Calhoun County was created in 1829 and has an estimated population of 134,310. It covers an area of 706.3 square miles and has about 59,518 housing units. The county is included in the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek-Portage Combined Statistical Area. Its county seat is Marshall.

Courts in Calhoun County

Calhoun County’s court system comprises the 37th Judicial Circuit Court, the 10th District Court, the Court of Claims, and the Calhoun County Probate Court.

The Circuit Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction over civil claims of at least $25,000. It also hears felony cases punishable by at least two years of incarceration. The court has a family division with jurisdiction over domestic and juvenile matters. These include divorce, adoption, paternity, delinquency, child protective proceedings, name change, personal protection orders,  and dependency cases. Additionally, the Circuit Court has appellate jurisdiction over matters tried by the District Court, local government boards, and the State's administrative agencies.

The District Court hears civil claims of up to $25,000, small claims not more than $7,000, traffic tickets and violations, and misdemeanor offenses. The court also handles landlord-tenant matters. However, civil actions against the State and State's agencies, and monetary claims of over $1,000 are brought before the Court of Claims.

The Calhoun County Probate Court handles cases relating to the administration of decedents’ estates and trusts, wills, guardianships, conservatorships,  mental health cases, and commitment proceedings.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Calhoun County

The Circuit Court Clerk maintains the records of court cases and makes them publicly available. These records are accessible on the MiCOURT Case Search Portal. The portal also contains records of the District Court made available by the District Court Clerk. However, not all court records are available online. To access these records, a completed record request form can be submitted to the court either in person or via mail.

Types of Public Court Records in Calhoun County

All court records are generally open to the public except those considered confidential. The following are examples of public court records in Calhoun County: 

• Civil court records
• Small claims records
• Criminal court records
• Probate court records
• Traffic court records

Confidential Court Records

Some court records are deemed confidential due to privacy concerns and cannot be requested by the public. They include:

• Adoption records 
• Mental health treatment records
• Judicial admissions
• Confidential name change cases
• Juvenile guardianship cases
• Personal protection orders
• Young adult voluntary foster care and wills
• Records containing personal identifying information

Juvenile Delinquency in Calhoun, MI

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Calhoun County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Michigan often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 713 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Calhoun County. Of that total, 82% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 585 court cases. Another 18% were dependency cases that accounted for 128 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Calhoun County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Calhoun County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Calhoun County, MI

https://www.michigan.gov/

County Seat:	Marshall
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1829
Total Square Miles:	718
2019 Population:	134,128
Persons/Square Mile:	0.01
County Contact:	315 W Green St County Courthouse Marshall , MI 49068-1518 https://www.calhouncountymi.gov/

Calhoun County, MI Courts