 37^th District Courts is always a hefty one. Fortunately, our experience handling traffic tickets (civil infractions and misdemeanors) in the 37th Districts has been favorable. The judges, prosecutors, and police officers work with our traffic defense lawyers to get most traffic matters amended or reduced to avoid points that are otherwise factored into insurance premiums.

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