90th District Court
200 Division St, Suite G12
Petoskey, MI 49770-2486
(231) 348-1750
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PROBATIONERS: There will be no in person reporting for the month of June 2020. Please submit report forms online or by mail. If you have questions/concerns, please contact your probation officer.
*NOTICE*
Following a shutdown of nearly two months due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Emmet County Building reopened to the public on Tuesday, May 26. Pursuant to Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Order 2020-02, court proceedings will be limited to allow for adequate social distancing. The courts will continue to encourage the use of two-way interactive technology for hearings when possible. A person wishing to attend a hearing via Zoom shall contact the court at least one hour in advance of the hearing to arrange attendance.
Court dockets and hearing dates/times may be accessed through the record search function.
In accordance with MSC Administrative Order 2020-02, the following also applies in the 57th Circuit Court:
1. Any person entering the Courthouse must comply with applicable screening, social distancing, and other protective measures, including face coverings, ordered by the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, the Executive Orders issued by Governor Whitmer, and the Administrative Orders of the Michigan Supreme Court. All persons arriving at the Courthouse to attend a court hearing will be asked screening questions then-required by the local health department. The required questions currently include the following:
a. Whether the person is experiencing the following symptoms: fever (defined as 100.4 degrees or higher), cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or diarrhea.
b. Whether the person has had any close contact in the last 14 days with someone with a diagnosis of COVID-19.
c. Whether the person has engaged in any activity or travel within the last 14 days that fails to comply with current Executive Orders.
d. Whether the person has been directed or told by the local health department or their healthcare provider to self-isolate or self-quarantine.
2. Upon satisfactory completion of the screening requirements, the person will be escorted to the appropriate courtroom for the hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the person will be escorted from the building.
3. Physical access to court hearings will not be granted to any person who answers “yes” to any of the screening questions or who does not otherwise satisfactorily complete the screening requirements. Access may also be denied to ensure compliance with social distancing or other public health requirements, or as determined by the judge. A person who is denied physical access for these reasons, or any person unable to attend in person for other good cause, may request remote access by other means by contacting the Court at least one hour in advance.
4. Whether observed in person or remotely, court hearings may not be recorded or distributed in any manner without the express permission of the judge presiding over the hearing. Recording, re-broadcasting, and/or distributing a recording of a hearing, in any manner, without the permission of the court is an act of contempt punishable by up to 93 days of incarceration and/or a $7,500 fine.
5. Nothing in this Policy shall be construed to limit the authority of the judge to control the courtroom, or of the court to close court proceedings to the public where required by statute or court rule or in accordance with MCR 8.116.
Signed: Hon. Angela J. Lasher, Chief Judge, 90th District Court
90th District Court Judge
Honorable Angela J. Lasher
Judge Lasher took the bench in the 90th District Court on February 14, 2020 after being appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to fill out the remaining term of Judge James N. Erhart who had retired in 2019. The District Court is often called the “people’s court” as it has more interaction with the public than any other court. The District Court handles most traffic violations, all civil cases with claims up to $25,000 as well as landlord-tenant matters, most traffic tickets, and all misdemeanor criminal cases (generally, cases where the accused, if found guilty, cannot be sentenced to more than one year in jail). In addition, small claims cases are heard by a division of the district court. There are approximately 100 district courts in Michigan with district court judges elected for six-year terms.
DISTRICT COURT STAFF
AMANDA MILLER – District Court Administrator
Email: amiller@emmetcounty.org
Phone: (231) 348-1754
HANNAH J. MAY – District Court Deputy Administrator
Email: hmay@emmetcounty.org
Phone: (231) 348-0647
CHELSEY VERARDI – District Court Magistrate
Email: cverardi@emmetcounty.org
Phone: (231) 348-1755
KATRINA D. MARTIN – District Court Attorney Magistrate
Email: kmartin@emmetcounty.org
DISTRICT COURT NEWS
• April 13, 2020 – Judge Lasher Keeps District Court Moving Along
Judge Lasher began using the online video conferencing platform last week for in-custody defendants after she was assigned a license for the Zoom Virtual Courtroom by the Michigan Supreme Court. ……….. Read the full story here
DISTRICT COURT PHONE NUMBERS
• Traffic Division / Main Desk: (231) 348-1750
• To send a fax, use (231) 348-0616
• Civil Division: (231) 348-1751 or (231) 348-1753
• Criminal Division: (231) 348-1752 or (231) 348-1755
• Probation Department: (231) 348-0632
• To send a fax, use (231) 348-0698
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• DISTRICT COURT CASE SEARCH (Civil, traffic, criminal, domestic (divorce/family), probate and juvenile traffic and delinquency cases are available at this link, depending on the type of court being searched. Neglect/abuse cases will not be displayed.)
• DISTRICT COURT DOCKET (Anyone with a non-public case will not appear on this calendar. Contact your attorney or the court to verify your hearing date/time if your case is non-public.)
• VIDEO RECORDINGS OF COURT HEARINGS (Beginning in April 2020, following the courthouse building closure to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.)
• STATE COURT ADMINISTRATION OFFICE (SCAO) APPROVED COURT FORMS
• REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATIONS BY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (pdf)
• EXTENSIVE RESOURCES AT MICHIGAN COURTS WEBSITE